Businesses across Chesterfield have been told they must act today to futureproof their businesses and the town’s economy, by ensuring their staff are receiving the relevant training and skills.

The Chesterfield Employability and Skills Conference (Thursday, 8th February 2024) was hosted in partnership by Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield.

The event at the Winding Wheel Theatre in the heart of the town introduced a new wave of support for firms in the area, signposting businesses to relevant schemes which will help them to upskill and reskill their staff. Attendees at the event were given the chance to meet with representatives from the following organisations:

·       Chesterfield Borough Council, Skills Brokerage Service

·       Chesterfield College

·       Derbyshire BAME Forum

·       Direct Education Business Partnership

·       University of Derby

·       D2N2 Careers Hub/D2N2 LEP

·       Derbyshire County Council/National Careers Service

·       North East Derbyshire District Council

·       Department for Work and Pensions

·       Auto Windscreens, owned by Markerstudy Group

·       East Midlands Railway

The call for businesses to access this support comes as firms in some of the town’s key sectors say they are finding difficulties in filling vacancies with suitable skilled people.

The latest East Midlands Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey showed that more than 70% of businesses in the region are struggling to fill vacancies, with skilled manual or technical roles proving the most challenging. Industries such as construction, manufacturing, engineering, digital and health & social care are just some of the sectors which Chesterfield Borough Council aims to support with workforce growth.

To address those challenges, Chesterfield’s new skills brokerage gives businesses in the borough the opportunity to gain free, impartial, bespoke advice to support them to access funding, alongside connecting companies to training and development opportunities.

The full range of services offered includes:

·       Access a range of fully funded courses to upskill the workforce, ranging from basic skills and business fundamentals to leadership and management, green and digital skills.

·       Accessing a variety of funding streams.

·       Support to employ Apprentices, including how to access apprenticeship funding and information around the apprenticeship levy.

·       Recruitment and retention advice.

·       Succession planning.

·       Advice and continued support.

Michael Timmins, Director at AECOM and Chair of the Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership, said: “It was fantastic to see so many businesses in attendance at the Employability and Skills Conference.

“We know that firms across our area are concerned about the future of their workforces, so it is extremely important that we continue to highlight the support that is out there. I would urge businesses of all sizes to make the most of the assistance available.

“We must all work together to secure the future growth of Chesterfield and ensure that our workforce has the right skills and abilities to meet future challenges.”

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of the Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership, said: “We work closely with a wide range of partners to help local people develop the skills that businesses need both now and in the future, which in turn will help ensure everyone can benefit from a growing local economy.

“Our Skills Brokerage service aims to help businesses access the funding and the information they need to deliver skills development programmes for their employees, but this is just one of the initiatives we have launched that aim to help businesses based in our borough to grow.

“If you are running a business in Chesterfield, please contact our team directly to find out more about the support available to you.”

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Skills Brokerage Service is benefiting from funding through the UKSPF, after the council was successful in securing £2.6m from the Government. It will fund initiatives up to April 2025, which are designed to improve life for local people and support local businesses.

Workforce stability is the main focus for SMEs in 2024, despite ongoing economic pressures and an uncertain climate, according to the latest barometer from people experts HR Solutions.

The results of the fourth annual SME Business Survey from the HR specialists were revealed at Your Business Expo at Sywell Aerodrome.

More than half of respondents (54%) said their biggest business issue this year is recession and cost of living, with 47% citing recruitment as a problem and 39% worried about bringing in new business.

Yet less than a quarter of those surveyed plan to make any redundancies, instead putting an emphasis on efficient resource management.

And with half troubled by maintaining profitability and 56% concerned about controlling costs, there is little surprise that 53% plan to focus on cost reduction in order to maintain workforce stability and make better use of resources.

Recruitment and employee retention were also revealed to be pressing issues, driven by competitive job markets and the expansion of the talent pool due to remote working. A worried 45% of SMEs are concerned about the need for wage adjustments in line with inflation, 52% believe employee retention is a key issue and 38% are concerned about talent attraction.

In response, SMEs are rightly prioritising employee engagement and HR Solutions recommends that business owners focus on creating an attractive workplace culture that values diversity, encourages open communication, and promotes work-life balance.

A strong company culture not only supports employee retention but also makes the organisation more attractive to potential employees.

The fieldwork for the survey took place at the end of 2023 and the company surveyed businesses that fall into the SME bracket across multiple industries, including manufacturing, aerospace and defence, agriculture, construction and engineering, education, electronics, healthcare, retail, professional services, hospitality, finance, energy, insurance, property, and pharmaceuticals.

CEO Greg Guilford said: “With our survey now in its fourth year, we can see a clear shift in the mindset of SMEs. Financial performance and securing new business will naturally remain at the forefront of owner directors’ minds, but as we know with the cost-of-living crisis and fears of a recession, finances continue to be a top priority.

“We use the results of our survey to provide the best possible specific support, advice and resources for SME business owners to use to overcome these challenges. It is important that SMEs look inwards, and ensure they have the right staff in place. They must also review internal processes to streamline and reduce inefficiencies.

“We would also implore that business owners look at the resources and seminars we have on offer for all the support they need in tackling these issues. Strategic planning and innovative thinking is the most effective way to increasing turnover this year.”

Rural businesses in the Derbyshire Peak District are facing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining staff due to a combination of global and national influences, and place-specific factors, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Derby. Undertaken with employers and employees in the Derbyshire Peak District, the study has led to the researchers making a number of key recommendations for changes to policy that need to take place to support rural businesses in the region and encourage people to work in the area. The study, Exploring Identity, Place and Worker Attraction and Retention in Rural Businesses, was funded by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). It was led by Carley Foster, Professor of Services Marketing and Head of the Centre for Business Improvement at the University of Derby, working with Dr Susan Kirk, Reader in International Human Resource Management at Newcastle University Business School. Professor Foster explained: “The Peak District has so much to offer in the way of ‘natural capital’ – it’s a beautiful place to live and work, which is something that isn’t exploited enough. We think there is lots more to do to promote the Peak District as a place to work as a way of encouraging people to move to the region to work and enjoy these lovely surroundings.” Despite being located in the middle of England, surrounded by large cities like Derby, Sheffield and Manchester, the region’s businesses face a number of challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled staff. These include:

• The impacts of Covid and Brexit, with people opting for hybrid or work-at-home arrangements, and reduced availability of workers from Europe
• Lack of skills in certain sectors, including hospitality, the visitor economy and in specialist roles
• Demographic challenges, with young people tending to move out of the area, reducing the size of the local labour market
• Cost and availability of public transport, and the cost of housing in areas where there is a lot of second home ownership

Dr Kirk said: “Some employers are implementing initiatives to mitigate the challenges. For example, they adapt their employment packages to appeal to different people at different life stages and this is something we would encourage. But there’s much more that needs to be done to address the challenges, at a regional and national level.” The researchers’ recommendations include:

• Positive promotion of the Derbyshire Peak District as a place to work
• Emphasis on the value of different occupations in sectors like hospitality, and the importance of apprenticeships for small businesses in addressing skills gaps and retaining younger workers
• Employers and business support organisations working together to creatively tackle some of the shared issues, such as transport shortages
• Lobbying for improved public transport and more affordable housing

The team’s research has been supported by both the Peak District Partnership and Business Peak District. Dr Peter Dewhurst, who chairs both organisations, said: “This research investigation highlights some significant challenges that Business Peak District is working with others to address. In doing so we are looking to ensure that businesses across the Peak District are no longer at a competitive disadvantage to their urban counterparts.” One early positive outcome has seen the research being used in a successful £15 million Levelling Up ‘Ashbourne Reborn’ bid, led by Derbyshire Dales District Council. This two-year development project will transform Ashbourne town centre.