The Diversity In2 Engineering Apprenticeship and Jobs Fair returns to Derby’s Pride Park, on Wednesday, offering a range of engineering and manufacturing related apprenticeship and job opportunities. There will be over 25 employers on the day, each will have an interactive stand allowing you to learn more about the company, about a career in engineering and help you understand the job and apprenticeship opportunities they have on offer. Attending employers include Rolls Royce, The Royal Navy, JCB, Severn Trent, EON, East Midlands Railway, Expleo, Trent Barton, Loram, Motus Commercials and many more. As well as employer stands, there will also be two workshops on offer to widen your understanding and keep you informed of opportunities. Workshops topics include Green and Future Engineering and Demystifying Apprenticeships. Severn Trent are also running and employability support area, to help you apply for jobs or Apprenticeships at the Fair and get you application and CV ready. The event will help attendees understand opportunities available in engineering, construction and advance manufacturing and equip you with the skills and knowledge to ensure you are well-informed to succeed. Last year the event attracted over 600 attendees and we’re hoping this event will be bigger and better than before. The event is being delivered by Derby Jobs (Derby City Councils recruitment support service) in partnership with D2N2 Careers Hub, SEGRO and Severn Trent. Jade Pearson, New Talent Lead at Severn Trent, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to support such a fantastic event that will help support more people into employment, connecting people with local opportunities. “As a major employer in Derby, we’re looking forward to sharing the current jobs we have available, as well as showcasing our varied apprenticeship opportunities, as we have over 100 apprenticeship opportunities available this year! “We’re excited to be joining other fantastic employers on the day, coming together to inspire and support individuals looking for a career in engineering and showing them what’s available.”

The headline NatWest East Midlands PMI® Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – posted at 51.6 in January, up from 50.7 in December, to signal the fastest rise in output at East Midlands firms since May 2022. Anecdotal evidence suggested the expansion was driven by stronger client demand and a renewed rise in new business. The pace of growth was only marginal, however, and slower than the UK average. East Midlands private sector firms signalled a renewed rise in new orders during January, thereby ending a six-month sequence of contraction. The rate of growth was only marginal, but the second-sharpest of the 12 monitored UK regions. Increased new business was linked by panellists to stronger client demand and new customer acquisitions. January data signalled an uptick in business optimism among East Midlands firms. The degree of confidence was the strongest since last September, despite still being below the series average. Companies noted that motivated sales staff, hopes of stronger client demand and investment in new machinery and facilities boosted positive sentiment. Nonetheless, the level of optimism was weaker than that seen across the UK as a whole. East Midlands private sector firms recorded a seventh successive monthly decrease in staffing numbers at the start of the year. The pace of job shedding picked up from December, but was still only marginal overall. Businesses stated that lower employment stemmed from the non-replacement of voluntary leavers due to cost-cutting efforts, and previously subdued demand which resulted in sufficient capacity to fulfil incoming orders. The fall contrasted with the trend seen across the UK as a whole which pointed towards a slight rise in workforce numbers. January data indicated a further contraction in backlogs of work at East Midlands companies. The pace of decline eased, however, to the slowest since October 2022 and was only marginal overall. Of the 11 monitored regions that recorded a decrease in work-in-hand, firms in the East Midlands registered the weakest fall. Only businesses in London saw a rise in incomplete work. East Midlands firms continued to see a substantial increase in input prices during January, albeit with the pace of inflation slowing slightly from December. The rate of increase was sharper than the series average and in line with that seen at the UK level. Higher costs were attributed to greater wage bills, and increased supplier and shipping prices. Businesses in the East Midlands raised their output charges again in January, thereby extending the sequence of inflation seen since December 2020. Higher charges were reportedly due to the pass-through of greater costs to customers. That said, the pace of increase slowed to the weakest since January 2021 as some companies mentioned discounting and efforts to remain competitive and drive new sales. Rashel Chowdhury, NatWest Midlands and East Regional Board, said: “East Midlands firms signalled a more positive start to 2024 as output expanded at a quicker pace, supported by a renewed rise in new business. An improvement in demand conditions also helped buoy business confidence in the year-ahead outlook, as the level of optimism jumped to a four-month high. “That said, although backlogs of work contracted at the softest rate since October 2022, as signs of pressure on capacity emerge, firms continued to cut employment in a bid to save costs. Despite the rate of increase slowing, input costs rose at a further historically marked pace. Hikes in selling prices softened notably, however, amid reports of discounting and concessions being made, with output charges increasing at the slowest rate in three years.”

The University spin-out company, called MiDx Ltd, will be headed by Dr Shaun N Robertson from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham. He has led the commercialisation efforts alongside Professor Miguel Cámara who has developed a simple, specific, and non-invasive diagnostic test to enable the rapid detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.a.) in people with cystic fibrosis partly through funding from NBIC and Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects around 11,000 people in the UK, and over 160,000 globally. One of the most important bugs that causes infections in people with cystic fibrosis, is P.a. – a bacterium that is present everywhere, but rarely has negative effects on people with healthy lungs. For people with cystic fibrosis this bacterium can be deadly, and it is the leading cause of decline in lung health, compromising people’s quality of life. There is a pressing need for a straightforward, precise, and non-invasive diagnostic approach to identify P.a. during initial pulmonary infections, allowing for quicker and more straight-forward medical intervention. MiDx has pinpointed biomarkers unique to P.a., aiming to use them for the creation of an uncomplicated, cost-effective, and precise Point of Care diagnostic test for early detection of this pathogen. Dr Shaun N Robertson from the School of Life Sciences said: “Through our research, we have developed clinically validated unique biomarkers of P.a. infection, patented their use and generated antibodies against them with high sensitivity and excellent specificity. This has enabled us to develop a lateral flow test which people with cystic fibrosis will be able to perform themselves at home. “Thanks to our work with ICURe, and follow-on funding, we have been able to lay the foundations for this new spin-out, where we can now look at getting this test to market. We have also found significant scope for growth into other conditions where a lateral flow device for P.a. would be of interest, principally in non-CF bronchiectasis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.” The team from Nottingham are part of the SETsquared-delivered ICURe Exploit cohort, which have been also successful in securing follow-on funding of £300,000, to turn their biofilms-related innovations into world-leading spin-outs. Dr Lucy Allen, Director of Research and Healthcare data at Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: “A quick and simple test to detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa could be game-changing for those with cystic fibrosis, so we’re delighted the Trust’s early support for this research has moved it a step closer to commercialisation. Rapid detection will allow for swifter treatment, preventing further long-term lung damage.”