Business
Chesterfield business offering debt-free degrees to school leavers
Three Year 13 school leavers are being given the chance to gain a debt-free university degree by Chesterfield-based Blachford UK.
The company, which is part of the global Blachford Group, is looking to recruit its senior managers and board directors of the future through its graduate apprenticeship programme. As well as a providing a fully funded degree, the successful applicants will also be paid a salary throughout their apprenticeship.
Based in Holmewood, the UK arm of the company is a leading European manufacturer of acoustic and thermal insulation components.
As part of the company’s succession planning programme, it wants to attract school leavers who have recently completed their A Levels and who have a passion for maths and chemistry and who want to follow careers in design engineering, chemistry and process engineering.
Interested students should have a strong track record in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.
Successful applicants will embark on a degree apprenticeship with Blachford UK.
To raise awareness of the degree apprenticeship opportunities, the company is holding a recruitment open day for people interested in applying for the positions. The open day will take place at the company’s premises on Thursday 27 June from 11.00am – 2.00pm.
The day will involve a tour of the company – both the factory floor and behind the scenes, where you will get to meet employees, ask questions and see for themselves the variety of permanent job roles available and routes for progression within Blachford. There will also be some activities on the day for students to display their problem solving, communication and maths skills.
Jason Lippitt, Managing Director of Blachford UK explained: “Manufacturing is an exciting industry and Blachford is no exception. I am a chemist myself and have had an amazing career with Blachford. I have travelled the world and been part of teams that have created ground-breaking products. I now want to give that opportunity to three young people.”
Launched by the government in 2015 and studied over the course of one to six years, degree apprenticeships are designed to propel students into the world of work and fill high-level skills gaps by tailoring learning to specific business needs.
A degree apprenticeship combines full-time paid work and part-time university study to offer candidates the opportunity to gain a full Bachelors or Masters degree while undertaking practical, on-the-job training. Degree apprenticeships are created by partnerships between employers and universities or colleges.
He added: “Apprenticeships are very important to the future of Blachford as they give us the opportunity to mould and develop individuals to the business helping it progress and grow. We invest in all our apprentices, so it’s important to us that they enjoy long careers with us. My hope is that the young people who join us as degree apprentices will ultimately lead and shape the direction of the company.”
Blachford UK have also agreed to take part in the Made in Chesterfield project which looks to promote opportunities in STEM careers across North Derbyshire. The Initiative is coordinated by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Education Business Partnership.
To attend the Blachford UK Degree Apprentice Recruitment Open Day, please register your interest on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/blachford-uk-degree-apprentice-recruitment-open-day-tickets-61787937384 or by emailing Joanne Kisgory at Joanne.Kisgory@blachforduk.com.
Find out more about apprenticeship opportunities in Chesterfield
Find out how your business or school can take part in Made in Chesterfield
Groundbreaking digital initiative celebrated and extended
Business and council leaders have hailed the impact of a pioneering programme which has enabled 1,300 businesses across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to embrace digital technology.
The Digital Growth Programme gives local SMEs access to fully-funded workshops, financial support and free one-to-one advice to help them introduce new digital technology to their organisations.
More than £6.8m of funding was invested into the programme by the European Regional Development Fund, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), and Derby City, Derbyshire County, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Rushcliffe Borough councils.
It has provided 1,300 businesses with more than 31,000 hours of free digital support, as well as distributing grant funding of more than £1.88m to 310 eligible businesses, which has helped to unlock an additional £2.7m of private sector investment from the SMEs which received support.
It has also delivered 340 action-planning workshops and 48 awareness-raising seminars about a host of digital subjects, including cloud computing and cyber resilience, ecommerce, email marketing, CRM, Search Engine Optimisation, social media and website planning and development.
Recently, more than 300 local businesses attended a major conference, at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel, to get the latest insights and advice from keynote speakers and local digital experts, as well as celebrate the successes of the programme.
It was also announced at the conference that the digital support provided by the programme will continue for the next three years and will be delivered by the D2N2 Growth Hub.
Chris Pook, D2N2 Growth Hub Manager, said: “Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire SMEs have forged a really strong reputation for digital innovation and it’s crucial that they continue to be supported so they can enhance their capabilities to help the local economy to grow.
“The Digital Growth Programme has provided fantastic support to local firms overt the past three years and we are delighted to be able to continue this in the years ahead, via the D2N2 Growth Hub.
“I’d urge all businesses who need digital advice and support, or are looking at ways to get a new project off the ground, to get in touch with one of our advisers.”
Diane Beresford, Deputy Chief Executive of the Chamber, added: “The Digital Growth Programme to date has been a huge success and we have been delighted with the response from the business community.
“More than 1,300 local businesses have engaged with the programme, which is great, and it was fantastic to see so many of them at the Digital Conference as we celebrated the achievements of the programme so far.”
One of the Derbyshire businesses to benefit from funding support from the programme was HSG, a specialist provider of washroom hygiene and water conservation solutions.
The programme provided £22,000 of funding toward the development of a bespoke app and dashboard, called Cleen, which gives venues better control over their washroom management.
Customers can download the app, leave a rating for the overall cleanliness of a washroom, and report any issues such as no toilet rolls, poor cleanliness or broken equipment. These are reported directly to the venue’s service provider, who can address them immediately.
Sonia Harvey, Brand Manager, said: “The Cleen app and dashboard give business owners the opportunity to monitor the performance of their washrooms to enhance their overall experience, by acting on instant feedback.
“The product is tailor-made for sports venues, restaurants and NHS Trusts and since launch, we have opened up a host of avenues for this fast-growing area of the business.”
Businesses can find out more about the programme and the unique support it provides at www.d2n2-digital.co.uk or calling 0330 053 8639.
HS2 is About Much More Than a Railway Line
Reacting to the report on HS2 today from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, said:
“The Chamber welcomes much of this report and shares the frustration that the public conversation to date has focused solely on speed. HS2, delivered in full, will be transformational for the East Midlands economy, better connecting us to other major hubs across the UK and freeing up vital capacity on the wider road and rail networks, keeping our businesses competitive as they continue to make and move products and people across the UK and beyond.
“For the East Midlands, the project has always been about much more than just a railway line connecting north to south. HS2 acts as a focal point for exciting development plans for the geography around Toton, the airport and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site.
“It has brought together businesses, schools, colleges and universities to look at future skills development in a way that no other initiative has managed previously. It has spurred additional investment into the more local and regional infrastructure we need to deliver its full benefits. And it has created opportunities in the here-and-now for our businesses, winning contracts to deliver HS2 for the whole country.
“As with any major infrastructure project it’s important that costs are controlled. It’s also important that the wider discussion about HS2 moves on from getting people from A to B quicker than they already do and focuses instead on the transformational benefits that HS2 will bring to the UK economy.”
Magnifica Donates Brand New Laptop to Fairplay
Chesterfield Digital Agency, Magnifica has donated a brand new laptop to local charity Fairplay.
The business which recently relocated back from Sheffield to Chesterfield wanted to establish links with local charitable organisations.
After using a laptop for a short project they had no further use for the device so instead of putting in a drawer to gather dust they decided to donate it to a charity who could benefit from some new tech.
Owner of Magnifica, Rob Gregory, put a message on LinkedIn asking for suggestions in the Chesterfield area and Fairplay got in touch.
Heather Fawbert, CEO of Fairplay said: “Fairplay will use the laptop to assist us with training for both staff and volunteers. We will use it to download our various training packages and presentations. It will also be used for our presentations to both schools and business and will store the Fairplay film – all of these are used to educate and inform people about living with and supporting children with disabilities.”
On Friday May 10th Rob visited Fairplay to hand over the laptop and was pleased to be taken on a tour of the facilities. Seeing first hand the amazing work done by the charity and hearing how the laptop would be used was in Rob’s words ‘an enjoyable and uplifting experience’.
Rob Gregory said “Knowing the amazing work the team at Fairplay do I was really happy when Heather responded to my LinkedIn post. The work Heather and her team do to support and enrich the lives of young people with additional needs and disabilities makes such a difference and I only hope this new laptop can support that work in some small way.”
Dom Stevens from Destination Chesterfield added “Local charities are the lifeblood of our community and the services they offer are hugely important to the many Chesterfield residents. Links between business and charity is key to the continued success of these organisations and it’s great to see two Chesterfield Champions working together in this way.”
Grant Funding Available to Support Chesterfield Businesses to Grow
If you are a Chesterfield business looking to invest to improve company productivity or are currently considering adopting new industrial digital technology to thrive in the digital age then Sheffield City Region (SCR) has grant funding available to support you.
The Business Investment Fund – Made Smarter in SCR offers capital grants to support businesses to adopt new industrial digital technologies. Finance is available to support investment in projects that introduce new technologies for the first time or are a significant change from the ‘business as usual’ approach. This might include robotics, additive manufacturing or industrial Internet of Things projects. Businesses can apply for capital in the range of £25k to £50k.
Business Investment Fund – SCR Productivity Challenge is an investment scheme providing capital grants to support businesses to identify and address their business productivity challenges. The programme will support capital investment that boosts productivity in areas such as production or distribution processes, supply chain innovation and new product development. Businesses can apply for capital in the range of £25k to £100k.
Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said “It is great to see further funding available to support local businesses to grow and we would encourage Chesterfield businesses to consider this support.”
Projects must explain how the investment will improve business performance and Sheffield City Region would like to see investment leading to jobs growth.
SME’s interested in applying can find out more about eligability criteria and download the expression of interest form at https://www.scrgrowthhub.co.uk/services/access-to-finance/
The deadline for an expression of interest for the funding is the 31st May and full applications by the 14th June 2019.
Pioneering crime-cutting scheme will help make shopping safer in Derbyshire
A pioneering online scheme to help make High Street shopping safer and cut crime is being adopted in Derbyshire.
The county’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership will see Derbyshire Police, East Midlands Chamber*, retailers and participating local authorities all working together for the common goal.
The award-winning Chamber* already operates Shopwatch – a successful radio-based alert system for retailers – in Chesterfield, Bakewell, Matlock and Staveley.
But the new scheme operates online, offering immediate and wider dissemination of information and making it easier for the police to create intelligence for reports to steer operations or evidence for prosecutions.
The idea is the brainchild of the team behind the Chamber’s Shopwatch scheme.
Project leader Jackie Roberts said: “Retail crime is one of the few crimes that continues to grow and affects everyone. Even low-level retail crime has major implications for business turnover and viability, with knock-on effects on the local community and economy.”
She added: “During the past 18–24 months, town and city centre retailers have reported significant increases in anti-social behaviour and associated crimes.
“With resources stretched in most businesses and police forces, smarter working methods are needed to reduce the issues retailers face and to highlight offenders.
“Ever-tighter controls of resources mean that the police and shopkeepers are finding it harder and harder to bring offenders to justice, which creates an environment that encourages further offences.”
Under the new initiative, businesses would sign up to the web-based service. They could then upload information about shoplifters operating in an area and report other crimes.
They would also receive instant updates through the website and other online means, such as messaging, social media or emails, alerting them to crimes in their area as they happen, including descriptions of people to watch for.
The service will be staffed by dedicated operators who would alert police and other businesses immediately crimes are reported, with the aim of reducing crime through partnership working.
Jackie added: “By bringing the scheme online and working with partners most closely involved in trying to reduce crime or those most affected by it, the Chamber can help members and other businesses to reduce this blight on the retail community.”
Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Director of Policy, said: “The Chamber’s vision is to enhance East Midlands businesses and communities and this is an obvious and very positive way of delivering that objective. We are very pleased to be working with the police on this initiative.”
Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa said: “Too often you hear the view that business crime is a victimless crime. Well, not in Derbyshire. I understand that business owners, staff, shareholders and actually, ultimately, customers pay too high a price for crimes against businesses.
“This scheme sets out to make retail areas in Derbyshire safer and therefore more enjoyable places to visit. In turn, that encourages more customers, which helps the local economy. I’m very proud to be involved.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s office and the Chamber are jointly funding the scheme initially, the PCC contributing £30,000 to the cost.
The new scheme will also support existing pubwatch or shopwatch projects in Derbyshire. For further information call Jackie Roberts on 0333 320 0333 (ext 2061) or email jackie.roberts@emc-dnl.co.uk or visit https://bit.ly/2E3Oui4.
Chesterfield Manufacturer’s Goods Selected for Famous London Retailer
Chesterfield business Ingmans is celebrating after a luxury briefcase which retails at £3,995 has been commissioned by Joseph Cheaney & Sons.
Their leather luggage brand “Cobb England” is manufactured in the heart of Chesterfield alongside their retail and cobbler business.
Andy Ingman said “To say we are proud to be commissioned by a 150 year old, established English company, with such prestige as “Joseph Cheaney & Sons is an understatement of great magnitude.
Joseph Cheaney are one of the UK’s greatest quality, Goodyear welted shoe manufacturers. ”
“Great Britain ?? is the cultivator of the shoe industry in the 18th century, and has held its own on a global front ever since. So for our company as small as it may be, shows craftsmanship, quality, consistency and tenacity has made us break through into our capital London. Not only that, Jermyn street which is famous for retail throughout the world.”
The business relocated to the former Burton’s Store in Chesterfield on Burlington Street in 2018.
Andy Ingman, added “We wanted to create a lovely place to shop with a unique experience where we can offer excellent customer service. We have a beautiful stock of shoes, clothing & handmade leather goods and we have also created a wonderful workspace for shoe repairs.”
Ingmans have also been nominated as a finalist in the best new store category at the Chesterfield Retail Awards.
Get a Free Personal Caricature at Vicar Lane
Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, Chesterfield is excited to announce plans to offer customers the chance to receive a FREE personal caricature at the centre this spring bank holiday weekend.
They are inviting customers to come and take a seat for one of two professional caricature artists, who will be waiting with pens poised from 11am – 4pm on Saturday 25th May, to create a portrait of their cartoon likeness, completely FREE.
It’s the ideal occasion for visitors receive a unique piece of art for the wall or a memento of a day out with friends or family.
The artists will be located at St. James Square on the grass area throughout the day and Caricatures will be offered on a strictly first come, first served basis. These take just approximately 15 minutes to create, so customers are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We know how customers are expecting more and more from their shopping trip these days so we wanted to host a small-scale event to brighten their day. A free caricature is sure to make a unique and quirky addition to any home, so we’re sure customers of all ages will appreciate them.”
Local Artisans Invited To Apply For Place At Chatsworth Country Fair
Producers based in Derbyshire are invited to showcase, promote and sell their products and services to a potential audience of around 70,000 people at Chatsworth Country Fair this summer – thanks to an exciting opportunity offered by the area’s official tourist board.
After a successful launch at last year’s event, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire (MPDD) is inviting local producers to apply for a place in the Inspired by the Peak District and Derbyshire Marketplace at one of England’s most spectacular annual outdoor celebrations.
Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said:
“We’re excited to offer this fantastic opportunity to a selection of producers based in Derbyshire, thanks to support from our ERDF project. Chatsworth Country Fair is widely regarded as the biggest and best event of its kind in the country – and offers a fantastic platform to reach a potential audience of thousands of people.
“Our Inspired by the Peak District & Derbyshire Marketplace provides a great opportunity to showcase your business, no matter how small, and whether you make fine food and drink, artwork or beautiful crafts, we’d like to encourage passionate local producers to apply for a place.”
Held at Chatsworth from 30 August – 1 September 2019, Chatsworth Country Fair showcases the best in traditional, British country pursuits, with spectacular showground entertainment, quality trade stands and fun for all the family.
MPDD is inviting producers based in Derbyshire to register an interest in exhibiting in the Inspired by the Peak District and Derbyshire Marketplace at the event, which will celebrate the fantastic variety of quality products made in the area.
The opportunity is open to small-to-medium-sized businesses – ranging from food and drink producers* to artists and craftspeople – and is part financially supported by the MPDD-led European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy in Derbyshire Project.
Businesses are asked to register an interest in exhibiting in the Marketplace by highlighting what they have to offer and why they would like to be selected, using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspired-by-the-peak-district-derbyshire-marquee-at-chatsworth-country-fair-19-tickets-61157711361
Applications are open from 31 May – 28 June 2019. Successful applicants will be notified in early July 2019. Stalls provided to successful applicants will be subject to a charge of £100 plus VAT per business.
Opportunities for local businesses on £22 million housing development
Gleeson Homes have planning permission for 175 two, three and four bedroom homes at Erin Road/The Grove, Poolsbrook. Preparation is now well underway to enable work to start on site in summer 2019.
Understanding the importance of involving the community before and during the construction of developments, and leaving a legacy once works are complete, Gleeson Homes ensure they give priority of employment to people living within close proximity to each site, using local trades and working closely with subcontractors to help grow the company and share in their success.
Gleeson Homes are inviting local companies to a ‘Subcontractor Open Day’ event to find out how to tender for work connected to the construction of the new development at Poolsbrook.
The event will be held at Poolsbrook Social Welfare, 19 Cottage Close, Chesterfield S43 3LF, from 9am to 3.30pm on Friday 17th May 2019.
Opportunities include:
- Joiners (labour only)
- Bricklayers (labour only)
- Groundworkers (labour and plant)
Subcontractor and materials:
- Scaffolders
- External Frames
- Roof Tilers
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Plastering
- Wall and Loft Insulation
- Wall Tiling
- Painter
- Cleaner
- Landscaping
Neil Johnson, Assistant Director Economic Growth for Chesterfield Borough Council said: “This is great news for Chesterfield that will have a positive impact on many local people looking to buy a new home. Preparation is underway and we hope that work will start in summer this year to develop 175 new properties.
“I would encourage any local companies who are interested in tendering for construction work to come along to the subcontractor open day to find out more about the project.”
Gleeson Homes run a successful Apprenticeship Scheme with future opportunities on the company’s sites and at their Sheffield office, for local young people looking to start a career in the construction industry. They will also be conducting school visits to discuss Health and Safety and career opportunities.
A Gleeson spokesperson said “We’re delighted that we have been given the go ahead for this to develop the site. I think local people will be pleased to hear that our new homes are extremely affordable, in most cases it’s cheaper to buy than to rent”
Anyone wanting more information about the Subcontractor Open Day can contact Gleeson Homes on marketing@mjgleeson.com or telephone 0114 261 2900.
