Monthly Archives: October 2021

News

Hospital Innovations unveils new London facility to fast-track delivery

Hospital Innovations has its headquarters in South Wales and specialises in delivering innovative, specialist products for use in orthopaedic and corrective surgery to hospitals and clinics around the world. The launch of The London Tissue Company will enable supplies – which include bone, soft tissue and skin – to be safely stored in the south east making it considerably quicker to distribute provisions to the end-patient.
The new purpose-built facility is located in Brentford, with close connections to the M25 and Central London, as well as import hubs Heathrow and London Stansted Airport.
The move bolsters Hospital Innovations’ status as an emergency service provider for major centres in and around London as well as the London and South East England Burn Network hospitals.
Sarah Lister-Sims, Managing Director at Hospital Innovations, said: “We have experienced a rapidly growing demand and establishing a base in London was the next logical step. The new facility is more accessible, further increases our network and puts us in a prime position to enhance our service to one of our core markets.”
Phil Davies, Founder of Hospital Innovations, said: “The London Tissue Company is a very exciting development for Hospital Innovations and will allow us to provide the same first-class products and service, but even faster. Supplying medical essentials such as skin grafts or bone is very time sensitive and getting the product to the patient, who can often be on the operating table, as soon as possible is paramount.
“Having a dedicated site in Brentford will reduce transport time, both from our import hubs to storage, and from our dedicated facility to our customers and we look forward to beginning operations this quarter.”
Founded in 2008, Hospital Innovations is a Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licensed supplier of specialist products used in orthopaedic and corrective surgeries and works in partnership with five of the world’s leading tissue banks. The London Tissue Company will begin operations later this year.

For more information, visit www.hospitalinnovations.com.

Accounts and Accountancy, Finance and Banking, News, Sustainability

Global accountancy bodies come together for net zero

Thirteen professional accountancy bodies from around the world – including AAT, ACCA, ICAEW, ICAS, and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants – have joined forces to fight climate change by committing to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The accountancy bodies are part of The Prince of Wales’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) Accounting Bodies Network. This network represents more than 2.5 million professional accountants and students, who work with businesses and governments in 179 countries.[1]

The bodies have committed to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible and will publish plans to do so within the next 12 months and report annually to show progress.[2]

Accountants are well placed within their organisations and with their clients to drive action on the climate crisis. The bodies have therefore also committed to provide their members with training, support, and resources to help them create their own net zero plans and reduce their emissions.

In addition, the bodies have pledged to provide advice to help governments create the policies and infrastructure necessary for transitions to net zero economies. The profession is already at the forefront of helping societies adapt by using accounting practices to help governments adjust economic policy in ways that minimise climate change.

 

Heather Hill, AAT President, said: “Following the 2020 call to action by the professional accounting bodies, AAT is pleased to support this statement of commitment to net zero. Climate change is an existential crisis and every one of us, as individuals and organisations, has a part to play in driving the effort to achieve net zero. At AAT we will continue our organisational activity to improve our carbon footprint, but to also help equip our members to engage in this crucial collective effort, and to bring our influence to bear on the government where appropriate.”

 

Lloyd Powell, Head of ACCA Wales, said: “Making these commitments is important to create positive business change – and professional accountants are core to this. They are in a unique position to drive good business decisions with positive impacts on sustainability, including on climate action, in the organisations they lead and work for. ACCA is proud to support these commitments and play our part.”

 

Michael Izza, ICAEW Chief Executive, said: “The fight against climate change requires urgent global action, so we were pleased to join our fellow bodies from around the world to confirm our commitment to a zero-carbon society.

“We were the first major professional body to become carbon neutral and have brought in measures to help us reach net zero, such as setting up carbon-reducing projects. We will continue to look for ways to minimise our carbon footprint, guide our members on their own net zero journeys and support global action.”

 

J Bruce Cartwright CA, ICAS Chief Executive, said: “ICAS is proud to be a signatory to the Accounting Bodies Network commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions and to commit to provide training, support and resources to help our members establish their own net zero pathways based on our experience. The accountancy profession can be a key enabler in the transition to a net zero economy. I believe that if we pool our collective efforts and resources we can achieve our climate change ambitions and make the creation of a healthy and sustainable planet a reality for future generations.”

 

Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, CEO at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, said: “Over the past decade, we have been witnessing the direct and indirect impact of environmental-related risks on our communities. It is now abundantly clear that to address these risks and achieve climate-goal ambitions, we must work together and lead the accounting profession by example. Public and management accountants have an important role to play improving an organisation’s integrated thinking and decision-making capabilities to promote responsible and sustainable business practices. They have the necessary skills and expertise to help effect meaningful change in this area. As an organisation, we are fully committed to doing our part and will continue to help our members, their organisations and their clients across the globe support with this mission”.

 

News

BBI Solutions launch full molecular gold conjugate range

Leading supplier of immunodiagnostic reagents BBI Solutions (BBI) has announced the launch of a full range of molecular tag gold conjugates.

Developed using BBI’s 40nm gold colloid under their ISO13485 certification, the new range incorporates antibodies against the most commonly used primer tags.

The full range includes Goat anti-biotin, Monoclonal anti-biotin, Monoclonal anti-FITC, Monoclonal anti-HRP, Monoclonal anti-his tag and Monoclonal anti-digoxin 40nm gold conjugates.

The molecular tag conjugates are suitable for use in lateral flow devices, in addition to biosensors, enabling the development of more molecular based testing at the point of care with a sensitivity similar to that which can be achieved by laboratory-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

Dr Mario Gualano, CEO of The BBI Group, said: “The launch of our full molecular tag conjugate range strengthens our services for in vitro diagnostics manufacturers, particularly those looking to move molecular testing into the point of care field.

“Like our wider portfolio, this range has been manufactured by our dedicated team of experienced conjugation scientists. Our long established, scalable conjugation process allows large scale manufacture and our range of conjugates offers flexibility to developers in both primer and assay design, providing exciting opportunities for point of care applications.”

BBI Solutions is a trusted partner for thousands of researchers, lateral flow assay developers and manufacturers worldwide, with over 30 years of experience manufacturing gold conjugates and nanoparticles.

Specialists in the development and manufacture of lateral flow assays, BBI also uses its capabilities in mobile health to provide a unique digital diagnostic platform. BBI’s patented Novarum™️ technology transforms a smartphone into a diagnostics test reader, empowering users to read, share and store their results from the point of care.

News

BlueFinity launches Evoke‘s new advanced 360° virtual tour facility

BlueFinity has released the latest of its enhancements to the Evoke low-code app development platform so that it now includes an integrated and adaptable 360° virtual tour capability.

This multi-purpose feature allows for the searching, browsing and inspection of any store, venue, property or utility through an integrated part of an app, giving customers a complete virtual and immersive experience.

Late in 2020 BlueFinity announced its e-commerce package which has provided Evoke customers with the ability to incorporate a sophisticated retail environment in the apps they create using Evoke’s low-code.

Already many apps have been created by Evoke users to extend their on-line presence, and are now in live use across their retail, consumer and wholesale customers.

This latest 360° feature extends the retail functionality of Evoke (with customers already planning holiday season virtual stores) as well as providing a feature that can be used across multiple industry sectors.

Evoke gives companies of all sizes and from multiple industry sectors, the ability to create sophisticated apps for their employees, partners and customers. It provides a point and click, drag and drop and option select development process, supported by an extensive array of functional routines and widgets, that anyone can use.

The results are sophisticated, full function web and mobile apps that can run on and are optimized for any device and operating system (phones, tablets, watches and televisions using IOS, Android and Windows as well as Windows, Linux and Apple desktops) and can be fully integrated with any type of database (SQL, Oracle, DB2, MultiValue etc).

This latest enhancement enables vendors to provide a full function virtual tour experience within their apps, allowing consumers to browse around a store or for a prospective house buyer or dealer in commercial property to obtain an unrestricted view of a property, from all perspectives and completely online.

The new system includes:

  • 360° and panoramic images may be included (with auto rotation if required)
  • User defined hotspots (that run routines/click actions/link to URLs)
  • Multiple levels of 360° images (via the hotspots) to provide a virtual tour
  • 360° images (and static images) may be identified in the database and uploaded in a running app for additional flexibility
  • Easy to use navigation through 360° views, hotspots, full screen and return options

Evoke provides for the easy access and use of the virtual tour in conjunction with all of the features of the app, as well as the seamless interaction with a company’s website, if they have one. This means that in a retail outlet, the consumer may browse the store, visiting various departments through the 360° tour function, then opt to take a closer look at or select specific products. This in turn, and dependent on the options you have selected when designing the app, can utilise the extensive e-commerce capabilities directly in the app itself (select, purchase, shopping cart etc.) or to interact with the company’s website to inspect and purchase products.

Designed to be used for multiple purposes and across multiple industry sectors this feature dramatically changes the ease in which an app may now be used and also how a  company can significantly improve the way they can interact with their customers and staff in a constantly changing business world.

 

BlueFinity markets Evoke, a cost-effective, rapid app development platform that provides the complete environment for your existing staff to design, develop and deploy business apps across multiple devices (IOS, Android and Windows phones and tablets, plus Windows, Apple and Linux desktops). Aimed at multiple industry sectors and large and small companies, Evoke offers a low-code or no-code route which can evolve in to fully customisable native apps as you require.  It allows you to confidently create web, hybrid and even native apps (as it generates in to Visual Studio and Xamarin projects), and to fully integrate and synchronise with existing back-end systems and a wide array of both SQL, Oracle and MultiValue databases. www.bluefinity.com

 

 

News

New website launches to help savers find forgotten pensions on ‘National Pension Tracing Day’

Punter Southall Aspire is urging people across the UK to track down lost pension pots potentially worth thousands with today’s launch of an online resource centre for National Pension Tracing Day on Sunday 31st October.

When people move home or change jobs only around four in every 100 remembers to tell their pension companies their new address which is contributing to 1.6 million lost or forgotten pension pots worth £19.4 billion – the equivalent of nearly £13,000 each[i].

It can be daunting to know where to start to find a lost pension pot, but the resource centre offers step-by-step, simple guidance to round up savings which may be lost or forgotten.

These include retracing old jobs, searching paperwork, checking each pension pot to ensure contact details are correct and researching any gaps in your pension history.

National Pension Tracing Day was established by Punter Southall Aspire and is supported by Scottish Widows, Aegon, Legal and General and Standard Life.

Alan Morahan, Managing Director at Punter Southall Aspire, said, “On Sunday 31st October, we’re urging everyone to use the extra hour when the clocks go back to trace lost pensions. Finding a pension is easier than people might think. You don’t need to be a financial expert or pay anyone to do it. And you don’t have to wait until October – start now.”

Johanna Nelson-Vanner, Head of Communications at Punter Southall Aspire, said, “We’ve created this website www.nationalpensiontracingday.co.uk to make it clear and simple to track down money which could be yours. You may have changed your job, address or got married and changed your name. Our campaign may help to change your retirement for the better.”

News

DeltaNet International Bolsters eLearning Capability with Cylix Integration

DeltaNet International, a global eLearning provider of compliance, health and safety and performance training solutions, has today announced the growth of its business through the integration of Cylix Limited, which was recently acquired by parent company Marlowe plc. Following this expansion, DeltaNet International will also be aligned into Marlowe plc’s new WorkNest brand. 

Cylix Limited, an eLearning software platform based in Bath, was acquired earlier this year with a total enterprise value of £1m. It provides accredited equality, diversity, wellbeing and health and safety eLearning courses to organisations within the UK. 

From today, Cylix customers will have an opportunity to access an expanded library of 200+ compliance, health and safety and performance courses, in addition to fresh content in different formats to help them re-invigorate training, keeping learners engaged. Cylix brings strong expertise working with various sectors, such as education and public sector organisations, including the University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh and LSE. 

WorkNest is a collective of employment law, HR and health and safety support services, comprising specialist companies within Marlowe plc. The integration strengthens DeltaNet’s offering, as the leader of Marlowe plc’s eLearning platform, within the WorkNest brand. DeltaNet will continue to retain its autonomous position within this group, and the investment of the collective will further drive the organisation’s growth in specialist eLearning. 

Darren Hockley, Managing Director at DeltaNet International, said, “We are very excited to welcome Cylix into the DeltaNet family. Both organisations share a strong commitment to delivering quality eLearning courses and providing first-class customer service. The array of talent and the 150+ years of industry expertise joining the DeltaNet team will enhance our skills to continue furthering our growth and providing courses which matter to our customers.” 

Steven Price, Managing Director and Owner at Cylix Limited, commented, “Our customers can continue their exciting journey with us through DeltaNet’s state-of-the-art eLearning Platform, Astute LXP, and a wider collection of courseware, whilst retaining access to our current high-quality content. Since our acquisition by Marlowe earlier this year, it is clear that we share the same vision to strengthen the quality of courses and support to organisations looking for compliance, health and safety, diversity and wellbeing eLearning.”

Marketing, PR and SEO, Mental Health, News

International Mental Health Day: A deeper connection with Entrepreneurs today

Written by Mahima Tamang Shrestha – Co-founder & Director, PurpleTree PR

A typical image of an entrepreneur is perpetually tired and stressed, slumped over a laptop in an office accompanied by computer screens and business files, where the entrepreneur frequently neglects mental health. Dr Michael Freeman, a psychologist who works primarily with mental health difficulties and sickness in trade and entrepreneurship, found that 49 per cent of the entrepreneurs surveyed had one or more mental health issues throughout their lives. 

As an entrepreneur for just over a year, the past year has been rewarding and traumatising in many ways. There were days when I’ve seen myself falling, crushing my confidence, and there were times when I felt confident and on top of the world. I have developed ways to address my anxiety and live a conscious life. Among many approaches, the 1st step I took was accepting my anxious thoughts and not ignoring mental health. Hence, at PurpleTree PR, we strongly believe in advocating discussing mental health concerns to help reduce its stigma. 

 

A deeper connection with Entrepreneurs today.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to devote more time to our business, neglecting our personal lives in all situations. Today, however, we have evolved and have learned how to handle things differently as new-age entrepreneurs. We know that a corporate network is necessary, but so is a network of support. Along with assembling a team to assist us with business duties, we also form a support network of individuals who can look after our general health. 

Recently, PurpleTree PR approached four young entrepreneurs across Australia, Europe, and India to know about their thoughts and views on mental health, and was amazed to see the importance they give to work-life balance.

 

As a business owner, are there any conscious efforts you make for self-growth and maintaining mental peace?

Steven Blom, Co-founder Taxi Butler, Amsterdam, says, “Every day I follow affirmations that are empowering me to keep positive mental health/peace. I exercise weekly and eat plant-based to avoid eating animals for 2 minutes of pleasure. I read personal self-growth books and watch clips online that expand my awareness and consciousness.”

Maddie, Co-founder, Glad U Came, India, said, “I believe that every day is a learning process, and I make some conscious efforts to balance it all. I have a rule for myself wherein I don’t work after 8 pm, and I suggest everyone do the same. I know how important it is to have a work-life balance and how, if not maintained, it can affect your mental health.”

However, it is all about taking small steps towards your peace of mind, says Shaun de Vries, Founder and Director of Open Pantry Co. Australia. “I like to read books that broaden my mind, I meditate as much as I can, and I find being a podcast host gives me a great perspective. “

 

What do you prefer doing when you are not working?

“Spending time with those I love the most, going to restaurants and cafes, watching footy and shopping at markets, especially food ones!” said Shaun. 

When it comes to extracurricular, Steve Devlin, Founder, Director of iRise Drink Australia, has everything covered under his umbrella, as he says. “I live to run in the mountains, spend time with my partner, travel, and meditate. I love movement, and I feel negativity has a hard time sticking to something that moves a lot. I don’t prescribe to these late-night early mornings most help books suggest. An early start is fine but hit the hay early too.”

Steven, however, shares one of my favourite hobbies and favourite off-duty pass time, as he says, “I recently started growing vegetables on our patio, and there is something soothing about placing your hands in the earth, planting seeds, watering and growing vegetables and fruits from scratch.”

 

Do you have designated working hours to give time to your personal life?

“Generally speaking, yes, however business is business, there are plenty of times when you need to work outside your normal hours to get work done. I feel this is important in business, particularly startup life, to take your mindset from 9-5 to entrepreneurial. That and it feels rewarding going beyond for your entire venture.” said Steve.

 

What do you suggest to maintain a balance between a healthy work culture and personal life?

And I think we found a point of agreement as-.

Maddie says, “I believe work-life balance is an important aspect of healthy work culture. It is vital to take a break and switch everything off.”

“Personally, for me, taking the weekend off has been amazing. I’m currently working a full-time job alongside my startup, and I’ve even started finishing early Friday and making the weekend almost three days long. Going on Monday to work is so much easier. There’s no dread, rather you look forward to it.” said Steve. 

Shaun prefers to write journals, and he says ‘I journal daily to understand thoughts, be as flexible as possible and learn to say no. You don’t have to be everything to everyone.” 

When we dream about work-life balance, Steven shares his work goals as he says, “I think I work way too much, but at the same time; I love working and do not experience it as work but as a way to be connected to myself and others = life.”

 

Is there a message you would like to share with our next generation of young entrepreneurs on mental health? 

 As we live in this competitive business environment across all sectors, this question comes as a ray of hope to those starting their ventures. Considering every industry of personal and professional life, our leaders shared some words of wisdom.

” Have a small circle of friends in which to trust their advice, listen to yourself first to understand how you are feeling, Journal and meditate, and see a counsellor regularly to talk through your challenges,” said Shaun.

But what about the inner strength? Is what people asked, to this, Steve said

“Meditate. Learn it well. It’s the greatest tool in your arsenal, and it stays with you lifelong no matter what. It’s a rent-free mansion with a jacuzzi on the beach that you can visit anytime you want.” And to this, Maddie adds, “Take good care of your mind as you do for your body because mental health is as important as your physical health. Think about it because if you don’t take care of your mental health, you won’t care for your business. “

Mental Health and optimism is important, but so is having the right attitude towards yourself and your work. “We become successful when we know WHO we are, and therefore, the journey of becoming stable mentally is the journey to success and not the other way around; that we become happy when we have the money in our bank account. We have to grow ourselves mentally, emotionally, energetically and spiritually, and that growth results in success.” Steven agrees as he makes his point.

With this and many others, we now know that a good entrepreneur can maintain a positive attitude in the face of hardship and think clearly despite dire circumstances beyond their control. On this International Mental Health Day, let’s take an oath to spread awareness about the significance of mental health and support people who need it. 

About the Author

With most of Mahima’s professional experience spanning various startups and MNC’s across India, Australia & Germany, Mahima co-founded PurpleTree PR, an Australian boutique PR agency in September 2020 to support new and growing businesses. The vision of PurpleTree PR is to work with small and medium enterprises and help them grow their brand organically by narrating their story to the world through sustainable, affordable and holistic Public Relations & Communications solutions.

Mahima thoroughly enjoys telling stories in the form of topical articles and short anecdotes and is passionate about travelling, cycling and music. She used to be a member of a local rock band back in the days, is a trained Indian Classical Kathak dancer and practices mindful meditation. She is a big advocate for mental health and wellness and a frequent contributor to publications like Inside Small Business and the Nepalese Voice Australia.

Finance and Banking, News

New starters at The Mortgage Hut support impressive high growth

Following a period of impressive growth, The Mortgage Hut has welcomed four new mortgage advisers to the team, with a further 10 new roles being recruited to help keep up with demand.

The Southampton-based, online broker says the new appointments will play a vital role in supporting their vision to offer clear, honest advice to customers, with a particular focus on securing mortgages for people in complex or challenging circumstances.

Mike Armstrong has joined the office-based team, while Paul Cresswell, Jake Harrington and Daniel Joinson will be working remotely – a development in business operations facilitated by the pandemic which has allowed the Mortgage Hut to expand their offering nationwide. Each employee brings with them a wealth of invaluable knowledge and experience from many years in industry, The new advisers are complemented by the addition of two new administrators to help strengthen the support team.

Founder of The Mortgage Hut, Chris Schutrups, says: “It’s been an incredible year for us, with plenty of exciting changes, including an office move, adopting a new digital business model and growth at a scale we’ve never seen before. We’re planning for the months ahead with optimism and great pride and these new starters will help us realise our goals.”

Managing Director Nicola Schutrups adds: “It’s great to welcome these brilliant new members to our team, strengthening our network of knowledgeable professionals who are passionate about helping as many customers as possible to secure a mortgage. We’re excited to have a further 10 roles open for new advisers to join the team and help us continue building on the great success we’ve already seen.”

News, Property

Accelerating climate action through sustainable development within the built environment

Written by Ramsey Assal, CEO and Founder of property network, The Landsite

Ahead of Built Environment Day and COP26 is it time for the construction industry to embrace sustainable development to accelerate climate action?

COP26 shines the spotlight of attention across the globe on climate change and its impact.  As the world becomes more environmentally aware, the movement towards sustainable practises is a requirement faced by all industries. However, in the development of both commercial and residential buildings, this is a complex challenge that needs to be considered from the earliest stages of planning to avoid significant adverse environmental impact.

A report by The Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGPP), found that the UK construction industry accounts for 45% of total carbon emissions – 27% of which from domestic buildings and 18% from non-domestic.  With this, CO2 emissions from this sector will need to drop by at least 50% by 2030 to reach the Government net zero targets, which has led to the UK Government to stipulate a legally binding target of reducing emissions by 78% by 2035 in an effort to ensure targets are reached.

From this, it is clear that new building projects need to be designed to meet energy performance requirements and built using sustainable materials and methods.  But even more importantly, 80% of the buildings that will be used in 2050 are already built, making decarbonising these buildings a priority.  This means there is a need to modernise the nation’s existing built environment to operate sustainably to reach net zero targets.

Why is sustainable development important?

As one of the largest consumers of natural resources, the construction industry has an important part to play in sustainable development.  While that means extra time and investment must be allocated to the early planning stages, it also delivers significant business benefits.  These include:

  • Sustainable development in the construction industry considers the interests of the communities and environment within which they operate. It’s not just about profit; it’s about corporate social responsibility.
  • Promoting your commitment to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility can help you generate more business through your ‘green credentials’.
  • Predicting change and adapting early will mean that as new environmental rules and regulations are introduced, you are ahead of the game.

How does sustainable development affect construction? 

Sustainable development affects all areas of residential and commercial building construction.  Materials, for example, may be sourced from environmentally friendly materials to lower costs (for the developer and end-user), reduce waste and potentially give your business a competitive advantage (‘green credentials’).  In addition, another aspect to focus on is creating energy-efficient design utilising natural light, smart windows, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems and sourcing low impact materials such as timber, clay, and stone.

The use of ‘green’ construction technology is also transforming the energy consumption of commercial buildings.  HVAC systems, for instance, can be told to ‘power down’ unoccupied areas of the building, using motion sensors and access card readers.  The impact is considerable when most commercial buildings are empty 30-40% of the time.

Another key area to address when looking at sustainable development is transport.  Commit to transport sustainability across all areas of the business, from employee and personal transport to supplier transport and fleet management.  This commitment will reduce your contribution to carbon emissions, help you comply with regulations, and potentially offer long-term cost savings.

What does Sustainable Development for Commercial and Residential Buildings look like?

These are property developments that have been planned and constructed to lessen their impact and deliver environmental, economic, and social benefits.  They are buildings which typically:

  • Maximise the use of sustainable resources to lower environmental impact and increase energy efficiency. Find out more about commercial EPC (Energy Performance Certificates) from NRG Focus.
  • Improve the quality of life for the people living in/using the buildings, creating healthier environments that promote well-being, and prevent negative social issues arising. Companies like KIN work with local communities and community-led housing groups, empowering them to deliver homes and neighbourhoods tailored to local needs and to shape the towns and cities they live in.
  • Have been built with the flexibility to accommodate future changes, taking into consideration the lifetime of a building from draft to demolition, not just the initial construction.
  • Support natural environments and habitats by maintaining and improving the natural environment. Companies such as EnviroSolution – a multidisciplinary Environmental and Planning consultancy can provide integrated solutions to complex problems.

Now, although lockdown measures resulting from the pandemic caused UK carbon emissions to decrease, a report by the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) suggests that this will have almost no impact on past and future CO2 contributions as they do not reflect structural changes in the underlying economic or social systems.

Therefore, if no systemic changes are made emissions will likely revert to levels seen pre-pandemic, so these underlying changes will need to be made throughout the construction and property industry if they are to reach sustainability targets.

News

North Wales education scheme targets next generation of STEM workers

AN INNOVATIVE education scheme is helping to meet a surge in demand for skilled STEM workers.

Over the last decade there has been rapid growth in students opting to take STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects at university, including a 400% rise in AI (Artificial Intelligence) applicants UK-wide.

Despite this, there is still an overwhelming need for more candidates in areas including IT, Computer Science, Engineering, Data Analysis and Biology, which is why STEM Gogledd is working hard to attract more young people into these sectors.

Targeting 11 to 19 year olds in Conwy, Anglesey and Gwynedd, the project launched two years ago and was gaining momentum when Covid-19 took hold in the UK; all communications were moved online and as a result they managed to unite industry and academia to help bring through the next generation of apprentices and employees.

Supported by funding from WEFO (Welsh European Funding Office) and the European Social Fund (ESF), Regional Manager Dyfed Jones says their aim is to increase awareness and interest in STEM from an early age.

“A lot of the younger children are unsure what STEM is, and, as they grow older, whether there will be a viable career in it for them,” said Dyfed.

“Through this initiative we can engage Year 7 onwards and go on that journey with them through school to higher education, an apprenticeship or the world of work.

“We do this via mentoring and our close partnerships with companies across North Wales, hosting visits and welcoming them to speak to the pupils. During Covid we have had to do this virtually but that has made them more accessible and means more than one school can take part.”

Working with thousands of students and staff at 24 secondary schools across the three counties, the STEM Gogledd team will begin holding face-to-face sessions when it is safe to do so – adhering to social distancing and Coronavirus rules – and are also planning to launch a new podcast.

They hope to hear from businesses this academic year, and also want to engage more girls in what is traditionally a male-dominated arena.

“The number of women in STEM careers is rising but it is still only around 25%,” said Dyfed.

“Education is key and so is demonstrating – for girls and boys – that there are options for them in STEM right here in North Wales.

“We have many incredible companies in this region and there is demand for skilled workers, so we have to step up and meet that challenge as the issue is very much on the agenda in Wales and we are at the forefront of a push to fill these roles for this and future generations.”

He added: “Our service was launched just six months before the Coronavirus pandemic; like many organisations we were hit for six and stopped in our tracks for a little while.

“We were really making inroads and getting into the schools, so we hope to be able to do so again in now and bring business and industry into the classroom.

“The aim is to embed stem into the curriculum even more and to work closely with teachers, parents and their communities to help drive young people to skilled jobs, jobs that will make a difference to the North Wales economy.

“We will keep working hard to do that and engaging with more companies, as from this coming year onwards more than one in five jobs will be in STEM industries.”

For more information, visit the STEM Gogledd website www.stemgogledd.cymru or email stemgogledd@gwynedd.llyw.cymru.

NOTES: AI (Artificial Intelligence) and education figures according to 2021 UCAS Report.