Category Archives: Regional News

Appointments, Business & Property News, International News, News

Amperity Accelerates European Growth with New London Office

Leading customer data platform company ramps up on-the-ground support with new executive hires to meet surging demand

Amperity, the leading customer data platform (CDP) for enterprise consumer brands, today announces its expansion in the European market with the opening of a new office in London and a trio of new executive appointments.

Amperity’s strengthened European presence is set to ensure brands in the region are empowered to unlock the value of their data to attract and retain customers, while saving money, time, and fostering business growth. Amperity is in increased demand as more brands in the region are realising that inaccurate or incomplete profiles alienate customers and waste resources — and that a holistic customer view reduces expenses, grows revenue and improves the customer and employee experience.

Overseeing the company’s success in the region is Matthew Biboud Lubeck, (pictured above) who has now been promoted to Vice President EMEA. The strong demand has also necessitated the onboarding of two additional senior hires Scott Boocock, Area VP EMEA Sales, and Alex Henry, Solutions Consultant, who will be helping brands realise the exponential opportunities that can only be unlocked with a full 360-view of the customer.

Bringing more than 15 years of experience, Lubeck joined Amperity in 2017. He is a true data mastermind with experience helping global beauty conglomerates Estee Lauder and L’Oréal better use data to unlock incredible experiences and emerge as industry leaders, Lubeck is overseeing Amperity’s growth and success in the region.

“There’s nothing quite like seeing the energy and enthusiasm of a team, reaching new audiences with great solutions. By expanding our presence in the European market, Amperity will be able to help more brands unlock the value of their customer data, driving growth and profit,” says Barry Padgett, CEO of Amperity. “With a demand that has continued to outpace our imagination, Amperity remains a power source for hundreds of brands to fuel their customer-centric growth strategies. Our customers and prospects in the region will be able to plug into this, drawing expertise from Matthew and the team from day one, putting the power of their customer data to work immediately.”

Amperity is experiencing significant demand from brands around the globe that are eager to utilise their first-party data to drive meaningful connections with customers as the deprecation of third-party cookies draws nearer, inflation rises, recession looms and privacy regulations tighten.

Lubeck says, “Amperity’s European brand portfolio is growing rapidly, and this represents a movement of forward-thinking industry leaders intent on leading their organisations through successful data-transformations. These brands are focused on unlocking game-changing AI-powered customer insights that will drive immediate marketing ROI as well as future-proof against market changes such as third-party cookie deprecation and increasingly strict privacy regulations. Most importantly, they’re focused on creating incredible value for their customers and businesses.

“We are committed to bolstering our presence in the UK and Europe, including a number of new local partnerships, the 2022 launch of Amperity’s EU data centre, and now, by welcoming two seasoned experts, Scott and Alex, on board to help accelerate the opportunity brands have to serve their customers at a time when demand for Amperity’s enterprise CDP is at an all-time high.”

Amperity is already seeing great traction in the European market, working with several leading brands, including Brooks Running, Citizen Watch, and Reckitt. Learn more about Amperity’s expansion in the UK/EMEA market here.

 

About Amperity

Amperity is the leading customer data platform provider that helps companies use data to improve marketing performance, build long-term customer loyalty and drive growth. Amperity’s flagship enterprise CDP is used by many of the world’s best-loved brands, such as Alaska Airlines, Endeavour Drinks, Kendra Scott, Lucky Brand, Planet Fitness, Seattle Sounders FC, Under Armour and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. For more information, please visit amperity.com or follow @Amperity.

 

 

 

Business Advice, International News, News

Rebuilding Turkey will come with seismic risks for foreign investors, warn KCS Group Europe

KCS Group Europe says earthquakes have fractured Erdogan’s support base and President could pay the price at May’s elections – but only if they are held fairly

Leading strategic intelligence experts, KCS Group Europe, have warned that much-needed foreign investment to help rebuild Turkey following the recent earthquakes will be accompanied by a host of corporate security risks, amid growing economic and political uncertainty in the region.

KCS Group Europe’s analysis suggests that for President Reycep Tayyip Erdogan, whose support base lies in the worst hit southeastern towns and villages, the earthquakes may also prove to be a political, as well as ongoing humanitarian, disaster.

The president was a ‘no-show’ for 21 hours after the first quake but on a visit to Hatay, one of the worst hit spots on February 6th, was quoted as saying: “It was not possible to be prepared for a disaster this big.”

The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and Northern Syria has passed 46,000 and is expected to rise further with many still trapped in collapsed buildings. Blocks have been reduced to rubble and there is a pressing need for shelter, fresh water, medical supplies and economic aid for survivors.

Erdogan came to power following an earlier earthquake in 1999 in which 17,000 people were killed and thousands more displaced.

KCS Group Europe CEO Stuart Poole-Robb said: “The recent earthquakes have been utterly tragic, and they have exacerbated underlying problems with the economy which remains vulnerable to both external economic shocks and worsening economic expectations. As a result the risks for foreign companies are seismic.”

It’s estimated that the earthquakes may represent a loss of 1% of the country’s GDP. All this comes at a time when Turkey’s national budget deficit for 2022 reached an all-time high of $48.8billion. External cash inflows have offset foreign deficits to the tune of $24.2 billion, with much of this coming from Russia, and sanctioned Russian entities are already attempting to increase their footprint in Turkey.

Turkish inflation reached 83% in September last year, causing the country’s credit score to be downgraded to B. Going against the advice of economists to raise interest rates to combat inflation, President Erdogan lowered the interest rate to 12%.

 

Poole-Robb added: “Some very large companies have gone bust in the last year which highlight the difficulties of trading in Turkey at present. It’s likely that we will see more of Erdogan’s unorthodox economic, political and social policies in the coming weeks and months as he seeks to hang on to power, which will create further risks for foreign investors.

“As the value of the lira continues to fall, foreign lenders may refuse to renew their loans to the Turkish banks and ultimately there’s a risk that Turkey may default on its debt.”

Elections are due in May, and it remains to be seen whether they are delayed or held fairly.

But people across the country are demanding to know why the government failed to enforce modern building standards or prosecute violations which occurred on a widespread scale. Planners have highlighted a 2018 government amnesty that meant violations of the building code could be swept away with a fine, and left some six million buildings unmodified.

In the ten most severely affected cities in the south-east over 100,000 applications were made for an amnesty to the code, says Dr Pelin Pinar Giritlioglu of Istanbul University. There was also a high intensity of illegal construction.

Meanwhile, levies raised by the fines have disappeared into government coffers without any indication of what they have been used for, leading to widespread anger and accusations of corruption.

“Raycip Erdogan’s hopes of unifying the country ahead of the elections in May are likely to fall on deaf ears. It’s possible that he may seek to extend the current state of emergency or delay the elections to buy his party more time,” concludes Poole-Robb.

But after 20 years in power, the fault lines which run across Turkey may have fatally exposed Erdogan’s broken promises to the very people that have kept him in government.

 

Business, Marketing, PR and SEO, News, North of England

Boost Your Visibility: Effective Strategies For Making Your Business Stand Out In Manchester

In today’s competitive business landscape, it’s essential to make sure your Manchester business stands out from the crowd. After all, visibility is key when it comes to success. But how exactly do you make your business visible? From engaging in targeted marketing campaigns to leveraging social media platforms, there are a number of effective strategies that can help you boost your visibility and make your business stand out. Here, we’ll explore some of the most successful methods you can use to increase your business’s visibility, and ensure you make a lasting impression on potential customers.

 

Targeted Marketing Campaigns

Marketing campaigns are an effective way to increase your business’s visibility and reach. By targeting a specific audience with relevant content, you can ensure that your message is seen by the right people. To get the most out of your campaigns, it’s important to identify the demographic you’re trying to reach and tailor your content accordingly. When planning a marketing campaign, it’s essential to consider the platform you’ll use to reach your target audience. For example, if you’re targeting a younger demographic, it’s likely you’ll want to focus on social media platforms.

Once you’ve identified the platform, it’s time to create the content. Your content should be engaging and relevant to your target audience. You should also ensure that your message is consistent across all platforms and that it’s easy for your audience to take action.

 

Leverage Social Media Platforms

Social media is a powerful tool for increasing your business’ visibility and engaging with your target audience. The key to leveraging social media platforms is to create content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to take action. It’s important to keep your content fresh and relevant. You should post regularly and respond to any queries or comments in a timely manner.

However, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t post too often as this can be overwhelming and feel like spam to your audience. You should also ensure that your content reflects your brand identity and that you’re consistent across all platforms.

 

Using A Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Agency

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is an effective way to increase your visibility and boost your rankings on search engines. By optimising your website and content for search engines, you can ensure that potential customers can easily find your business.

When looking to hire an SEO agency in Manchester, it’s important to ensure that they have experience in the field and are familiar with the latest trends and techniques. It’s also important to ensure that they have a clear understanding of your business’s goals and objectives.

 

Creating A User-Friendly Website

Having a user-friendly website is essential for any business. Your website should be easy to navigate and contain all the necessary information that potential customers may need. It should also reflect your brand identity and be aesthetically pleasing. When creating a website, it’s important to ensure that it’s optimised for mobile devices. This will ensure that potential customers can access your website regardless of the device they’re using.

Midlands News, News

Bright future as lighting company makes the switch

A specialist lighting company from Herefordshire has transformed its production process and expanded its workforce thanks to support from the Marches Growth Hub.

Hector Finch Lighting Ltd received a £30,000 Business Growth Programme grant to help owners Hector and Emma Finch expand into new premises in Leominster. As a result of the move, the business has brought its manufacturing processes in-house and created up to eight new jobs.

It was supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership’s business support service, the Marches Growth Hub, delivered in Herefordshire by the LEP’s partners, Herefordshire Council.

Emma said: “The grant from the Business Growth Programme (BGP) supported the purchase of kit-out costs in our new home at Easters Court as well as creating a new loading bay and bringing the production in-house.

“The Marches Growth Hub was hugely helpful in supporting us to access the funding and we initially aimed to create three jobs but we’ve created more than that. The whole experience has been extremely positive for us.

“Our ability to grow since we have been at Easters Court has helped to deliver 50 per cent growth in the last two years. We would never have managed that in our old premises because we just physically didn’t have the space, either for the stock or the production, the boxes or the staff.”

Hector Finch Lighting designs and manufactures light fittings, about 80 per cent of which are exported to American interior designers working in high-end properties. The business also fulfils some commercial contracts with quality hotels and restaurants.

Emma said contract details for the new premises meant that the BGP application process was very time sensitive. The company was supported in the application by the Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire team from Herefordshire Council.

She said: “We worked closely with the Marches Growth Hub to put the application together as it can be demanding but it was an interesting process. In many ways, it helps you discipline yourself to really think about what you are wanting to achieve out of the project and to put together a business plan and really work the figures through in a meaningful way. I would say it was a pretty positive experience all round.”

Hector added: “With the new investment we have tried to make it much more of a full manufacturing process. What we buy in is the basic raw material, which is mainly brass, and we manufacture most of our components here on site with our new CNC machinery.

“The lights are then metal-finished and wired in-house. This is a big change on where we were a short time ago, when a lot of all the components, and the finishing and any painting, were all outsourced.”

Amongst the new employees are skilled local engineers who had previously been made redundant. Emma said the new premises were also helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, both by reducing the number of miles components were being transported and through better insulation and energy saving.

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Birmingham City Council, the Business Growth Programme offers grants of £2,500 to £1,000,000 and is designed to strengthen supply chains, stimulate innovation and help businesses grow. The programme is available to both start-ups and existing B2B SMEs in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Grant funding is limited and subject to availability for companies which meet the eligibility criteria.

For more information about the Business Growth Programme and other grants available to businesses, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk

Care, Care Home News, News, North of England

Alcedo Care Group opens new office in Liverpool

Alcedo Care Group, one of the North of England’s largest independently owned and family run home care providers, continues to expand rapidly, opening a second office in Liverpool, located on De Havilland Drive in Speke.

Creating approximately 25 new jobs, the new office will deliver Alcedo Care’s exceptional portfolio of award-winning home care services including personal care, nursing, nurse-led complex care and support and companionship to those wishing to remain independent in their own homes. The company will also offer live-in care; a service which has seen a huge increase in demand.

Representing a £225,000 investment for the fast-growing home care provider, the new office in Speke will allow Alcedo Care to support an additional 100 clients in the region offering a further 3000 hours of care per week.

Managing director of Alcedo Care Group, Andy Boardman, says: “We opened our first office in Kirkdale and since its launch, it has gone from strength to strength with the team continually caring for more and more people. As a result, we decided to invest further in the region and strategically selected Speke for the second office, enabling the new team to focus on the south of Liverpool.

“Our outstanding home care services continue to prove popular with people wanting to remain in their own homes, a trend that heightened during the pandemic, and with two offices in Liverpool, we are well placed to deliver the highest quality of home care across Merseyside.”

The opening of the second office in Liverpool South brings the total number of Alcedo Care offices in the North West to 16 and complements the company’s existing bases in Blackburn & Darwen, Blackpool & Fylde, Bury, Chester, Fulwood, Holywell, Kendal, Lancaster & Wyre, Liverpool (Kirkdale), Preston, Southport, Speke, St Helens, Wigan and Wirral.

Recently rated one of the Top 20 home care groups for the third year running by leading reviews website homecare.co.uk, Alcedo Care offers Domiciliary Care Services, Live-in Care, Nurse-Led Complex Care Services, Supported Living and Children’s Services and has fast gained an enviable reputation as the home care provider of choice in the North West thanks to its superb 1,000-strong team of highly skilled and compassionate carers who make a tangible difference to the quality of life of the company’s home care clients.

Run by passionate husband and wife team, Andy and Jo Boardman, and with the support of their fantastic management team, the company is expanding at pace and aims to double in size over the next 12 months with the recruitment of more than 1,000 new carers.

Digital Skills, International News

Berlinale International Film Festival brings Asian filmmaking talent to Berlin with Colt’s international fibre optic network and on-demand service

Filmmakers from Asia can deliver their films to the festival through a digital hub in Singapore, as Colt is Official Digital Cinema Partner for the 15th consecutive year

Colt Technology Services, the digital infrastructure company, announced that the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival – the Berlinale – is using its international fibre optic network and on-demand service for the first time for the delivery of film contributions from Asia, via a hub in Singapore. This enables film producers from the APAC region to transfer their work to Berlin faster and more securely. The service supports Berlinale’s strategy to make it as easy as possible to upload contributions from around the world, especially where stable bandwidth capacity is a challenge. The digital infrastructure integrates Colt’s existing High Bandwidth Service, a direct line between Berlinale servers and the DE-CIX central Internet hub in Frankfurt, which studios around the world use for uploads.

Filmmakers from the APAC region upload their work via the Internet to a server at the partner data centre in Singapore. From there, Colt establishes an end-to-end on-demand connection via Ethernet between the data centre and the Colt node in Berlin, where the Berlinale’s film servers are located. For this purpose, the Berlinale cinema technology team commissions a DC Cross Connect in the data centre in Singapore via Colt’s on-demand portal, which connects the server with the Colt end device. The Berlinale uses the “Bandwidth Boost” function to transfer the data. This allows the bandwidth capacity to be flexibly scaled between 10 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s according to demand. Data rates of up to 10 Gbit/s are possible with the “Boost” option.

“It is important to us to make delivery as easy as possible for film producers and to create a level playing field. Producers have more time to film, and we have more flexibility to respond to potential film file issues. As a global provider of digital infrastructure, Colt is the ideal partner because we want to make the service possible uniformly worldwide,” explains Ove Sander, Technical Director Digital Cinema at the Berlinale.

The new application of Colt’s On-Demand digital infrastructure demonstrates Colt’s strategy to use its expertise, global partner network and intelligent network services to enable its customers to expand their business model further. Among other advantages, they benefit from flexible, scalable on-demand connections, as well as Colt’s global network presence, which offers a consistently high quality of service, especially to companies with international operations.

Keri Gilder, Chief Executive Officer, Colt Technology Services, said, “We have a special partnership with the Berlinale, one of the world’s finest film festivals and a true digital pioneer. We’re very proud to have played a strong supporting role in bringing digital cinema to life at the festival over the past fifteen years. This year is a celebration of global talent as filmmakers from across Asia showcase their diversity and creativity to a wider audience using our On Demand network capabilities. It’s a perfect example of technology innovation connecting the world for good.”

As the Official Digital Cinema Partner of the Berlinale for 15 years, Colt has provided network services with high bandwidths of up to 10 Gbit/s and Internet access to enable the transmission and distribution of film data from Colt’s network node in Berlin to the 20 venues with 47 screens in the highest quality. By connecting to Colt’s on-demand portal, Berlinale can also increase or decrease the bandwidth of individual connections itself in near real-time. In addition to the technological advancement of digital cinema, Colt is also driving innovations in its own fibre network at the Berlinale, such as – most recently – quantum-based encryption.

Colt has a special connection to the Berlinale and the capital itself: Colt has laid around 1,900 kilometres of fibre in Berlin and Potsdam. A total of around 2,600 company buildings are connected. Colt also supports the gigabit strategy of the state of Berlin and will connect a further 350 commercial customers by 2025. Colt is also working with the Berlin Broadband Portal, a Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Operations initiative through which companies can register their bandwidth requirements. Berlin also plays an important role in Colt’s network expansion into Eastern Europe. The German capital is part of a network ring that includes Warsaw, Krakow, Brno, Prague and Dresden.

View the video focused on Colt’s support as Digital Cinema Partner to Berlinale here.

To learn more about the digitisation of the Berlinale film management process, see our interactive timeline at https://www.colt.net/de/berlinale-2022/ and our case study at https://www.colt.net/de/resources/berlinale-case-study/

Greater Manchester, News, North of England

Burnham calls for "trailblazing" Levelling Up devolution deal

Mayor of Greater Manchester to set out his views at next week’s Manchester Lecture 2023

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, will call for an “ambitious and trailblazing devolution deal” for the north when he delivers a key speech on levelling up and the Northern Powerhouse at next week’s prestigious Manchester Lecture.

Mr Burnham, a leading advocate of Levelling Up for the north of England, is giving the opening address at the event, in a session entitled: “Levelling Up and the Northern Powerhouse – Where are we heading?”

The theme of this year’s Manchester Lecture, hosted by the North West Regional Committee of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, is “Northern Powerhouse: Levelling up in the North West.”

 

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “We can’t continue to allow the gap between the north and the south to grow. For levelling up to become a reality, local areas need to have the funding and powers they need to close the gaps in living standards and grow their economies.

“This means full devolution of adult skills and the ability to be able to deliver a technical education system and the Government’s new T-levels. This needs to be supported by continued investment into housing, so we can deliver the affordable, good quality and net zero carbon homes we need for our growing population in line with our Places for Everyone strategy.

“Travel is also key to support a thriving economy and the quality of people’s lives. In September this year we will start to bring buses back under public control which mean services will work for passengers, not for profits. This is part of our wider Bee Network plans to deliver a London-style integrated transport network with buses, trams and active travel all joined up.

“Devolution has made this possible and we want to go further by bringing local rail into our Bee Network so Greater Manchester has the fluid, reliable and affordable public transport system it needs to grow.

“All of this needs to be supported by a single flexible funding settlement from government and I’m pleased that the Department for Levelling Up is working closely with us to try and deliver an ambitious and trailblazing devolution deal which will allow us to build on the progress we’re already making at a local level.”

 

CICES, based in Sale, Greater Manchester, is a long-standing proponent of Levelling Up and is campaigning for a level playing field between the south and the north of England when it comes to infrastructure development.

 

Simon Hamlyn, CEO at the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, said: “We are privileged to have the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, delivering the opening address at our 2023 Manchester Lecture.

“We must see a fairer distribution of funds and services across the UK, and to end the traditional southern bias.

“In 2023, there’s still a north-south divide and with the news recently that there are renewed clouds hanging over developments such as HS2 and other planned rail routes in the north, nothing seems to be changing.

“With Andy Burnham’s help, and with the support of our excellent panel of speakers, CICES will keep banging the drum on the urgent need for a level playing field, ensuring that the north is heard loud and clear.

“Many thanks to Mark Hudson, Regional Chair for the NW, the NW committee and our head office team for organising the lecture.”

The role of the institution is to advance the science and art of civil engineering surveying for the benefit of the public, by upholding and advancing the standards of education, competence, practice and conduct of its members.

 

Other speakers attending the event include Steve Cooper, senior survey engineer from Network Rail on the ‘Transpennine Route Upgrade – On Track to Better’; Simon Navin, Geospatial Services Lead at Jacobs, on ‘How geospatial solutions are enabling the North to level up’;  and Genna Rourke, Commercial Director, GBC Services – United Living Group, on ‘Levelling up in the North, Women in the Industry’.

 

The Manchester Lecture takes place on February 16th, 2023 at Emirates Old Trafford, Talbot Road, Manchester, M16 0PX. 

The last remaining tickets are available for sale on the CICES website at www.cices.org until 5pm on Wednesday 8th Feb.

The event is hosted jointly by CICES and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and sponsored by Damian James, Decipher Group, Hanscomb Intercontinental, Korec, Kuits

Apprenticeships, News, Wales, Wales News

Green Energy Boss Champions Apprenticeships

“Apprentices are armed with real qualifications, real experience and real references from real jobs; they can carry out the work from day one.”

That’s the message from Tom Glover, UK County Chair at RWE, one of Europe’s largest energy companies. As we celebrate Apprenticeship Week 2023, Tom discusses why he champions the value of apprenticeships for both businesses and individuals.

And, as the renewable energy industry accelerates towards net zero, he explains why apprenticeships are crucial to a better, cleaner future.

“When I was 16, my future was clear-cut. I studied A-levels, and I went to university. I never even considered the idea of an apprenticeship.

“But since then, much has changed. Nowadays, an apprenticeship is an exciting alternative to university, or it can be a great opportunity to change careers later in life and cost effective too. Apprentices earn from day one and could be taking home a wage of £21,000 by the end of our programme. In the not-so-distant future, a fully qualified wind technician could earn in the region of £38,000 – demonstrating why an apprenticeship is a desirable pathway for those wanting to change careers, as well as school leavers.

“And while the earn as you learn way of doing things is extremely attractive for those starting out on their chosen career paths, apprenticeships are also of huge value to employers. Take the energy industry as an example, in which I’ve worked for the past 26 years.

“RWE Renewables’ key investments are in offshore wind farms, onshore wind farms, solar farms, and low carbon generation sources. Therefore, our apprenticeships are now mainly in those areas.

“As we drive towards the goal of net zero, apprenticeships are crucial to maintaining pace with the rapid rate of growth. We plan to invest £15 billion in the UK over the next eight years and we want to build another six offshore wind farms in the same period. And overall, offshore wind capacity in the UK is forecast to triple in the next eight years.

“It’s very simple maths. That means we also need to triple the number of wind turbine technicians, and we’re only going to do that if we in the industry trains them ourselves. In addition, we also need people in the other services that help ensure the success of our business, which is why we also offer IT apprenticeships.

“Apprenticeship schemes are essential for  training people so they have technical knowledge and specific skills. This year, we’re offering about 28 apprenticeships, but we have 50 live apprentices across the business, and most are likely to secure well paid roles and an exciting career at RWE, with the remainder having excellent CVs that will be very attractive to other energy companies.

“Wales plays a significant role in the training of our apprentices. Our national technician apprenticeship hub is based at Coleg Llandrillo. So, while you may work at any of our sites across the UK, if you want to become a wind turbine technician apprentice with RWE, your academic and technical training will be in north Wales.

“On becoming an RWE apprentice, you’ll spend a lot of time on site. You’ll be given the tools and the skills to actually do the job with the rest of the technicians and then you’ll spend regular time at Coleg Llandrillo, where we pay for accommodation. Not only do you obtain  the necessary skills, but you also gain recognised qualifications.

“If you’re an onshore or offshore apprentice, your typical working day starts by travelling to a turbine – be it by van, boat, or helicopter – and you’ll spend the day with experienced people, probably in the turbine nacelle which is at the top of a 150m turbine tower.

“And if you’re offshore, be prepared to travel by boat in all weather conditions. You’ll get dropped off at a turbine to be picked up many hours later. For some of our newer sites that are further offshore, it means living on a vessel two weeks on, two weeks off.

“It’s a really challenging and interesting job in a hands-on environment.

“For me, apprenticeships mean employability. Our apprentices are armed with real qualifications, real experience and real references from real jobs; they can carry out the work from day one. Apart from the technical side of the roles, apprentices have also already mastered the simple skill of showing  up for work on time, being on shift, and being reliable and professional. In very simple terms, apprenticeships help teach people how to work, and that should never be underestimated.

“When an apprentice’s CV lands on an employer’s desk, it shows a level of dedication. Dividing your time between working on site and learning at college demonstrates commitment and energy.

“While the majority of our apprentices do tend to be young, we also take on older apprentices who are changing careers. We’re particularly keen on supporting people from the armed forces who bring different experiences into the business, such as how to manage people or how to deliver under pressure and in difficult situations. At RWE, we are passionate about employing a diverse workforce with different educational and cultural backgrounds.

“I’m a father of two boys. I’m someone who is academic, and I absolutely loved my university experience, but I am really encouraging my children to actively consider apprenticeships and decide if that’s the right path for them. For example, my oldest son has just joined the Royal Navy for officer training at age 19 – a different sort of apprenticeship.

“And that’s because apprenticeships are now such good options – not just at RWE, but across the energy industry and other sectors too. They are being done properly with proper pay, proper qualifications, and proper schemes. It’s how it should be.”

 

For more information about becoming an apprentice, visit the Apprenticeship Wales Genius Decision website or call 0800 028 4844.

If you’re a business looking to recruit apprentices, visit the Business Wales website or call 03000 6 03000.

 

 

Construction, Construction News, News, North of England

Turf cutting marks start on site for new eco Tri Station in Tyne and Wear

Work has commenced on a sustainable tri-service station which will become home to officers from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), Northumbria Police and North East Ambulance Service.

The new station, which will be built by North of England contractor Esh Construction, is set to be the first of its kind in the country to be carbon neutral.

A breaking ground ceremony officially marked the start on site for the emergency services hub which is set to drive forward blue light services’ commitments to minimise carbon footprint.

The hub is located on a vacant site between Marine Drive and Campbell Park Road in Hebburn and is expected to be operational by Spring 2024. It will include staff accommodation and appliance bays for emergency vehicles, as well as a free-standing training building. Externally, the site will feature charging ports, with a view to all three services having a fleet of electric vehicles.

Modern sustainable technologies will be utilised throughout the hub, including solar photo voltaic roof panels, ground source heat pumps and a rainwater harvesting and re-use system. A wildflower meadow will feature among the landscaping of the grounds to help promote local biodiversity.

Andy Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Esh Group, said: “It was a pleasure to be part of the breaking ground ceremony and to experience how significant this development is for the local area. As we all work towards a carbon neutral future, this is a pioneering scheme which can lead the way for sustainable blue light buildings.

“At Esh we pride ourselves on creating a legacy in the communities surrounding our construction sites. As such, we will harness the benefits of our strong regional presence to deliver a wealth of social value initiatives which includes re-investing more than 65% of the project spend within Tyne and Wear by procuring local labour and supply.”

Esh Construction will engage with local schools to deliver employability workshops, arrange presentations to promote safety around a live construction site, and provide volunteers and donations to support worthy causes throughout the project

Chris Lowther, Chief Fire Officer of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It was a proud moment to play my part in the beginning stages of Hebburn Tri Station’s community journey. This is an important building for not only the residents of Hebburn and Jarrow but also the wider regions of Tyne and Wear.

“The building represents the unification of blue light colleagues being based under the one roof, and it also shows our commitment towards promoting the values of carbon neutral facilities.

“This is a very significant project for the Fire Authority as the new Tri Station is being funded as part of its Capital Programme scheme showing crucial investment for emergency service provisions that will be beneficial for generations to come.”

Procured via the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), Esh will work in partnership with TWFRS, Sunderland City Council’s Capital Projects Team, Desco and Todd Milburn to deliver the scheme.

Careers, Healthcare, News, Northamptonshire

Rhys Walden doesn’t let disability hold him back from his dream career as an occupational therapist

People who thought a disability would ruin one man’s shot at education have been proven wrong now he’s achieved a top class allied health degree.

Rhys Walden, 30 years old, who comes from Northampton, graduated with a first class degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Northampton (UON) last year. He is now six months into his role as an occupational therapist with North Northamptonshire Council’s Community Occupational Therapy team.

Rhys has cerebral palsy, a lifelong condition that affects movement and coordination. He first encountered occupational therapy after his Mum had a brain haemorrhage. When she was discharged from hospital, the friendly occupational therapy team helped her adapt to getting the most out of life until she fully recovered.

This is when the seed to become an occupational therapist was first planted, but when Rhys left school at 18 he wasn’t ready academically. At the time going to university wasn’t even a consideration so he went to college to do an accountancy qualification. After this though he realised that he wanted to work with people rather than numbers.

He left college and did various admin jobs, including an admin role at St Andrew’s Healthcare. It was here that he learnt more about what being an occupational therapist (OT) entails and he decided it was what he was going to do.

Although Rhys was a late bloomer for university, having had a knock-back after being told his disability meant he’d never be able to go into higher education, he is someone who is up for a challenge – and tackling it – after being bitten by the ‘OT bug’.

He said: “I’ve known of the UON course for some time as friends of mine are graduates, but academia was never my strong point. I was never predicted good grades; in fact, I was told at school and college to just do as well as I could.

“I have cerebral palsy hydrocephalus (a blockage in the brain) which means I have irregularities in my cerebral spinal fluid. Because of this, I had some brain damage as a child that left me with a mild learning disability, but I’ve never let that hold me back.

“My parents have been the driving force behind me my entire life. They taught me that, if things are a challenge, that it is really an opportunity in disguise with the potential for personal growth. University was always going to be on the table if I wanted it. And I wanted to become an occupational therapist with University of Northampton.”

At 26 years old Rhys applied and got onto the OT degree course at UON. Before starting he spoke to the university about his disability and they reassured him he would be fine. He said: “Their whole approach and willingness to support me told me it was the right place for me. As they said it wouldn’t be a very good OT course if they couldn’t adapt to my disabilities.

“Before starting the course, I had an assessment with the University’s ASSIST team. They helped sort out lots of things that would support my learning, such as installing specialist software on my laptop to record, transcribe and read out my classes. I’m an auditory learner and this way I could digest large chunks of information within half the time if I had tried to read it.

“I had unwavering, unparalleled support from UON staff and other students. Even when the pandemic came about and I had to ‘shield’ for almost the whole of those two years, the teams here helped. If I phoned up and asked for book chapters to be scanned and sent to me, the library staff were more than happy to do that. My peers were understanding and supportive and were there if I needed to talk though something being taught. I’ve never experienced that level of dedication to my progression. I feel like I’m an entirely different adult to the one who started the degree.”

In recognition of his incredible work and progress, Rhys received the Sara Simons Award when he graduated with a First Class honours degree. Sara was practice lead for occupational therapy at the University of Northampton before her retirement in 2018 and the award recognises practice excellence and students who have overcome adversity.

He is now enjoying his first job in the role he’s dreamt of doing for so long. He adds: “I wanted to work in community physical health (the team that supports people like me and my mum to live at home) before I started at the University so perhaps there’s some fate in my working in my field of choice. The Council’s service is hugely supportive of me and very open-minded about the benefits of having a practitioner who also happens to have a disability.

“I love the variety of the job, there’s never a dull day and no two people I support are ever the same. I feel privileged to work with people who are going through a difficult time. I’ve achieved more than I – or others – ever thought possible and hope to go on exceeding expectations, but now for my service users as well as myself and my family.”

Find out more about Occupational Therapy (BSc) and the Advanced MSc course at the University of Northampton.