South Yorkshire Chambers unite to call for Mayor-led transformation of region’s skills sector
Business leaders from across South Yorkshire will join forces today (29 April) to call for the region’s new Mayor to urgently tackle skills shortages that are holding the region back.
The three South Yorkshire Chambers (Sheffield, Barnsley & Rotherham and Doncaster) will make the call ahead of a Mayoral Hustings event taking place at Doncaster UTC.
A new Skills Manifesto has also been jointly produced by the Chambers which outlines the acute skills shortages facing the region’s businesses and the challenge of fragmented Government funding which has led to too many skills providers working at cross purposes.
The Manifesto includes 40 practical recommendations for a more agile and responsive skills system in South Yorkshire which drives opportunity, productivity, and wages. The Manifesto also calls on the county’s businesses to step up and get involved.
The new Mayor will be challenged to develop a new Skills Strategy for the region within 100 days of taking office and business leaders want the new Mayor to lobby Government for further devolution of powers and resources to impact skills policy.
The joint call comes after a hugely successful pilot over the past year. South Yorkshire was one of eight national trailblazers rolling out new Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) on behalf of the Department for Education.
The Chambers consulted hundreds of businesses as part of the project and worked in tandem with other business organisations including the CBI, FSB, Manufacturing Forum, and Sheffield Digital. Strong partnerships were also forged with those in the broader skills community, including the public sector, colleges, Higher Education Institutions, and private providers.
Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber Dan Fell said: “Workplace skills is the single biggest challenge facing South Yorkshire’s economy and residents.
“Skills drive productivity and wages and the average output of workers in South Yorkshire is around 20% lower than for the UK – a gap that hasn’t narrowed in nearly 20 years.
“Our region underperforms the UK on most indicators of employee skills, and this is borne out by the fact that South Yorkshire businesses are facing record skills shortages.
“If the output of South Yorkshire’s workers equalled England’s average, the region’s economy (GVA) would be £7.2bn bigger.
“We’ve learned a great deal during the pilot and have included our findings and recommendations in the Manifesto.
“A growing number of policy levers to affect the changes required are held by the Mayor. Some are at national level, but we have demonstrated during the pilot phase that when businesses, providers and industry bodies work collaboratively we can get to the heart of issues which are holding our region back from achieving its full potential.”
Andrew Denniff, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, added: “Employers have told us they want to get involved in developing curriculums, programmes, and qualifications but there’s a gap in what they say and how involved they are. This needs to change. There needs to be a better and responsive digital platform connecting people, business needs, training, and opportunities.
“If the share of South Yorkshire’s population with higher-level qualifications matched England’s, an extra 49,000 people would be qualified to NVQ level 4 or above in our region.”
The Chambers are using the Manifesto launch to call on Government to pilot in South Yorkshire a new cash grant award scheme to incentivise employer engagement on skills with schools, colleges and universities.
“The region must put the business-facing engagement of skills and trade bodies piloted in the LSIP onto a permanent footing with an ongoing, funded programme of activity,” added Mr Denniff.
“We have got to fix our skills system and better connect employers and residents to training opportunities and that’s one of the reasons we’re also proposing an Apprenticeship Hub service which would link people and businesses to apprenticeship opportunities, share best practice and publicise successes.”
Karen Mosley, Chair of the Skills Accelerator Board and Sheffield Chamber President, said: “We must release the hidden workforce potential in our communities and that’s why we’re calling on whoever is elected as Mayor in early May to put the skills agenda front and centre.
“Throughout the LSIP pilot, all partners have demonstrated a strong will to work together to bring about change. With the right policies, resources, and political leadership we can address inequality and ensure South Yorkshire is known nationally as a region that ‘gets business’ and that is both enterprise and investment-ready.”
South Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce will publish their full manifesto and detailed recommendations in May.
Hull’s expertise goes to work on historic bridge in Scotland
Multi-disciplinary bridge works specialist Spencer Group from Hull is to design, build and maintain a temporary walkway for Grade II listed Connel Bridge, close to Oban in Scotland.
The walkway, which will be cantilevered off the east side of the bridge, will allow for pedestrian and cyclist access during a two-year project to replace the entire deck.
The walkway is expected to be completed in four months, with the possibility of retaining it depending on a feasibility study and full public consultation. The walkway construction has been programmed to cause minimal disruption to traffic and the local community.
The A828 Connel Bridge was the second largest cantilever bridge in Europe when it was built by Sir William Arrol in 1903. It links the villages of Connel and North Connel. Originally a railway bridge, it was used for both rail and road traffic from 1914, until the railway closed in 1966.
Spencer Group is carrying out the project for BEAR Scotland, a service provider in the Scottish roads maintenance sector, on behalf of the national transport agency for Scotland, Transport Scotland.
The temporary walkway is part of the critical enabling works ahead of the deck replacement scheme, and Spencer Group, which specialises in providing innovative solutions to complex engineering projects, is mitigating the impact the walkway works will have on traffic and the local community.
Luke Fisher, Sector Lead for Bridges and Structures at Spencer Group, said: “During the tender process we focused our proposals on a sympathetic walkway design and methodologies that reduced traffic management during the construction works.
“Our designers proposed a traditional steel walkway design that was in-keeping with the heritage of the bridge, clamping to the existing structure where possible, to minimise invasive construction works to the bridge interface points.
“A key element of the project is also to minimise the impact on local residents and traffic, both on Connel Bridge and on the A85 below. The original design intent was to install support brackets over the side of the masonry viaducts that would require rope access for installation, meaning traffic management would have needed to be in place on the A85.”
Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said: “We appreciate the historical importance of the A828 Connel Bridge and the vital transport link it provides to local communities.
“This project will allow teams to install a temporary footway on the east side of Connel Bridge, in advance of the deck replacement works which are scheduled to take place next year. The temporary walkway will maintain a route across the bridge whilst the bridge deck is replaced, as we will need to close the existing footpath and carriageway.”
Ethical hacking challenge platform secures government backing to prepare for launch into commercial market
A unique cyber security hacking and education platform – created by academics at Leeds Beckett University – has received government funding to help prepare it to launch into the commercial market.
Hacktivity Cyber Security Labs is a virtual lab environment – allowing computing students to remotely log into virtual machines (VMs) and receive randomly generated security or ethical hacking challenges, individualised to each user.
The platform features hands-on tasks, league tables, progress monitoring dashboards and instant feedback and challenges through a chatbot.
Dr Z. Cliffe Schreuders, Reader in Cyber Security and Director of the Cybercrime and Security Innovation Centre at Leeds Beckett, designed the Hacktivity platform. He explained: “Hacktivity is the product of nine years of academic research and development. Creating hacking challenges for our students helps them to put theory into practice. We want to make it fun and engaging to learn cyber security – so we have been developing a lot of our own software and techniques.”
The £32,000 funding boost was awarded as part of Innovate UK’s Cyber Academic Start-up Accelerator Programme (CyberASAP) – which aims to help universities to commercialise cyber security research.
During the first stage of the programme, the academic team will receive training to develop a value proposition, carry out market research, and investigate the pathways to commercialising the platform.
The team will then pitch for further stages of funding – to begin working with partner organisations and carry out further research and development.
Dr Schreuders said: “CyberASAP is a great opportunity to learn from experts how we can commercialise our state-of-the-art platform, grow its user-base outside of the university, and fund its continued growth – including further technical development and content creation.
“Hacktivity is a unique and useful resource and has had a great impact on our students. Our open source framework – SecGen – is already used by many internationally, and there is potential for so many more people to gain from what we have developed – from security professionals to other universities and employers.”
There are several unique features that Hacktivity provides in comparison to other existing platforms.
Paul Doney, Head of Subject for Computing at Leeds Beckett, explained: “Most hacking challenges involve manually setting up a challenge which you would use once – and each student would have the exact same challenge. Our software creates and automates that process and makes it interesting by randomising it – so that each student has a uniquely configured system and problem and a unique experience.
“We also have Hackerbot automated chatbots which present hacking and defensive challenges and carry out real attacks.”
Hacktivity has a large library of content. It has all been mapped to the Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) – the national Body of Knowledge informing and underpinning education and professional training for the cyber security sector. It challenges students’ skills on areas including systems security and defensive controls, web and network security, ethical hacking and penetration testing, malware analysis, software exploitation, and incident response and investigation.
One of the key elements of Hacktivity is its Capture the Flag games – and it has unique benefits for hosting events for this popular game across multiple universities or organisations. Capture the Flag competitions involve users working through security hacking and defensive challenges. Students are rewarded with ‘flags’ for completing tasks – a flag of text is revealed which the student can use to prove they have completed the challenge.
Dr Schreuders added: “We run regular Capture the Flag events on Hacktivity to give our students opportunities to engage, and explore security issues, beyond their course work.”
Growing number of businesses at risk of collapse, as costs spiral and Covid loan repayments come due, says new report
The latest Begbies Traynor “Red Flag Alert” research, which has examined the financial health of British companies for the past 15 years, highlights the strain two years of extraordinary financial pressures have had on thousands of UK companies.
Helped through the pandemic and its aftershocks by state support, the report now reveals a 19% jump in the number of companies in critical financial distress with these measures cut off and costs spiralling.
The most recent County Court Judgements (CCJs) data revealed 11,673 rulings in March – up 179% on the monthly average for the previous two years – and the highest level in a single month for five years.
With companies struggling with rising inflation, coupled with the demands of repaying Government Covid support loans, there is now a growing risk of a wave of insolvencies affecting vulnerable British businesses.
Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, warned that unless there is action to allow struggling businesses to mitigate the impact of these pressures, they risk being unable to continue to operate.
“The critical distress and CCJ data are likely predictors of a wave of insolvencies coming – it’s just a case of when the dam holding it back finally bursts.
The latest Government insolvency figures for March reinforce this worrying trend with creditors voluntary liquidations – the most common type of corporate insolvency – more than doubling compared to March 2021 and up 62% compared to March 2019
“The Government’s finances are themselves taking a hit from the increasing interest environment; they are simply not able to introduce further significant funding into the system, and they now have a choice to make. Do they rush to recover funds handed out during the pandemic to ensure there was a functioning economy afterwards? Or look for ways to control the number of businesses that fail?
“Having put so much money into protecting businesses over the past two years, ministers won’t want to see it wasted as companies collapse, unable to repay their debts.”
Ms Palmer said one way the Government could ease the pressure on embattled businesses while not writing off debts racked up through measures such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) would be taking a longer-term view.
She continued: “I’d expect low-cost forms of further support, probably through leniency in repaying pandemic funding.
“We could see an approach similar to war bonds, with terms being extended as ministers follow the adage that a rolling loan gathers no loss.
“Taking a hard line on repaying CBILS and other loans would likely drive businesses over the edge, risking the billions fed into the economy being wasted, and the legacy of this support probably explains the year-on-year fall in significant financial distress.”
Ric Traynor, executive chairman of Begbies Traynor, commented; “Inflation has become a global issue, not just a domestic problem. The effects of increasing costs are now starting to take their toll on businesses and consumers alike. For the first time in more than a decade, inflation is the prime concern for businesses.
“This could mean that companies which have just been surviving, being kept alive only by government support, finally succumb to the inevitable.
“Additionally, consumer demand is likely to slow markedly as cost pressures pile up ahead of the anticipated increase in energy costs in October, and families reduce their appetite for spending accordingly. If these pressures take their toll on both corporate and personal finances, it could be particularly difficult in the latter quarters of this year.”
Demolition of former Cummins factory in Lincolnshire paves the way for mixed-use area
A major milestone in the development of St Martin’s Park, Stamford, has been met as demolition and clearance of the former Cummins factory commences.
South Kesteven District Council and Burghley have appointed Contractor GF Tomlinson Group to undertake the work and they began site set up last week, with welfare units placed on site. Demolition works will begin shortly and will continue for the remainder of the year.
The 14.7-hectare St Martin’s Park will include a designated commercial area; mixed-use area; retirement village; range of residential properties, including affordable homes; and areas of green and open space.
Kelham Cooke, Leader of South Kesteven District Council, said: “This high-quality, well-designed and sustainable development will preserve and enhance the setting of this part of Stamford.
“The important mixed-use development will bring significant benefits to the town and wider area, providing new employment opportunities and homes for the town and district.
“We are really pleased to have reached the next phase of this collaboration which supports our vision for the area and are proud to be creating a legacy for future generations, while protecting our strong heritage.”
As joint landowners, both South Kesteven District Council and Burghley Estates are committed to long-term investment and growth in Stamford while creating a balanced community that meets local housing needs.
Miranda Rock, Burghley House Director, said: “We are delighted to be taking important steps towards creating a development which will bring huge benefits to Stamford and the wider economy.
“We will ensure the St Martin’s Park development delivers sensitive and sustainable mixed-use amenities that work for the whole community.”
Planning permission for the site was granted in October 2021 with the decision notice being issued last month.
Raft of new occupiers for Malton Enterprise Park
Malton Enterprise Park in North Yorkshire is celebrating a raft of new deals.
Harrison Developments LLP, the owners and developers of the park, strategically located next to the A64, revealed today (April 29) that several new deals had been signed.
New arrivals include Puddleducks Children’s Nursery, the Pebblechild charity, No Limits Cycling, Be Amazing Arts, while existing occupiers Bella di Notte, Aquapoint and The Chef’s Choice have moved into brand-new hi-spec business units on the park.
In addition, a number of other bespoke units on the 180,000 sq ft site, ranging from 2,000 sq ft upwards, have been sold to private investors.
In all, occupiers from a wide range of business sectors have taken a combined total of 100,000 sq ft at the employment park.
Sean Harrison, Managing Director of Harrison Developments, said: “These new deals are a tremendous vindication of the substantial investment we have made in our park.
“More than 180 new and sustainable jobs have been created on site, which makes us very proud. The wide variety of successful businesses here is also an indication of the strength of the economy in the Ryedale area.
“We are especially pleased that successful Yorkshire businesses such Bella di Notte and Dales The Chef’s Choice have moved into larger premises on our park, because they like the location and the ambience so much. We have been delighted to accommodate their needs, as they have outgrown their current buildings.
“These are not the easiest of times, as we slowly emerge from a global pandemic into a worrying cost of living crisis, but the current level of activity at our park gives us confidence for the future,” said Mr Harrison.
Ben Lawson of No Limits Cycling, enthused: “I can’t speak highly enough of the Malton Enterprise Park, which is the perfect base for us. The flexibility of the mezzanine unit in which we are in has meant that I have been able to transform it into a cycling paradise, with an extensive showroom and offices.
“The location, just by the A64, is ideal, with easy access to the rest of the county. The whole park looks magnificent, which creates the perfect atmosphere for businesses here to flourish. I cannot recommended this very special business park highly enough and I’m absolutely delighted we have moved here.”
Meanwhile Be Amazing Arts have relocated from Showfield Road in Malton. Since 2019, the acclaimed company has been involved with theatre productions, including youth theatre and creative arts workshops.
Operation director Natalie Aconley explained that the move to Malton Enterprise Park suited the company perfectly.
“Our previous premises were next door to a very busy road, which was a worry as we work extensively with children. Here we are safe and secure. We have also been able to transform our new premises into the ideal office, rehearsing and performance space.
“The help and guidance we have received from Sean and Sue Harrison has been amazing. They have been so hands-on and supportive, helping us to create the perfect base for our varied work. This move marks a new chapter in our exciting story and it’s a joy to be in the midst of such a varied and vibrant community.”
Sean Harrison has very positive plans for the future.
“We have a further 100,000 sq ft of quality employment land at the park, available on a design and build basis. We will build speculatively and will either sell or lease the new units.
“These units will be single or two-storey commercial buildings which will be designed with maximum flexibility to allow a range of uses, including light industrial, offices, general industrial and retail, trade and warehousing. Sizes range from 1,000 sq ft to 50,000 sq ft.”
Yorkshire business confidence falls but remains second highest in UK
Business confidence in Yorkshire fell 16 points during April to 41%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Companies in Yorkshire reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down nine points at 51%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 25 points to 29%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 41%.
Despite the fall, Yorkshire businesses remain the second most confident in the UK, in line with March’s findings. Firms flagged a range of growth opportunities for the next six months, including diversifying into new markets (39%), investing in their team (34%), and evolving their offer (34%).
The Business Barometer, which questions 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
A net balance of 41% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, down 19 points on last month.
Overall, UK business confidence remained unchanged during April, at 33%. Firms’ outlook on their future trading prospects rose five points to 39%, but their optimism in the economy dipped slightly on March’s reading (down from 32% to 26%). The net balance of businesses planning to create new jobs also decreased by six points to 26%.
Every UK region and nation reported positive confidence readings in April. Wales (up 25 points to 20%), the South East (up 19 points to 30%) and the West Midlands (up 10 points to 42%) reported the largest increases month-on-month, with the West Midlands now the most optimistic region overall.
Steve Harris, regional director for Yorkshire at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “With businesses facing such significant global pressures, it was inevitable that we would see a drop-off in confidence this month. But since the start of the pandemic, we’ve witnessed the incredible resilience of firms across Yorkshire. The figures clearly show that they are continuing to focus on growth as they weather ongoing macro-economic challenges.
“Taking advantage of opportunities to invest in their teams and tap into new markets is helping business optimism. This careful planning will be key to maintaining growth prospects in the months ahead.”
From a sector perspective, manufacturing confidence increased by eight points to 43%, erasing part of the 19-point decline in March, helped by somewhat stronger trading prospects.
Retail and services confidence, however, were little changed on the month and is weaker than at the start of the year, with businesses increasingly concerned about the outlook for the wider economy. Retail confidence edged up one point to 29%, while services confidence was unchanged at 32%. Construction confidence fell for a second month to 33%, but is still on a par with the all-sector average.
Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “April’s data is mixed and follows the significant decline in business confidence in March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although firms reported a partial recovery in their trading prospects, optimism for the wider economy declined for a second successive month.
“Positives remain as overall confidence is above the long-term average, but it is still expected that growth will moderate over the coming months and many businesses will remain cautious as they face into these headwinds.”
New study reveals nearly 1 in 5 employers are likely to make redundancies over the next year
A new survey from Acas has found that nearly 1 in 5 of employers (18%) are likely to make staff redundancies over the next year.
Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about their redundancy plans in the next 12 months.
The poll found that large businesses were more likely to make redundancies than small and medium sized (SME) businesses. 3 out of 10 large businesses (30%) are likely to make redundancies and 10% of SMEs said that were likely to do so.
Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “The impact of global events has seen some businesses facing difficult circumstances and our poll reveals that nearly 1 in 5 are considering redundancies in the year ahead.
“Redundancies at large organisations have been in the news recently and it appears that 3 in 10 organisations that employ more than 250 employees are likely to make redundancies in the next 12 months.
“Acas advice for bosses is to exhaust all possible alternatives to redundancies first but if employers feel like they have no choice then they must follow the law in this area or they could be subject to a costly legal process.”
If an employer finds there are no other choices than to make redundancies then there are strict rules on consulting staff that they must follow.
An employer must discuss any planned changes and consult with each employee who could be affected. This includes staff who may not be losing their jobs but will be impacted.
The minimum consultation period varies depending on the number of employees that an employer wishes to make redundant. By law, employers who wish to make 20 or more staff redundant over any 3 month (90 day) period must also consult a recognised trade union or elected employee representatives about the proposed changes.
For 20 to 99 redundancies, consultation must start at least 30 days before the first dismissal can take effect, and for 100 or more redundancies, it has to start at least 45 days before. For less than 20 redundancies, there is no set time period but the length of consultation must be reasonable.
If an employer does not meet consultation requirements, employees can take their employer to an employment tribunal. If successful, the employer may have to pay up to 90 days’ full pay for each affected employee. Someone can also make a claim of unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal on the grounds that they were not consulted, or the consultation was not meaningful.
Employers should consider all possible options before considering redundancies as other solutions to their situation could be found through consultation with their staff, employee representatives and unions.
Acas advisers have seen many examples of this joint working that’s produced creative alternatives to job losses, such as part-time working, cuts to overtime, finding alternative roles and retraining. New £25m taskforce to crack down on those who took advantage of vital Covid support schemes
The Chancellor has announced that a new fraud squad, recruited from data analytics experts and leading economic crime investigators, will crack down on criminal gangs who rip off the taxpayer.
Operational in July and based in the Cabinet Office, the new £25 million “Public Sector Fraud Authority” will double funding for the Government’s central counter fraud capacity.
Rishi Sunak will unveil the new Public Sector Fraud Authority, which will be up and running by July, doubling the Government’s central counter fraud capacity.
The new body will be made up of leading data analytics experts and economic crime investigators to recover money stolen from Covid support schemes and spot suspicious companies and people seeking Government contracts. Counter fraud experts will also mount mandatory inspections on Whitehall programmes to uncover vulnerabilities.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “We will chase down fraudsters who rip off the taxpayer. This elite fraud squad, backed by £25 million, will ensure the latest counter fraud techniques are being used to track down these criminals.
People are rightly furious that fraudsters took advantage of our vital Covid support schemes, and we are acting to make sure they pay the price”.
Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Hardworking taxpayers must and will be protected. Anyone who tries to defraud the public purse will know that we as a government are coming for them and we are going to put them behind bars”.
Recruitment for the Chief Executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority will start in the coming weeks, with candidates picked from leading counter fraud experts. The new CEO will answer directly to the Chancellor and the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency. Mr Sunak will unveil details of the new counter fraud squad when he chairs the first meeting of the government’s new Efficiencies and Value for Money Committee later today, set up at the request of the Prime Minister. At the committee the Chancellor will also launch the Government’s Plan for Protecting the Taxpayer to cut waste by slashing the Government’s property bill, doubling the NHS efficiencies target, reducing non-front line civil service head count, as well as “quango” budgets and cracking down on fraud and error. The committee is chaired by the Chancellor and deputy co-chaired by Simon Clarke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Jacob Rees-Mogg, Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency. The full membership of the committee, confirmed today, is Steve Barclay, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, Minister without Portfolio and Michael Ellis, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office.FSB welcomes plan to delay full EU import checks
Responding to the Government’s decision to delay the imposition of full EU import checks, which were set to take effect this summer, Federation of Small Businesses National Chair Martin McTague said: “Imposition of full import controls this summer would have meant yet another burden for small firms which are already wrestling with new trade rules and spiralling operating costs.
“This move will give them more time to prepare for future changes and reassess supply chains.
“Over the long term, the Government should do its utmost to minimise trade friction with regions all over the globe – increasing the threshold at which import tariffs kick in, and putting small business chapters at the heart of all new free trade agreements.”
