< Previous20 Business Link www.blmforum.net ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHT Providing pipe and structural engineering, design and fabrication to the industry Pipesco is a pipe and structural engineering, design and fabrication specialist, providing a comprehensive range of services. Pipesco is built on years of experience across the sectors of piping, engineering, design and fabrication and is always at the forefront of innovation. The company aims to stand out from the crowd by offering bespoke and future fit design and engineering services. By providing a complete end-to-end service, it is able to streamline processes and dramatically improve communication between design and fabrication teams to deliver a fantastic service with a quick turnaround. The company is based on the belief that by employing cutting-edge methods and state-of-the-art technology, it can work efficiently and with superb precision to deliver a superior product within quick timescales. It uses industry best practices along with internationally renowned standards and frameworks. It’s why Pipesco is fast becoming the partner of choice for so many. To find out more, visit www.pipesco.com. drink or pharmaceuticals. Rather than risk reputational damage, litigation, or face costly product recalls, companies are investing in high-tech technologies such as barcode readers, sensors and other ID readers which can spot mislabelled products on the production line. These instruments, known as Optical Character Verification (OCV) devices, are now capable of operating at bewilderingly high speeds, and are sensitive enough to catch even the most imperceptible errors. Theoretically, no product containing an allergen – nuts, shellfish, wheat, eggs and so on – will leave the factory without an accurate warning label. The introduction of this kind of technology on a widespread scale will benefit consumers, whose brand preferences may be determined by these concerns, and producers alike. Whether it’s innovation in technology of innovation in tackling a shortage of skilled workers, or just innovation in how a company deals with lockdown, those who do more than try to survive are likely to reap rewards once the current situation is over. While that may not be as easy for some – cash flow being a constant issue – it remains that the market is changing, and that perhaps our current predicament is just a sign that we are not changing fast enough to keep up with it. © Shutterstock /Sorn340 Studio Images 16-20.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 11:19 Page 5Subscribe now and receive Business Link every month, delivered to your door Delivery Details Name: ............................................................................................ 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Payment Details ONLINE www.blmforum.net/subscribe MAIL Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE EMAIL subscribe@blmgroup.co.uk 1 Years Subscription £31.50 2 Years Subscription £54.60 3 Years Subscription £63.00 1 2 3 Subscription Options VISA MASTERCARD CHEQUE It’s the best value around EXPIRY DATE CARD NUMBER SECURITY CODE (CVC NUMBER) LAST 3 DIGITS TERMS & CONDITIONS: Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Minimum term of 12 months / 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years Please charge my: Subscribe NOW 21.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:09 Page 122 Business Link www.blmforum.net TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS Organisations in the UK are shelling out £4.4 billion a year because of this skills shortage, with well in excess of half of employers having struggled to find staff with the required skills in the past year. Increased recruitment costs, inflated salaries and the training required for those hired at a lower level than needed, as well as temporary staffing are all highlighted as causes for this expense. Our region is fortunate in being the host of world class training facilities and training providers. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are rife with opportunities for business and education institution collaborations in particular. For instance, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is offered by universities across the region. CPD refers to the learning activities employers and employees complete to grow, develop and enhance their skills to ensure their academic and practical qualifications do not become outdated, enabling continuous development of professional abilities and allowing employers and employees to stay at the forefront of their professions. While universities, with their specialist up to date knowledge, offer a range of readymade courses for individuals and organisations, from using people analytics in HR to courses in system safety engineering for those working in computer science, if there is a precise development path one needs employees to follow, bespoke education programmes can be designed in collaboration with many of the region’s universities. Custom programmes present a variety of flexible and effective education options that will inspire talent. Universities are prepared to work closely Simply the best A shrinking talent pool, increased digitalisation, and economic influences are forcing the skills gap to widen, and it is affecting the nation’s productivity. However, training and apprenticeships offer a means to provide a talent pipeline for the future and ensure existing employees have the skills they need for success. 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:10 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 23 TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS Kirklees College showcases apprentices’ technical skillsets Kirklees College is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week by showcasing how its apprentices are using technical skills to help build the future workforce. Kirklees College offers the widest range of apprenticeships in West Yorkshire and trains approximately 1,000 apprentices over 30 occupational areas who are employed at over 1,000 companies in West Yorkshire. Throughout the pandemic, the college has remained committed to supporting all its apprentices and employer partners. With apprenticeships available in various sectors, the college actively supports the personal and professional development of all its students and works closely with hundreds of employers to ensure that students are equipped with the skills that employers demand. As part of this year’s theme ‘Build the Future’, the college will be showcasing how employers can achieve a real return by investing in their apprentices through training and upskilling their apprentices. For more information, visit www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/apprenticeships. with business to understand them and the challenges they face, to meet learning needs as well as form courses that fit to a preferred time frame. With CPD talent can be retained, a team’s specialist skills developed and a business’s productivity enhanced. Courses on offer vary from short courses offering a combination of strategic, practical and core skills to re-enter the workplace with, to longer term leadership and management programmes for new, middle, and senior managers, business owners and entrepreneurs, to sector specific training courses designed for one’s industry, to online and distance learning so one can study flexibly from 24 Á © Shutterstock /aerogondo2 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:11 Page 224 Business Link www.blmforum.net TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS anywhere. These can be credit or non- credit earning. Building a culture that features growth and leaning opportunities is important for a plethora of reasons - not only is it good for businesses and has an impact on the bottom line, but up-skilling can impact employee satisfaction and retention. Twenty-one per cent of employees indicate the they are more likely to stay at a business that supports their development. Businesses can also collaborate with universities and other education institutions to gain access to high calibre students, for instance by developing a partnership to offer degree apprenticeships that allow students to gain work experience while getting the qualification of a degree and professional accreditation, but also opening up a talent pool with the skills needed by employers. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, online training has grown in popularity and prevalence. Although online training has existed in one form or another for decades with many people – from students right through to senior staff – taking advantage of it. Since lockdown, however, it has exploded in usage as apprentices look to maintain their learning, companies complete their employees’ training, and individuals that are now based from home, or have been made redundant in the wake of outbreak, to upskill. Outside of the pandemic, the appeal and popularity of online training lies in its flexibility. From a home office or smart device, it can be worked around any schedule, fitting in with other engagements and appointments. It can also even be undertaken on-the-go, turning that daily train or bus commute into a learning opportunity. That same flexibility is what gives online training an edge, allowing an uninterrupted learning stream for all manner of individuals while they observe social distancing regulations. Small surprise that many traditional training providers have made the transition to online learning, in part or in full. No doubt misconceptions existed around online training before the pandemic with some employers perhaps reluctant to use them over the misguided perception that they aren’t the equal of in-person training or lack the range of subjects. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Online courses cover a diversity of subjects from health & safety, administration and quality assurance right through to management and everything in between. Because of the nature of e-learning and the flexibility we’ve already touched on, it means training providers are uniquely positioned to get creative with © Shutterstock /Foxy burrow 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:11 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 25 TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS #NAW2021 www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk National Apprenticeship Week 8-14 February 2021 APPRENTICESHIPS their content and how it’s delivered. This ‘out of the box’ thinking offers a great opportunity to make courses and learning content more engaging, memorable and, thusly, more effective. It also means that content can be continually refreshed and updated with the latest research and findings in a way that traditional location-based courses simply can’t compete with. Providers also have access to analytic data from which they can see what does and doesn’t work about the courses they provide and, crucially, the way in which they’re delivered. As we look towards future, training of every kind will prove crucial to ensuring there’s a talent pipeline in place for all sectors to draw from and that the skills shortage diminishes rather than continues to widen. © Shutterstock /New Africa 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:12 Page 426 Business Link www.blmforum.net BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE © Shutterstock /GaudiLab 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:18 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 27 BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE H ow business gets done has changed dramatically over the past year. Indeed the concept of travelling for business - within the region, across the country, or internationally - will seem alien at present to most, with a significant cut in the number of work-related journeys taken since March 2020. While within England the restriction on non-essential travel and general COVID concern has impacted travel plans, international business travel has seen severe change, not only due to the pandemic, but as a result of Brexit. The coronavirus outbreak With corporate travel a key support for various businesses, from airlines - PwC highlights business travel can generate as much as seventy-five per cent of airlines’ revenue on some international flights - to hotels, travel agents, and car rental companies, extending out to cities’ bars, restaurants, drivers and more, its almost complete stoppage has majorly impacted all industries associated and their staff - according to the Global Business Travel Association Putting on the brakes Business travel has been paused due to the pandemic, leaving its future uncertain, while factors such as Brexit and sustainability will cause further reconsideration of corporate travel when borders re-open and non-essential movement is allowed. 28 Á 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:19 Page 228 Business Link www.blmforum.net BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE (GBTA), business travel supports one in seven jobs worldwide. As business travel is vital to the wider economy, its crumble could see millions of jobs lost and numerous businesses close. It is worth noting however that in the UK, international business travel has been slowing, with ONS data indicating that in comparison to leisure travel, which increased 3.4 per cent per year between 2000 and 2019, business travel grew by 0.2 per cent, Predictions on the timeframe for recovery of business travel, once borders properly reopen and non- essential travel is allowed, are mixed. Those more positive believe workers will be raring to get out of their houses for trips, while others expect the shift to working from home and the digital world for meetings, conferences, et al. to stick, reducing the amount of travel seen as necessary in the future. Bill Gates has even weighed in on the conversation, stating that he believes over fifty per cent of business travel and thirty per cent of office days will disappear after the pandemic, though those in the industry have criticised his prediction. Moreover, cost cutting in the wake of the pandemic will inhibit business travel, pushing forward instead virtual meetings now that companies have embraced the savings of no travel, as well as the time recuperated for productive working. The full level of business travel expected to be lost is not yet agreed upon, with vaccination programmes offering hope, while new virus strains cause caution. A poll from the GBTA indicates that just six per cent of its members foresee any international business travel during the first three months of 2021, yet a traditional sentiment remains - nothing can replace the value of face-to-face interaction and personal connections when looking to seal a deal. When business travel does return it will likely involve new technology, with digital health passports anticipated to be commonplace. A number of different health passes have been launched, to certify passengers have tested negative for COVID-19, and if they have been vaccinated, to satisfy entry requirements for various countries. Digital solutions that can provide information on travel requirements will also become an important help. In the meantime those looking to travel for business, whether within the region or internationally, will need to keep an eye on fast-changing restrictions, and laws, as well as suspension of train services. The UK Government for example (at time of writing) is looking to introduce tougher border restrictions and quarantine in hotels for anyone arriving or returning to the UK from abroad. Travel corridors have already been abandoned and testing for passengers coming to the UK seventy-two hours prior to travel is now required - mirroring most other countries - alongside a ten-day quarantine. In addition business leaders are no longer exempt from travel restrictions. Brexit complexities Brexit is also making business travel more complex and will see UK travellers deal with carrying proof of hotel booking, return tickets etc. Changes in the trade agreement mean businesses with staff who frequently travel to EU nations for work will now need to find out whether visas are necessary or if the trip is a visa- exempt business visit. The main consideration is that any work activity not included on the list of permitted activities for short term business visitors published in the trade and cooperation agreement between the UK and EU will require further paperwork. The general rule is that if travelling for a meeting, research, conference, trade fair, or negotiation you can stay for ninety days for every 180 without a visa or work permit, so long as no money swaps hands. However, with the extra limits come a lack of uniformity between EU countries in rules, regulation and paperwork required. In Denmark, Cyprus, and Croatia for example, if you provide a service as part of unpaid work you will need to apply for a work permit and satisfy an economic needs test, meaning authorities will assess the impact of your trip on local providers. Consulting lawyers and immigration specialists may become essential. 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:19 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 29 BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE Sustainability Further affecting business travel is a growing focus within companies on sustainability and reducing carbon footprint. Increasingly a trip’s impact on the climate is being factored into travel decisions and seeing additional push for virtual communication over travel. Nestlé for instance, looking to achieve its net zero goal, recently revealed that it is not just making changes to how its agricultural suppliers operate, but minimising business travel. Sustainability may also change how future business travel is conducted when non-essential movement is allowed, with train travel considered a more environmentally friendly option. This of course comes, usually, with the benefit of Wi-Fi and power points during travel so that business travellers can make the most of their time. Other actions for more sustainable business travel include organising more meetings per trip to limit the number of trips needed, promoting public transport use, using e-ticketing apps and reusables to prevent waste, booking direct flights if one must fly to reduce fuel consumption and air time, encouraging use of hybrid and electric fleets and rental cars, and utilising the most environmentally conscious hotels and airlines. © Shutterstock /GaudiLab 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:19 Page 4Next >