< PreviousLincolnshire - the ideal place for businesses to invest, expand or relocate.· Portfolio of prime serviced sites and quality industrial units· Managed business centres· Particular strength in agri-food and engineering· Expanding and well established university· Good transport infrastructure· Enviable quality of lifeSELECT Lincolnshire FOR BUSINESSTo find out more about Lincolnshire’s Commercial Property Service:t: 01522 550618e: select@lincolnshire.gov.ukw: www.selectlincolnshire.com20-21:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:09 Page 1land assembly and preparing the statutory orders that arenecessary for the new link road. It is hoped that work will starton site in late 2014.Lincoln Eastern BypassTo complement the road improvements in the city a furtherplanning application has now been submitted for the LincolnEastern Bypass which will improve traffic flow round the city.The Chancellor has agreed funding support of £50 milliontowards the estimated £96 million scheme for a singlecarriageway road.Lincolnshire County Council is making a contribution of £14million, and is acting as ‘guarantor’ to underwrite the £33 millionthird party funded element. This will be recouped from developersin due course and means construction could start far sooner. Lincoln Castle RevealedThere is significant investment taking place with the LincolnCastle Revealed project. All work, including repair to themedieval walls and the creation of a complete wall walk circuitas well as a new underground vault to hold the Magna Carta intime for its 800th anniversary celebration in 2015, is due forcompletion by the end of 2014.Lincolnshire Commercial Property ServiceLincolnshire's free Commercial Property Service providesdetails of the County's serviced sites, quality industrial units,offices and development opportunities. There are also a numberof business centres throughout the county including MercuryHouse in Gainsborough, Eventus Business Centre in MarketDeeping as well as Horncastle and Skegness which all provide aprofessional environment for your business needs.GranthamPlans for a Southern Relief Road that will connect the A1 withthe Somerby Hill roundabout have been completed and aplanning application has been submitted to the local planningauthority. Planning consent is now in place for the GranthamGateway Distribution Hub which will provide around 1.2 millionsq ft of high quality distribution space adjacent to the A1. Thissite has capacity to accommodate over three thousand newdwellings together with open space, schools, communityfacilities and other supporting infrastructure.Teal Park, Lincoln The first phase of work at Teal Park, an 87.5 acre site, is nowcomplete and county businesses can look to the future withconfidence as this major business development opens forbusiness. Significantly, engineering giant Siemens has moved staffon-site and other companies are set to follow over the comingyears, with a further 65 acres of land available for development.Teal Park has the potential to attract £500 million of businessinvestment over the next ten to fifteen years. For moreinformation about the development, visit www.tealpark.co.ukWyvern House, LincolnThe first tenants are expected to move into the WyvernHouse office development on a former coalyard site. Sevenexecutive office suites are available to let from 46 to 139 sq m.Lincoln – East West Link RoadWork is now progressing on the detail design, completion ofVisit www.selectlincolnshire.com for more information onLincolnshire’s key development opportunities. Alternatively youcan call 01522 550618 or email select@lincolnshire.gov.uk.RELOCATION AND INWARDS INVESTMENTOptimism aboundsin LincolnshireIt’s vitally important that, when the world economy starts improving, Lincolnshire is ready tosupport growth and development. That’s why Lincolnshire County Council and its partners havebeen investing in infrastructure20-21:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:09 Page 2RELOCATION AND INWARD INVESTMENTFirst Hull Trains is just one of thesebusinesses, going from strength-to-strength despite tough economic times.The company ran its inaugural servicefrom London King’s Cross to Hull’sParagon Interchange in September2000.Since then, passenger numbers haverisen from 80,000 a year to 800,000 andthe services have expanded from two,two-car services a day to 90, five-carriage services every week.As the wider Humber sub-regionlooks towards a brighter, moreprosperous future, First Hull Trains willwithout question be an integral part.The fourteen daily connections to andfrom the capital, which stop at Brough,Howden, Selby, Doncaster, Retford andGrantham, provide vital transport linksfor those looking at taking a break, butmore significantly, for those growingtheir business through links to thecapital and importantly companieslooking to invest in the wider region.The open-access operator offers anearly train which leaves Hull at 6.25amand has commuters in central Londonfor around 9am - a journey time ofaround two-and-a-half hours.Not only that, the carriages wererecently given a £2.4m internal refreshwith free Wi-Fi installed throughout andplug sockets available in all seatingsections – the trains are effectivelyoffices on wheels, but without constantinterruptions and phones ringing.The company has been driving valuefor money into ticket prices and offeringcustomers flexible options. Regularbusiness customers are given theopportunity to take advantage of FirstHull Trains’ flexi-ticket, which can offersavings of up to £500 a week. Londonisn’t that far away any more, nor does ithave to be expensive if travelling withFirst Hull Trains.All these initiatives and drives seemto be paying off. Despite a surge inpassenger numbers through 2012 ofalmost 10 per cent, 2013’s figures havecontinued to show significant increases.Around 10,000 more people everymonth, on average, are choosing FirstHull Trains.Being an open-access operator offersthe commercial team greater flexibilityto respond to passengers’ wants andneeds. Only at the turn of the year, thecompany was able to announce belowinflation fare rises, which were alsosignificantly lower than nationalaverages across the rail industry.Other initiatives, such as the M-Ticket,which allows people to purchase ticketson a smartphone app, download digitaltickets and present them on trains anduse them to exit stations have beendeveloped. Print at home tickets arenow also available.All this hard work, it seems, has paidoff when it comes to the people whomatter most in business - customers. www.hulltrains.co.uk Tel: 08450710222As the wider Humber sub-region looks towards abrighter, more prosperous future, First Hull Trainswill without question be an integral part.First Hull Trains: Keeping businesses acrossthe UK on track for successAcross Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, many businesses are booming– turning the country’s fortunes around and driving the economyaway from recession into growth, prosperity and job security.22:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:08 Page 1Business Link 23www.blmforum.netTRAINING & EDUCATIONBusinesses can welcome a steadystream of new and enthusiastic talentwhile the educational establishmentsconsistently provide relevant andtailored vocational training. New ideastherefore flow in both directions.There has been much discussion inrecent months about the curriculum andits value to future employment, and theLinks between businesses and education providers have never been stronger – and bothparties can benefit.Local MP Rosie Wintertonvisited Pegler Yorkshire’s newTraining and InnovationCentre at their Doncaster siteThe Leeds College of Building, is investing circa £15million to create a new state of the art facility on land inLeeds city centre24 A stream of successCBI Director-General John Cridlandrecently said the standard of careersadvice in some areas was so poor thatmany young people left school orcollege with little knowledge of theworkplace. At the Grammar SchoolHeads’ Association Annual Conference,he said, “The education system needsto develop the rigorous, rounded andgrounded young people who can makethe leap into employment. It’s alarmingthere is such a big mismatch betweenthe skills that young people have andthe realities of the workplace. We cannotafford to waste talent and investmentwhen the long-term outlook is still sofragile.”The news from our region suggeststhis is being addressed with plenty ofcross-fertilisation between business andeducation. Organisations such as TheSheffield College now specialise inproviding their students with the skillsthey need to secure a job, set up abusiness or go onto the next level ofeducation, and they are continuallyaiming to increase involvement fromemployers across all their curriculumareas. The benefit for employers gettinginvolved in this concept is the arrival ofnew employees that have been trainedspecifically in vocational areas to meetthe requirements of professionals.At the new CREATE Studio in Goole,meanwhile, projects are beingdeveloped in partnership withemployers and include a range ofexperiences such as work placementsand site visits. The aim is to connect23-25:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:28 Page 1TRAINING & EDUCATION24Business Link www.blmforum.netstudents’ learning to the real world and build their careeraspirations, and to this end, with guidance, students will takeresponsibility for their own learning and progress – this wayhelping them to develop key employability skills and attitudesincluding communication, leadership and co-operation.The most obvious benefit of schemes such as this is that theyaddress the skills gaps that are becoming apparent in manysectors. The likes of construction and logistics regularly reportthat they require a constant stream of new recruits in theindustry to replace those who are retiring. They also desperatelyrequire adaptable employees who are well-versed in the specificcurrent needs of the industries, fully trained to cope with thelatest legislation. At a time when the renewables sector isbecoming particularly important, too, they must be able to adaptthese skills to new challenges and settings.One sector that’s hoping to meet the skills gap is theelectronics manufacturing sector, and Electronics Yorkshire haslaunched the Intermediate Level apprenticeship in electronicengineering, which attracts full funding for 16 to 18-year-oldsand will run for 24 months.Roger Gibbeson, General Manager of Electronics Yorkshire,says, “This is a dedicated electronics apprenticeship for theindustry. It fulfils a need for the many businesses I have talkedto who complain how difficult it is to find well-trained andqualified employees. We are launching a specialised electronicscurriculum at Intermediate Level – NVQ Level 2 – and plan tointroduce a higher level qualification subsequently.”The programme takes the form of work-based assignmentsplus day release for classroom-based training either atElectronics Yorkshire’s Leeds centre or at regional venues.Electronics Yorkshire will also be including industry standardIPC training modules as part of the syllabus. This will giveapprentices the advantage of an internationally-recognisedqualification in electronics, providing added value and greateremployability.All involved in the electronics sector will certainly benefit fromnew training as the Restriction of Hazardous SubstancesDirective is being introduced, and with it bringing about a changein scope affecting a wider range of products. Electronicscompanies therefore need to ensure they are fully compliant withthe new regulations and that will require extensive new trainingprogrammes being introduced.Other organisations in our region are also investing in newfacilities to assist both those looking for their first job, and thosealready in employment hoping to improve their skills. The LeedsCollege of Building, for example, is investing circa £15 million tocreate a new state of the art facility on land in Leeds city centre.The new site, which should open at the beginning of 2015, willbe offering the traditional courses including mechanical andelectrical, roofing and brickwork programmes, but the newfacility means it should also be able to provide more courses inthe ever-expanding area of renewable and sustainabilitytechnologies. The College has also acquired Rotherham-basedAchieve Through Learning, which has a direct Adult Skillscontract through the Skills Funding Agency, allowing them toexpand their offerings substantially.Employers themselves are also beefing up their trainingfacilities – such as Pegler Yorkshire, who have recently openedthe new Training and Innovation Centre at their Doncaster site.The centre has been created with the aim of providing a facilitywhere plumbing industry professionals can utilise the expertiseand experience of the team behind the product to furtherunderstand its workings.As a systems and solutions provider, the centre allows thecompany’s quality products to be tested, viewed and the benefitsof each clearly understood – allowing the company to fullyRight: A partnership between Sanctuary Group and Keepmoatto build four hundred homes over the next three yearsinvolves many apprenticeship posts being made availableBelow: Skills for Logistics is seeing growing interest fromcompanies that want to participate in apprenticeshipschemes, such as Eddie Stobart23-25:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:28 Page 2Business Link 25www.blmforum.netTRAINING & EDUCATION“Try before youbuy” with TheSheffield CollegeThe Sheffield College’s work placements scheme canhelp employers get the skills they need for growthconnect with its customers in a variety of ways. There’s also anenclosed training pod where up to twelve people can receivedetailed training on products of their choice. As local MP RosieWinterton pointed out on a recent visit, the Centre’s value isnot just developing the skills of young people entering theindustry, but also the individuals who will benefit from theinnovation of others.It’s not just the skills to enter existing businesses that trainingproviders can offer. The government has regularly citied smallbusinesses as the lifeblood of the economy and likely to play amajor role in encouraging prosperity, and so entrepreneurshipis consistently promoted. That’s especially the case for those ofan ethnic minority who can often feel disengaged by theprocess, and organisations such as the South Yorkshire AfricanCaribbean Business Centre are playing a major role to addressthis. They work with organisations such as Sheffield Collegeand assist the city council’s Sheffield Enterprise Programme byorganising regular courses on such aspects as market viability,legal requirements, finances and taxation.The Centre is also helping young people from all ethnicbackgrounds to improve their employability skills and desire tostart their own business. SYAC director Jabo Hirigo, himself anentrepreneur, says, “We have to see a mentality change inyoung people to make the brave move in starting their ownbusiness and to stick with it. Growing a business is not an easypath, especially in the current economic climate, it can be hugelychallenging, but it is the right time to start a business. SYAC isworking hard to help position young people, both financially andin skills, to make the leap into starting on their own.”Whether students go on to work for an existing company orstart one up themselves, the efforts of training and educationproviders in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire means that theeconomy is welcoming a stream of top talent.The Sheffield College is the largest training provider in thecity, and delivers academic and vocational courses to morethan twenty thousand adults and young people a year. Itsstrong partnerships with a range of public and private sectoremployers, of all sizes, in South Yorkshire, means it makes amajor contribution to underpinning the local economy.The Sheffield College now aims to build on that successby helping employers get the skills they need for growthand enabling their students to secure work. The College’swork experience campaign provides an opportunity foremployers to road test potential employees of the future.Employers who take on a Sheffield College student forwork experience get a student who is already career-focused - in essence, the chance to “try before you buy”.They are trained specifically in vocational areas and canbring new lifeblood and ideas into a business to help itgrow.The College now wishes to increase involvement fromemployers across all their curriculum areas. The dedicatedplacements team match students up to the needs of theemployers, and employers can choose the student that issuitable for them through tailored job descriptions andplacement interviews. In addition to giving students thechance to try out a career, it also allows them to makecontacts that will lead them to employment.Get involved with The Sheffield College and tell them howthey can match students and their skills to your businessneeds. Contact the team by calling 0114 260 2600,emailing workexperienceteam@sheffcol.ac.uk or visitingwww.sheffcol.ac.uk.23-25:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:28 Page 3TRAINING & EDUCATION26Business Link www.blmforum.netThe CREATE Studio is a new schoolfor 14-19 year olds. Based in Goole, itserve a wide catchment area of over afifteen mile radius.The curriculum offers a unique mix ofacademic and vocational qualifications,to prepare students for a successfulcareer in the growing economic sectorsof power engineering and renewables,ports and logistics and businessenterprise. The aim is to work with localcompanies for mutual benefit. There isalready a network of establishedbusiness links but the CREATE Studioare constantly on the lookout for newpartners to collaborate with.The CREATE Studio will feel more likea work place than a school. Projects arebeing developed inpartnership with employersand include a range ofexperiences such as workplacements and site visits.With guidance students willtake responsibility for theirown learning and progress.This style of education will engagestudents through a more hands onapproach, connecting their learning tothe real world and building their careeraspirations. Students will develop keyemployability skills and attitudesincluding communication, leadershipand co-operation.The CREATE Studio is ambitious for itsstudents, who are expected to achievehigh standards to progress to university,apprenticeships, work or further training.The skills and experience students willgain alongside their qualifications willgive them the edge over leavers frommore traditional schools.If you would like your business oryour children to benefit from thispartnership approach to education, getin touch.CREATEStudio delivering an employerled curriculumThe CREATE Studio aims to work with companiesfor mutual benefit. PHOTO: ABP/DAVID LEE PHOTOGRAPHY LTDwww.CREATEstudiogoole.co.ukEmail: info@createstudiogoole.co.ukFind us on FacebookTwitter @CREATEgoolePrincipal: Stuart Boothman Employer Engagement: Helen WilsonDelivering an employer ledcurriculumOpening September 2013 CREATE StudioLearning for workCREATE Studio, Centenary Road, Goole, DN14 6AN01405 768621Year 10 and Year 12 places availableFind out more or apply online now 26:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:08 Page 1Business Link 27www.blmforum.netBUSINESS SCENERememberingTHE HEROESOver 130 guests danced the night away at Lincolnshire Chamber’s Annual Charity Banquet atthe DoubleTree by Hilton.The evening celebrated and honoured the seventieth anniversary of the Dam Busters, withguests dressing up in forties-inspired outfits, live entertainment from Lola Lamour & Her BlueLight Boys, and a themed menu from the venue which included a Bouncing Bomb cocktail.As well as paying tribute to the heroes of the past, those serving today were alsoremembered as the banquet raised £900 in aid of Help for Heroes. A special thanks was givento Ruddocks, Flowers by Suzanne, Peachy Productions and the DoubleTree by Hilton for thesupport they gave the event.PHOTOS BY ANGELA COOPER27:Layout 1 1/7/13 08:57 Page 1INVOICE AND FINANCE SOLUTIONS28Business Link www.blmforum.netIt’s becoming a familiar story – it’sannounced the banks are encouraged to lendmore money to businesses via a series ofincentives, and then when the next set offigures are published, the actual impact isnegligible, or worse. That seems to havebecome the case again when the figures forthe first quarter of the year were published bythe Bank of England showing that net lendingfell £300 million. In addition, while lending toindividuals was up, loans to business weredown.This again seems to suggest that thegovernment’s Funding for Lending scheme –where banks are allowed to borrow moneycheaply on the proviso they use it for loans –is failing to provide the opportunities forbusinesses that were anticipated, despite itsrecent extension to the beginning of 2015. Sofar £16.5 billion has been made availableunder the scheme, some distance from the£70 billion that was anticipated. That said, theSME Finance Monitor for the first quarter of2013 does suggest that only 27% of smallbusinesses are actually aware the FLS schemeexists.In fact that remains the most well-knownfunding scheme of all, so it’s perhaps notsurprising that a recent survey suggested that48% of companies said they had cashflowissues within their business. Yet if FLS is notdelivering the goods, other forms of financeare being sought, and invoice finance isproving particularly popular. The Asset-Based Finance Associationsuggests that invoice financing has increasedat an impressive rate for the last two years,and the asset-based finance sector ispredicted to grow 9% over the course of theyear. In total, over 15,000 of the smallestbusinesses in the UK are supported by asset-based finance – an increase of 3% in the firstquarter and the highest total for three years.In fact, the extension of the Funding forLending scheme means invoice financeproviders can now tap into the funding fromthe Bank of England, to pass on to businesseslooking for funding. Indeed, Richard Grainger,area sales manager for the Midlands at HitachiCapital Invoice Finance, says, “There has beena significant increase in the number ofenquiries for invoice finance, as businessesare screaming out for cash flow help in orderto survive the tough economic times.“Our new lending facility has grown due tothe huge demand for finance, from £33.6million last year, to a projected £60 millionthis year, an increase of 56%, and will supportmuch needed economic SME growth in theregion. There are numerous alternativeGo withthe flowMorecompaniesare looking toinvoicefinance as themost effectiveway toguaranteecashflowGo withthe flow28-29:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:13 Page 1Business Link 29www.blmforum.netINVOICE AND FINANCE SOLUTIONSfinance methods available as the banks seemto be hindering business growth so it isimportant for businesses in the region to beaware of them.”Invoice finance is of particular value tosmall businesses and sectors such as theconstruction industry are often enthusiasticabout what it can offer. In essence, invoicefinance provides a flexible option whichkeeps invoicing up to date and releases fundsagainst the value of those invoices when thebusiness needs it, instead of waiting sixty toninety days for them to be settled as wouldpreviously be the case. Recent research by Yorkshire Banksuggests that small business wait on averagesome seven weeks for invoices to be paid,while Bibby Financial Services shows almosta third of businesses operate with around30% of their customer invoices overdue. Aspayment terms have also been extended overrecent years, it’s clear invoice finance is avaluable way for small firms to maintaincashflow. One example of its increasedpopularity came when ABN AMROCommercial Finance launched their £250million Business Overdraft ScrappageScheme last November – with the aim ofencouraging SMEs to scrap their overdraftsin favour of invoice finance. Although the major banks have receivedcriticism for what appears to be a lukewarmresponse to the Funding for Lendingscheme, some do offer invoice financesolutions. Yorkshire Bank, for example, haveset aside £100 million from their billionpound Business Expansion Fund specificallyfor use for invoice finance. HSBC haven’t taken part in the Fundingfor Lending scheme, as they prefer tooperate their own solutions, but they haveassisted local companies in obtainingfinance. Their Commercial team havehelped Lincolnshire-based Specialist HeatExchangers secure a £4.6 million financepackage, and the finance facility includes asignificant invoice finance line which givesthe company the flexibility to fund salesanywhere in the world with no restrictionmade up by export.Invoice finance as a concept has onlyreally returned to public consciousness overthe past few years or so as companies looktowards new opportunities to improve theirprospects. Smaller businesses who fail tomake much headway with their bankmanager could well find this a highlyvaluable solution to allow them to keepinnovating in the short term, and gain in thelong term.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PIXELBLISS28-29:Layout 1 1/7/13 09:13 Page 2Next >