Archive for November 25th, 2012
Sunday, November 25th, 2012
Conservative Party Mayor Consort for Tamworth and Deputy Mayor of Fazeley, Cllr Simon Clements was voted in as the new Chairman of Tamworth’s Twinning Association at its AGM held last Thursday, 22 November.
After his election as Chairman, Cllr Clements paid tribute to the outgoing committee and thanked them for all their hard work.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Clements said, “Tamworth twinning was started over 30 years ago with our twin town in Germany Bad Laasphe and just over 10 years ago we twinned with Vaujours in France.
“The ethos of twinning is to allow like-minded groups of people to twin with the same sorts of groups in the twin towns and over the years, many sporting triumphs have been had with teams from both sides of the water. More recently with Bolehall Swifts Juniors going over to France for a tournament. Next year Tamworth Voices are visiting to sing with the choir in Vaujours.
The Twinning Association are looking for other people to join them and anybody interested should contact the Membership Secretary by phone 07971 230 383 or email susan.eleanor.powell@gmail.com. The fees for 12 months are individual £7.50 family £15 and corporate £25.
The Association also holds regular fundraising events, the next event is a quiz night at the Royal British Legion on Friday 11th January 2013, and ticket prices are £5 per team of four.
If you are a group that is interested in twinning with a group the same as yourselves then please contact the Membership Secretary or Association Chairman Cllr Simon Clements by phone 07852 301 931 or email simon.clements40@ntlworld.com.
Sunday, November 25th, 2012
Staffordshire businesses are being urged to bid for a new pot of Government funding to increase training opportunities, the Conservative controlled County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills has said.
County Councillor Ben Adams said the second round of the Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP) could help businesses of all sizes to help develop a skilled workforce in Staffordshire and further boost the local economy. The second round of funding for the EOP was launched this week.
He added, “One of our priorities is to encourage Staffordshire companies to take on more apprentices and provide greater skills development for their workforce. This is not only good for the business but also the wider economy and means long-term benefits for Staffordshire people.
“We lead by example in terms of our apprenticeship support, having taken on nearly 400 apprentices at the county council since we started our scheme in 2009. Many of these go on to full-time employment and the scheme goes from strength to strength.
“The county council also works hard to encourage businesses across Staffordshire also take on apprentices – including small businesses at our enterprise centres, our suppliers and large companies.
“Our business advice and apprenticeship support line, 0300 111 8002, continues to give companies guidance on taking on apprentices. We welcome any additional support to increase apprenticeships in Staffordshire and so I would urge businesses to find out more about the Employer Ownership Pilot.”
Staffordshire’s apprenticeship helpline number is 0300 111 8002 and has trained advisers standing by to give advice on everything from finding the right young person, the steps needed to set up a successful apprenticeship programme, to the grants available for employers taking on their first apprentice.
Staffordshire County Council’s apprenticeship scheme started in 2009 and has taken on 396 apprentices; working in a wide range of roles including business administration, teaching assistants, chefs, catering staff, ICT technicians and social care assessors. It also facilitates increased apprenticeships in business.
More information about Staffordshire’s apprenticeship scheme can be found at www.staffordshireapprentices.org.uk.
Businesses can find out more about the second round of the EOP as www.ukces.org.uk/employerownership and the deadline for bids is 28 February 2013.
Sunday, November 25th, 2012
Increasing exports will expand your business and boost jobs and growth in Staffordshire, that was the message to over 30 company representatives at a county event hosted be Tamworth MP, Christopher Pincher, and Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council on Friday.
The New Markets, New Horizons event was held on Friday, 23 November, by Staffordshire County Council, UK Trade & Investment and Tamworth MP Christopher Pincher at the Drayton Manor Hotel. Its main aim was to give businesses, which have no or limited previous experience in exporting an insight into overcoming barriers.
Tamworth MP Christopher Pincher said, “We want to help Staffordshire businesses to increase exports so they can achieve their full potential in challenging times. This event will help to identify how you can do more and overcome barriers to export.
“Our export trade is a vital engine of growth as we emerge from the recession and important to our balance of payments. We need to give local firms the tools to sell more abroad so they can build their businesses and take on more workers.”
Speaking at the event, Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for employment Ben Adams said, “Over the last two years we have worked hard to get Staffordshire to the top of the pile as a nationally recognised place to do business. Large organisations are crucial to our success but the supply chain and small and medium-sized businesses have a considerable impact on our economy.
“The key reason to export is to chase more customers, if you export more your business is more likely to be sustainable. If you can grow your business then you will be successful and that means success for Staffordshire.
“For us employment is vital. We want more and more people to independently manage their futures and we have invested in infrastructure and business support, through our business loans, enterprise centres, advice line and links with other organisations. I’m sure all the businesses can take something positive from today’s event and bring real benefits to their company.”
The event targeted key areas of businesses interest on exporting and provided opportunities to network, debate and seek expert guidance. It also provided information on new initiatives aimed at encouraging businesses to start exporting.
Anyone wanting to find out more about future events should visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/exporting or email: business@staffordshire.gov.uk.
Conservative Party Mayor Consort for Tamworth and Deputy Mayor of Fazeley, Cllr Simon Clements was voted in as the new Chairman of Tamworth’s Twinning Association at its AGM held last Thursday, 22 November.
