Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses support programme for Growth Businesses:
Aston University Recruitment of New Participants
10,000 Small Businesses is an innovative fully funded programme designed to unlock the economic and job creation potential of small businesses and social enterprises from across the Midlands (East and West).
The Programme is delivered by Aston Business School in partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation and it is targeted at the owners of small businesses and the most senior decision makers in social enterprises who have clear ambitions to expand.
The aim of the programme is to provide participants with practical tools and resources to help them lay the foundations to grow their businesses. This support includes attendance of twelve high quality, practically-focussed business and management education modules, delivered by Aston Business School, plus a range of other tailor- made support services e.g. specialist workshops, one to one business advice and alumni services.
Twenty-five business leaders completed our first programme successfully in April 2012, our second programme is underway with thirty participants and we are now seeking up to thirty business owners or leaders to apply for the our third programme due to start in October 2012.
For full details of how to apply to join the Programme, together with a copy of the application form and submission deadlines please visit Aston University's website:
www.aston.ac.uk/10ksb or email
10ksb@aston.ac.uk or phone 0121 204 3225.
Please note the closing date for applications is 29 June 2012.
FSB launches brand new app exclusive to members!
Visit the FSB's Facebook page and upload your own business details - it's brand new, easy to use, free and something that your competitors may not have. It's so new that when checking on 12th April there were no business listed for this region - be the first!
New Short Course for Adults - Summer Term, South Worcestershire College
View the prospectus, which includes start dates and costs.
The National Careers Service is being launched on 5 April.
The new service will transform careers advice in England by making accurate information about learning and work, and professional advice, available to everyone.
The Service will provide adults and young people with a suite of online services and tools to help them to identify job opportunities, assess their own skills, determine learning goals and select the training provider that best meets their needs. They will also be able to access professional careers advice by web-chat or over the telephone, to help them make the right choices and acquire the skills they need to flourish in life and work. Adults over 19 will have access to face-to-face careers advice at a wide range of locations in the community.
The attached Launch Toolkit for Stakeholders has been created to help you to promote that National Careers Service among your network and clients, to ensure that they have the opportunity to make use of it.
The National Careers Service can be accessed via the website nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk or by calling 0800 100 900. For more information, you can contact the National Careers Service marketing and communications team at:
marcomms@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk
Introducing the new Youth Contract
The Youth Contract is adminstered by Job Centre Plus and it's all about employing and supporting young people into work. Download the basics
here or contact
Mike Dzioba at Job Centre Plus or phone 01432 363670 or 07855 319945 for further information.
Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds (AGE 16 to 24)
By Mike O'Brien, Principal, South Worcestershire College
An Introduction
The AGE 16 to 24 is aimed at helping eligible employers to offer young people employment through the Apprenticeship programme, by providing wage grants to assist them in recruiting their first apprentice.
The National Apprenticeship Service is committed to working closely with our strategic partners including AoC, AELP, colleges and training providers across the country to deliver our ambition for the AGE 16 to 24.
The Background
The National Apprenticeship Service will provide up to 40,000 Apprenticeship Grants to smallmedium size employers recruiting 16 to 24 year olds with a value of £1,500, to encourage new employers to take on new 16 to 24 year old apprentices.
Priority will be given to small-medium size employers with less than 50 employees and we expect to support at least 20,000 of these to recruit an apprentice for the first time.
The National Apprenticeship Service can support a further 20,000 employers with up to 250 employees who may be recruiting their first or additional apprentices; however our focus will remain a priority to support employers NEW to apprenticeship delivery in the first instance.
When will AGE 16 to 24 be available?
The AGE 16 to 24 is available from 1 February 2012 until March 2013 for eligible employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to a 16 to 24 year old recruited as an apprentice. Funding will start from 1 April 2012.
You will claim the £1,500 incentive payment so that the employer is able to receive the grant of £750 on completion of week 8 of their Apprenticeship, with the second £750 when the apprentice has completed 12 months of their Apprenticeship.
Should the apprentice leave or be dismissed, a proportion of the grant will be withheld from the employer at the following levels:
• If the apprentice leaves or is dismissed between weeks 1 and 8 the employer will not receive the first payment of £750
• However if at week 8 stage another eligible 16 to 24 year old is recruited as an apprentice within 4 weeks of the dismissal/leave date, no element of the grant will be withheld
• If the apprentice leaves or is dismissed before completion of their Apprenticeship framework the employer will not receive the second payment of £750.
The £1,500 is in addition to the costs of training which for young people aged 16 to 18 are already fully met by the National Apprenticeship Service, with half the costs met for those aged 19 to 24.
The payment is a grant and is exempt from VAT.
Which employers are eligible to receive this new AGE 16 to 24 payment?
Our aim is to support new employers to offer new jobs in support of young people.
The National Apprenticeship Service particularly want to support small and medium sized employers who are interested in employing an apprentice for the first time. This could also be an opportunity for employers who have previously employed an apprentice more than 3 years ago, where the AGE 16 to 24 grant will provide them with additional support and encouragement to employ a young apprentice again.
What is expected of training providers?
Providers will need to ensure employers are eligible under the terms of the grant and work with them to understand their commitment when applying for it.
Employers will sign an agreement which will include:
• Confirmation of the number of apprentices they will be taking on as a result of this incentive (to a maximum of 3)
• Confirmation that they wouldn't have taken the apprentice on without this additional incentive
• A commitment to employ the apprentice for at least the time it takes to achieve the Apprenticeship framework. If they fail to do this some or all the grant will be clawed back
• Confirmation that they are aware of and do not breach any state aid rules
• Agreement to pay the minimum Apprenticeship wage of £2.60 per hour – although most apprentices receive more than this
• Confirmation that they have not taken on an apprentice in the previous three years.*
*Not eligible if the employer employs an apprentice with an Individual Learning Record (ILR) start date of April 2009 or after.
As our approved network of training providers you will be responsible for processing payments to employers. Employers should receive two prompt payments - £750 when the young person completes the 8th week of their Apprenticeship Programme and a further £750 on completion of 12 months from ILR start date.
Who will manage and administer the funding?
NAS will manage the AGE 16 to 24 and will work closely with the Skills Funding Agency who will administer the funds on our behalf.
How will training providers be reimbursed for AGE 16 to 24 payments they pay eligible employers?
Payments will be made through the Skills Funding Agency on behalf of NAS on a monthly basis.
Training providers will not be paid a fee to administer the wage incentive. Providers will benefit from additional starts and ‘easier' employer engagement. We will keep the system as simple as possible to ensure that the additional burden on providers is kept to a minimum.
We have decided not to give each provider an allocation of wage incentive places, as we want the programme to be led by employer choice. Therefore funds will be allocated on a ‘first come first served' basis, but with providers expected to submit ‘pipeline' information to Skills Funding Agency/NAS to help manage demand.
Providers can check an employer's eligibility by:
• Following the criteria laid out in the fact sheet that can be downloaded from the website
• Refer to apprenticeships.org.uk to check the latest guidance and information on recruiting an apprentice
• Checking the weekly Provider Up-date for up-dated Fact Sheets, Q&A and power point
• Contact your usual Skills Funding Agency contact if the documents do not answer your question(s).
Herefordshire Brand Toolkit goes live!
Hereforshire Council, Business Board and VisitHerefordshire are pleased to announce that the toolkit is now live!
The online brand toolkit will give you access to a whole range of assets including access to guidelines for use. On the site we have 3 different partnership options for you to choose from, one which offers a taste of the brand, one which offers a wider selection of brand assets and another which offers everything we have available.
There are three simple steps for you to follow:
1. Visit
www.hereyoucan.co.uk 2. Fill in the sign up form and select suitable partnership
3. Await email with username and password and away you go
The brand is controlled and managed by the Herefordshire brand management team which includes Visit Herefordshire, the local authority and the Herefordshire Business Board. It is their job to ensure that those using the brand use it properly and that quality standards are maintained for the good of all.
Being able to use the brand is upon application, so please advise how you are planning to use the branding so it can be reviewed by the brand guardian and if necessary by the brand management group.
If you have any questions, queries, feedback or problems please don't hesitate to get in touch - and they want to hear from you.
Latest Trading Standards Newsletter
Franchises - what are they, how much do they cost and do they suit everyone?
More information by Michael Amies
The British Franchise Association (BFA) provides current franchise opportunities, costs and other information.
City & Guilds Apprenticeship Guides
City and Guilds has drafted its own 'Employers Guide' and 'Apprenticeship Answers' to help employers and potential Apprentices understand the support and funding available.
Government to make Apprenticeships a Gold Standard!
• £6m Higher Apprenticeship Fund will deliver thousands more degree level places
• £250m given directly to businesses, so they can take control of the way skills training is delivered
• £1,500 apprenticeship incentive for small firms now available
Marking National Apprenticeship Week the Prime Minister David Cameron today (7th Feb) announced a new round of Government funding to support thousands of apprenticeships up to degree equivalent, helping deliver the world class skills firms need to drive growth.
From today, businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6m from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.
The Prime Minister also opened the bidding for the new Employer Ownership pilot, inviting employers in England to apply to access up to £250m of public investment and secure more control over how skills training is designed and delivered.
He also announced that from this week, small firms will be offered an incentive of £1,500 to hire their first young apprentices. This is expected to support up to 40,000 new apprenticeships over the next year.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
"I'm delighted to underline our commitment to strengthen our economy by helping employers take on apprentices and ensure that the UK workforce has the skills that businesses need. Under this Government apprenticeship starts are increasing at a record rate, with improvements across the age range, in all sectors, throughout the country.
"By making apprenticeships a gold standard option for ambitious young people, we are sending a message that technical excellence is as highly valued as academic prowess. And by focusing investment where it is most needed to deliver sustainable growth and offering real ownership of vocational training to employers, we are equipping businesses with the skills they need to rebalance our economy and distribute opportunity more widely."
Skills Minister John Hayes said:
"Clarity of policy and certainty of purpose in Government has delivered a record number of apprenticeships and driven up standards at every level. We must now go further to create new pathways to excellence for the brightest and best young people and help employers to secure the high-quality skills they need. Our mission is to put practical training on a level playing field with academic study, creating a highly skilled, creative workforce that can take on the best in the world."
Data released on 31 January confirms record growth in apprenticeship starts, with some 457,200 starting an apprenticeship in the full 2010/11 academic year. This represents a 63.5 per cent increase on 2009/10 figures. Growth took place at all levels of learning, for all age groups, and across all sectors and all regions. According to the National Audit Office, every £1 of public investment in apprenticeships delivers a return of £18 to the wider economy.
Recent reforms to the apprenticeships programme include measures to raise quality standards, cut bureaucracy for employers and deliver more advanced training at 'A' level equivalent and above.
A prospectus giving details of the Employer Ownership Pilot Investment Fund is now available for employers to download at www.ukces.org.uk/employerownership
Worcestershire Business Continuity Event (not an FSB event)
For more information visit the Sustainability West Midlands website and download the pdf agenda here.
Pension Auto-Enrolment Time Line Announced
Visit http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2012/jan-2012/dwp010-12.shtml for details.
Government announces new measures to assist employers with apprenticeships
As part of the Government's plan for growth, it has announced that it is taking action to make it easier for businesses to take on apprentices and to ensure that the quality of apprenticeships is continually improved.
The following measures have been announced:
To encourage thousands of small businesses that don't currently hire apprentices to take on a young apprentice aged 16 to 24, the Government will offer employers with up to 50 employees an incentive payment of up to £1,500. This will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships in 2012/13. An initial payment will be made two months after the individual has started their apprenticeship and the balance will be paid after the apprenticeship has been completed and the trainee has progressed into sustainable employment.
Processes will be simplified to make it quicker and easier for employers to take on an apprentice. The National Apprenticeships Service and training providers will be required to ensure that every employer is in a position to advertise a vacancy within one month of deciding to take on an apprentice and health and safety requirements will be streamlined so that there are no additional demands on employers that already meet national standards.
There will be a renewed focus on targeting the programme where apprenticeships deliver greatest value.
Apprenticeship providers will be required to offer training in English and Maths up to the standard of a good GCSE (level 2) for all apprenticeships (currently, the large majority of Intermediate Level apprenticeships require achievement of English and Maths at a minimum of level 1, and although it is possible to study to a higher level this seldom happens in practice).
A new review into the standards and quality of apprenticeships will be undertaken by a leading employer.
Reporting in spring 2012, the review will help ensure Government works effectively with training providers and businesses to continually raise the standards of all apprenticeships, and that training keeps pace with the changing needs of industry.
Back in July 2011, the Prime Minister announced details of a £25m fund to support up to 10,000 Advanced Level and Higher apprenticeships. This new fund will support the expansion of apprenticeships up to degree equivalent in companies, particularly SMEs, where there is unmet demand for the higher level skills.
In addition, the Government has just announced a £250 million fund to enable employers to invest in vocational training and employers will be able to bid for a share of this in the New Year.
FSB Members have access to a wide range of free fact sheets and free legal documents covering employment law, business law, health and safety and taxation via the national FSB website.
New Intellectual Property Court process will boost UK business
The Government recently confirmed that a new small claims service will be introduced at the Patents County Court (PCC), helping small and medium sized businesses protect their copyright, trade marks and designs.
Currently small firms are often put off enforcing their Intellectual Property (IP) rights by high costs. The new process will limit fixed costs and allow damages of up to £5000 per case. New figures produced today by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) estimate that around 150 firms will benefit from the service every year, providing an annual boost to UK business of £350,000.
The recommendation for a small claims service was made in the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth. Since the Review was published in May 2011 the Government has been looking at building a business case for the service, which has now been completed meaning it will become a reality.
Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Wilcox said:
"This is great news for small and medium sized businesses as it will give them the confidence to stand up and protect their intellectual property rights. A small claims process means businesses will not have to fight through lengthy court battles instead of concentrating on growing their business.
"Businesses know how important it is to protect their rights and have been calling for changes to be made to the system. The Government is acting on these concerns because a strong intellectual property system will enable innovative small companies to grow and support the UK economy. We hope to have the new system in place by this time next year."
Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly said:
"It is clearly much better for the economy if businesses are spending their time and money on trading and growth, rather than on unnecessarily complicated legal processes. That is why we are modernising the justice system in order to provide simpler, quicker and more cost efficient ways to resolve disputes."
Evidence presented to the recent Hargreaves Review, Digital Opportunity: A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, indicated that around 1 in 6 (17 per cent) of small and medium sized businesses had given up attempting to enforce their rights due to high court costs.
Visit the Intellectual Property Office
Malvern Hills District Council Business Bulletin
For the latest business opportunities, events and funding streams for businesses based within MHDC
More information here
Or visit the website
Is your organisation part of the voluntary sector?
Worcestershire County Council has a dedicated page of grant information to organisations in the voluntary sector.
Visit the Voluntary and Community page for more information.