Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber is part of a group of businesses who will be talking STEM at the University Technical College’s ‘Get ahead’ event on Thursday 19 April.
The event is free to attend and will be a great opportunity for students and parents to understand what opportunities are available when considering a technical career. You can meet local industry experts; a chance to talk to current apprentices about their experiences; and the various exhibits will include a DAF truck, racing motorcycle and go kart, 3D VR, modelling software.
Other speakers include James Shaw from the RAF, Sue Falch-Lovesay from Vattenfall and Richard Bridgeman from Warren Services.
Commenting on the importance of these type of events and encouraging students to consider STEM subjects, Chris Sargisson said:
“Norfolk Chamber is urging businesses to step forward and inspire the next generation of talent by supporting events such as ‘Get Ahead’. Young people need to be aware of all the opportunities open to them within the county. By being passionate about this, we will stop seeing the migration of students, who qualify and move away. We can retain our brightest stars in the sorts of roles where their skills are desperately needed.”
The event is being held on Thursday 19 April from 4pm – 7pm at the University Technical College, Norwich. To find out more and to book your place click here
Norfolk Chamber’s CEO, Chris Sargisson compered the Norfolk Construction Excellence Awards 2018 on Thursday evening at the OPEN in Norwich.
The awards night was a great success, celebrating some fabulous projects in Norfolk. There were some great project winners, with the overall winner on the night being LSI Architects.
The guests attending the awards were all asked to take part in their own ‘construction project’ – each table had to build an aeroplane from an assortment of straws, lollipop sticks, paper, and sticky tape – and anything else that came to hand on their tables.
The finished projects would be launched off the OPEN balcony and needed to fly as far as possible and would be judged accordingly. Amazing amounts of variation and imagination were used to produce some inventive entries. The winner not only flew the furthest, but managed a loop-the-loop!
Commenting on the successful evening, Chris Sargisson said:
“It was a huge honour to host the constructing excellence awards. I would like to say very well done to all the fantastic, talented companies who entered and a huge congratulations to LSI Architects for being chosen as the overall winner.
“When I agreed to compere, I never imagined I’d be asked to orchestrate over 20 people throwing a variety of homemade aeroplanes from the balcony. Brilliant! My favourite entry was one made using the end of a French baguette! Some took to the sky, soared magnificently but now sadly remain in the lighting gantry. Maybe next years’ ‘table challenge’ could be to build a device to get them down…?”
Commenting on the labour market figures for April 2018, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“The continued rise in employment, coupled with a further drop-in the unemployment rate, is further evidence that the UK jobs market remains in good shape, with firms continuing to recruit despite sluggish economic conditions. However, the rising number of hours worked indicates that the recent pick-up in UK productivity is likely to be short lived.
“The end of a prolonged squeeze on real wage growth is an important moment, although maintaining positive real wage growth could prove challenging without sustained increases in productivity and relieving the high upfront costs which restrict pay increases. The return to positive real wage growth is unlikely to translate into materially stronger spending in the near term with consumers expected to remain under pressure from uncomfortably high debt levels, particularly if interest rates rise further.
“Against this backdrop, ministers must do more to support firms looking to recruit and grow their business, including easing upfront business costs and plugging the growing skills gaps. Working with businesses to deliver meaningful reform to the Apprenticeship Levy, so it works better for everyone, would be a good place to start.”
Norfolk Chamber believes that getting the A47 fully dualled is vital to the future success of Norfolk. So we are working in partnership with Norfolk County Council and the Eastern Daily Press on a Just Dual It! Campaign.
The campaign will highlight how vital the need for further improvements along the A47 really are. It is already evident that poor infrastructure is restricting business growth in Norfolk. Improvements along this significant east/west trunk road will help every sector of the business community, right across the county and will enable them to deliver greater economic growth and jobs for our region.
We are asking businesses and the general public to complete ‘Wish We Were Dualled’ postcards to highlight why you want to see the A47 dualled. The postcards will be collated in the summer with the intention of taking them down to Westminster to evidence the strong support that exists for getting the A47 dualled.
To date over 1,700 postcards have been returned – but we want more!
Pick up a Just Dual It! postcard from receptions in any of the following buildings:
Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, 9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich
Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich
The Eastern Daily Press, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich
Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Town Hall, Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF
Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Kings Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn
Tweet your support for the campaign using the hashtag #justdualit. If you include your full name and location (e.g. village/town name) in the tweet, we will transfer your message onto a postcard for you
Please help us to show the Government how important this is to Norfolk. Thank you for your support!
The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) is delighted to announce that they are officially an international affiliate to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The IBBC is now the official organisation to whom British companies and organisations will be referred by the BCC.
This relationship neatly mirrors our status with the Iraqi Federation of Chambers of Commerce and the Kurdish Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry who are close partners of IBBC. Indeed the 5 largest Iraqi chambers, namely Baghdad, Erbil, Basrah, Najaf and Karbala are full members of the IBBC.
The BCC sits at the heart of a business network that spans the length and breadth of the UK, with links to markets across the world, with 53 accredited Chambers in the UK as trusted champions of businesses, places, and global trade.
Chambers of Commerce provide a voice to the business communities they represent, amplifying their priorities and concerns. In every region and nation of the UK, Chambers of Commerce and their members work to improve the local business environment in which they operate.
The Chamber of Commerce network exists to support and connect companies, bringing together firms to build new relationships, share best practice and foster new opportunities.
Christophe Michels, MD of IBBC says ‘IBBC is delighted to have been granted this affiliate status by BCC, as this endorses our role as intermediaries and trade enablers with Iraq for all the work we do with British business in the country. It completes the circle of business with Iraqi companies, as we have an equal position in Iraq, and are thus able to bring businesses in both UK and Iraq together through this unique leverage.’
Dr Adam Marshall, Director General at BCC stated ‘We are delighted to welcome IBBC as an international affiliate of the BCC and we look forward together to strengthening relations and business opportunities between the UK and Iraq in the weeks and months ahead’.
The Chamber Business Awards 2018 are open for entries for businesses across the UK. Here in Norfolk, we want to champion the success and excellence of our business community by helping you become national award winners.
“Finding and celebrating businesses which are delivering award-winning, innovative work and services will put Norfolk on the map as a great place to work and to do business. That’s good for the local economy and good for quality local jobs.” – Peter Treglown, Four
Has your business shone through customer commitment? Or perhaps you’ve found new and innovative ways to incorporate technology in your work. The Chamber Business Awards offers nine categories for your business to enter; if you like you can even enter all nine.
The categories are:
Small Business of the Year (Employing less than 75 full time members of staff)
Export Business of the Year
Best Use of Technology
High Growth Business of the Year
Employer of the Year
Education and Business Partnership
Customer Commitment Award
Workplace Wellbeing Award
Digital Communication Campaign of the Year
Businesses who enter the awards will compete with fellow entrants from across our region; for us that’s the East of England. Once regional winners have been chosen, they will go on to compete for the national titles.
In the past two years Norfolk has produced two regional winners. EPOS Now, who in 2017 were recognised in the ‘Commitment to People and Development’ category said:
“As a company that strives to nurture innovations and honour success, to be recognised and celebrated as one of the leading employers in the area really is a fantastic mark of our dedication to our people.” – Hayley Johnson, COO, EPOS Now
The awards are free to enter and open to Chamber members only. The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 29 June.
To find out more about the awards, or to enter click here!
In Spring 2017 Highways England held a number of consultation events giving the public and businesses the opportunity to hear about and share their views on the A47 corridor improvement schemes. In August 2017, the preferred route announcement was made.
However Highways England have continued to develop more detailed designs and are pleased to advise they plan to hold further statutory consultation for the A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction Improvement starting on Monday 11 June 2018 and running until Friday 20 July 2018.
There will be four public information events for local communities and interested parties on the following dates and locations:
Saturday 23 June 2018 11am to 5pm The Forum, Norwich
Tuesday 3 July 2018 1pm to 8pm North Wymondham Community Centre
Friday 6 July 2018 1pm to 8pm Ketteringham Village Hall
Saturday 7th July 2018 11am to 5pm St Peters Church Hall, Cringleford
Should you have any questions or need further information about these events you can contact the project team at: [email protected]
We have been informed today (3 May 2018) that the Central Bank of Egypt has cancelled the regulations regarding bank to bank transfer of export documentation, as per the PDF attachment.
The following regulation has been cancelled. “Import transactions concluded under documentary collections, the conclusion of those transactions shall take place only via documentary collections directly received by the banks from banks existing abroad, provided that the documentary collections directly incoming into clients’ accounts shall not be accepted.”
it has been decided that it is acceptable for trade documents to be sent directly to clients rather than through the bank in the Exporter’s country to the Egyptian bank. This applies to all exported products.
For more information, please contact Madalina Iamandei at the Egyptian-Chamber of Commerce on 020 7499 3100 or email [email protected]
This is the fourth in an annual series of ground breaking Tech Nation reports that give deep insight into the UK tech ecosystem to further the understanding of the sector’s key challenges, opportunities and trends for the year ahead and beyond.
It highlights the unique strengths of clusters and considers how to support their growth in an evolving political climate. The Norwich Tech cluster features continued growth and highlights the growing number of digital/tech jobs, as well as the strengths and challenges faced by digital and tech companies in our region.
Overall the UK has cemented its position as a global tech leader.
Its digital tech sector is a shining light not only in Europe but also on a global scale. In London, 33% of tech company customers are based outside the UK, compared to 30% in Silicon Valley and 7% in Beijing. The report shows that the UK’s global connections are key to domestic success. With 25% of the world’s entrepreneurs reporting a significant relationship with two or more others based in London, a figure beaten only by Silicon Valley.
Jobs in digital tech are on the rise.
From 2014 to 2017 digital tech sector employment rose 13.2%. In Norwich the digital tech jobs rose to a total 13,411 in 2017. UK workers are more productive, on average, by £10,000 per worker. Jobs requiring digital tech skills command higher salaries, at £42,578 compared to £32,477 for those that do not. Only 19% of the digital tech workforce is female. Despite the stereotype that digital tech jobs are for millennials, 72% of workers are aged over 35.
In post-Brexit UK, responsibility for investigating unfair practices in international trade will be taken on by a new UK agency.
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) will take over the role presently practised by the European Commission.
Confirming that the new agency will be based in reading, the Department for International Trade (DIT) said that its powers are currently being created under the Trade Bill and the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill, both of which passed their committee stage in Parliament earlier this year.
It will, the DIT confirmed, be set up by the time the UK leaves the EU.
While the UK remains a member of the Union, British companies that believe they are being harmed by unfair trade, such as dumping or by unexpected surges in imports, must ask the European Commission to investigate their concerns.
Once the UK has left the EU, however, companies will be able to ask the newly-created TRA to undertake those investigations on their behalf. Where their concerns are found to be justified, they can expect the authority to recommend appropriate action, such as imposing tariffs on goods entering the UK.
The DIT says it will provide details on the exact location and staffing of the TRA in due course.
The Chamber Business Awards is our chance to showcase the success of Norfolk businesses to the country. With just 1 month left until entries close on Friday 29 June, we urge you to start your application today. From the stories of excellence amongst Norfolk organisations in the past year, we know that a Norfolk firm deserves to take home any of the nine award categories being celebrated – you can even enter into all nine! The categories for 2018 are:
Small Business of the Year (Employing less than 75 full time members of staff)
Export Business of the Year
Best Use of Technology
High Growth Business of the Year
Employer of the Year
Education and Business Partnership
Customer Commitment Award
Workplace Wellbeing Award
Digital Communication Campaign of the Year
Businesses who enter the awards will compete with fellow entrants from across our region; for us that’s the East of England. Once regional winners have been chosen, they will go on to compete for the national titles. Sarah West from Full Mix Marketing gave us her top tips for an award winning entry, including ‘If it’s worth entering, do it well. Plan your submission and make sure you get someone outside your organisation to proof read it and listen to their comments. If there is scope for visual design, present your entry in a clear, professional and appealing way.’ To see all of Sarah’s tips, please click here. The awards are free to enter and open to Chamber members only. The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 29 June. You can find full details on the Chamber Awards by clicking here. If you need any help with your application, or have any questions about the Chamber Awards you can get in touch.