Chamber News

Reacting to news of a proposed agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “The BCC has long been calling for a negotiated solution to the trading difficulties caused by the initial version of the protocol. “Businesses in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain have been calling for a considerable reduction in checks and documentary requirements to move everyday goods across the Irish Sea. We will be closely considering the legal texts and their full implications, but this appears to be a positive step toward achieving this goal. “The Green Lane proposal should offer a green light to future prosperity in Northern Ireland. “But more broadly businesses in the UK will welcome the potential for stabilising relations with the EU. “There is now the potential to move to a new phase of co-operation on trade, regulation, climate, migration and supply chain issues. “With the UK economy teetering on the cusp of a recession this could help drive growth for both Northern Ireland and the UK more widely. “We hope the UK Government, EU member state governments, and the EU institutions will seize this opportunity to improve our relationships, cut costs and remove red tape for exporting businesses.”

British Chambers of Commerce Global Annual Conference 2023 Wednesday 17 May QEII Centre, London The British Chambers of Commerce is delighted to present their Global Annual Conference 2023. The full day conference will be an opportunity for businessleaders from across the UK, and the globe, to come together to discuss the opportunities for growth to help local communities thrive. Throughout the day, delegates will hear from key senior politicians and other notable public-figures about their plans for growth. The conference will be centred around four key breakoutsessions for thought-provoking discussion amongst peers across the Chamber Network. The four sessions are:

• Skills;
• Green Innovation
• Growth / Local Thriving Communities; and
• Trade.

Away from the sessions, the Networking Zone is an opportunity for delegates to meet existing and new contacts; and the exhibition stands will see the best of British business, and the Chamber Network, from across the UK and around the world showcasing their work. Further details will be available over the coming weeks. Stay tuned to the BCC website and BCC Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook so you don’t miss any updates. How much are tickets? This year ticket prices are as follows:

• Chamber Member= £125.00plusVAT
• Non-members= £250.00plus VAT

How do I register?Tickets go on sale on Monday27 February via the BCC website.

Skills gaps. Chances are, you have felt them within your business. Throughout this article, we’ll explore the three main skills gaps reported in East Anglia covering communication, digital, and project management skills. These three skills gaps are often considered basic skills but, as we’ll see, there are various roadblocks and barriers to entry for many employees. We’ll break down what these skills entail, the pain points, and how we can move forward to work on closing the gap. Communication skills What is a communication skill? Communication skills are best described under five essential skills:

• Written communication
• Oral Communication
• Non-verbal and visual communication
• Active listening
• Contextual communication

An individual has a high communication skill when they can:

• understand the situation
• listen to the audience they are interacting with
• convey that same information across all stakeholders and being open-minded with the solutions at hand
• be great at communicating ideas
• read body language, be open-minded with discussions
• build presentations to illustrate the challenges at hand

How is it a skills gap? Some would argue that with the recent technology surge and online availability, the young generation gets easily distracted by phone notifications, quick messaging, an abundance of abbreviated words (tbh, brb, afk), and other instances that could get in the way of good communication skill. But it is also true that with the new wave of work from home possibilities, reading body language and building a strong relationship with your people online might alter this communication skill and build into something else. As businesses find, the need for good communication skills also lies within all ways employees communicate, from being polite on email and being well-mannered on a video call through to building satisfactory presentations for a meeting. More often, business owners find some employees and new recruits are lacking these basic skills which complicate projects or relationships with their clients.   Digital skills What is a digital skill? Digital skills can be anything from opening your email application to conducting in-depth data analysis on a computer. The core elements that construct digital skills are:

• knowledge and control of a device (mobile, desktop, tablet, etc)
• understanding of applications needed for the work
• navigating and staying safe on the internet
• creating and editing online documents
• performing basic technical tasks on a device
• and more…

You’ll also find that digital skills play a huge role in the following disciplines:

• content creation
• digital data analysis
• SEO and web development
• social media management
• video editing
• digital design creation
• and so on…

The key part of being competent in digital skills is to be literate with a computer or any other devices that will serve the job role. How is it a skills gap? You may be shocked to learn that this is a major skills gap in this day and age, especially when new generations are diving deep into the “matrix” on a daily basis. It is often more the case that younger generations are extremely literate when it comes to social media and playing digital games, but not so well versed when it comes to using a computer and understanding its complexities. There’s also a skills gap in interpreting online data to solve a digital problem and improve a company’s ROI or other KPIs. One can find an abundance of information online, but finding the relevant & trustworthy information and applying it to the company itself is a different challenge. More broadly, businesses have found a gap when it comes to social media management. Consuming social media is vastly different from developing the right strategy with the right content for that business’ purposes. Managing social media is not simply to post the face of someone that works there; there must be deeper reasons to justify these digital efforts and for the company to see a result on time/resources investments.   Project management skills What is a project-management skill? Project management core skills lies in:

• communication and interpersonal skills
• ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts
• having a critical thinking with a level of leadership
• building commitment within the team

In short, being a leader with the right level of coordination and organisation skills are key to this skill. Being a successful project management skill also comes with:

• the ability to track progress
• manage clients’ expectations
• communicate between the different departments in a language they understand
• reduce frustration where possible
• manage stressful deadlines while conducting a positive mindset
• deliver the end of a project in a timely fashion
• effectively supporting your team during the process while elevating everyone’s hard work (rewards, feedback, etc)

The challenge with this skill is the level of in-depth project management needed from the position and the work environment. Some companies will use basic software to manage projects that are easy to jump on from day one, while other companies may implement a more robust project management process that could require a certification. For example, there are PRINCE2 and AgilePM frameworks that require specific training. How is it a skills gap? As mentioned above, project management certifications are available online, although not at a cheap price tag. As a result, the growth rate of new and qualified project managers isn’t enough to meet skyrocketing demand within all industries. Because project managers need to have communication and digital skills, it is hard to find the right candidate that also understands the industry the business is in. Which is why project management is a skill in high demand around the world. There is also a need for the company to implement the foundation of a project management system that makes sense for the company and for all the different departments, as it is also reported that skilled project managers will move on to a new company where the skill is appreciated and setup for it.   To conclude As our 2023 survey shows, the three most reported skills are communication, digital, and project management in East Anglia. Looking at the UK and the rest of world, we can see this is true for many countries. The ability to communicate, understand situations, interpret data and people, and having strong organisational skills are highly sought after skills on the market. With the increase of online demand and new businesses coming on the market, the demand for these skills is skyrocketing. With the widely available online courses and accreditations for anyone to access, it is still a challenge to find the right person that will fit into your industry & company’s culture. Before jumping into filling a new job position, you could investigate your own workforce and upskills those that are motivated to grow within your business. If you are still unsure about how to fill in your new job role or upskills your own employees, fill in our online free survey to make your voice heard. At Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, we have a team of experts that can help you figure out your business’ roadblocks. Find the Employer Survey here: https://form.jotform.com/223474490001043  

The British Chambers and the wider Chamber network, including Norfolk Chambers of Commerce is calling on the Chancellor to use his Spring Budget to relieve cost and recruitment pressures on business. It follows the release of new research which reveals how low business confidence has fallen at the start of 2023. Among the findings from the survey, of more than 1,000 firms, are:

• Two-thirds of businesses (65%) plan to raise prices due to cost pressures 

• Almost half (47%) say paying energy bills will be difficult when the current business support package ends 

• More than half (52%) are consistently experiencing difficulties recruiting staff 

• Concerns around regulation and taxation are regularly troubling a third of firms (30%) 

The survey backs up findings from the British Chambers of Commerce’s most recent Quarterly Economic Survey of more than 5,000 companies which found business confidence remains at Covid-crisis levels. It found that only one in three (34%) businesses believed their profits will increase over the coming year, and more (36%) expected a decline.   While a quarter of firms reported a decrease in sales in the last quarter of 2022, with hospitality firms the least likely to report improvements. Commenting on the findings, Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chambers said: “This snapshot of the state of play for business at the start of 2023 sets out exactly why the Chancellor must act in his budget to fuel investment in the UK. “We know we have a tough year ahead. With costs piling up on their doorsteps and so much uncertainty on Government policies, there is currently little incentive for firms to risk either their dwindling cash reserves or fresh loans on new projects. “Firms know that the UK’s finances are tight, but the Chancellor needs to show more faith in the ability and talent of our businesses. “If they can see the Government is prepared to invest in them, by taking action on childcare, energy costs, green funding and Solvency II, then the future could soon look a lot rosier and greener.” British Chambers and the wider Chamber network has set out four key areas where the Chancellor must act in the budget if businesses are to make headway in bolstering the economy in 2023. These are:

•  Unlocking talent and easing pressure in the labour market by making childcare more affordable for cash-strapped parents and guardians    
• Boosting the UK’s start-ups by further reforming the business rates system to remove the upfront financial squeeze they face    
•  Setting a framework for Solvency II investment that helps direct funds to SMEs where they can have the most impact, leveraging the opportunities of green innovation  
•  Funding to help businesses become greener and more energy efficient  

The BCC’s four non-negotiables form part of its wider budget submission to the Treasury. It contains a list of 24 recommendations for the Chancellor that could create the conditions businesses need to power the UK’s economic recovery.

Today, some of the Chambers team were invited alongside business leaders to a tour of Westcotec’s recently renovated office and factory in Dereham. The event kicked off at Barnham Broom at 10am with bacon rolls and a welcome from Managing Director, Chris Spinks. Who are Westcotec and what do they do? Westcotec has been at the forefront of the vehicle-activated sign industry since 2001. They have grown to become one of the biggest suppliers of quality vehicle-activated signs in the UK. At the heart of their growth, is a commitment to customer service. In 2018, Westcotec became one of the first companies in East Anglia to become an employee-owned business, in which a trust oversees the business operation of the company, and the day-to-day operations are managed by the board of directors in place. Following Chris’ welcome, a coach collected the attendees and they took a short ride to the Westcotec premises in Dereham. Splitting into two groups, short presentations from Olly Samways, Director of Sales, and Chris Spinks, MD was given before they had the chance to look around the factory and office, and network with the staff. Amy Patterson, Marketing and Communications Manager at Norfolk Chambers said “It was fascinating to hear all the statistics of how these signs are savings people’s lives on the roads every single day. The evidence is clear that using educational signs to give drivers more knowledge is making a difference. The factory and office not only look great, but it is evident that a lot of thought has gone into every tiny detail, and always to benefit the staff. The culture at Westcotec is one that every business strives towards.” Following the tour, the attendees returned to Barnham Broom via coach to finish the day with lunch and networking. A big thanks to the whole Westcotec team for the event. We look forward to working with the team again to bring back the Bikers Breakfast on 12^th May 2023.

Skills challenges – chances are, you have felt them within your business. So, what is the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) doing to highlight the employer skills challenges across Norfolk and Suffolk? Over the next few weeks, we’re hosting a series of free to attend events across Norfolk and Suffolk, for you to come and discuss keys areas of the LSIP programme. The first LSIP Roadshow event was held on Wednesday 22nd February at the Maid’s Head Hotel in the heart of Norwich. This event sold out within two weeks, highlighting how important businesses feel the skills gap issue in Norfolk is. We are working with the Department of Education (DfE) and our colleagues, the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce to engage with businesses that are demanding change within the skills provision. By talking to us, and sharing insights, we are better placed to highlight the skills gaps across Norfolk and Suffolk. We are asking businesses who are looking to future proof their growth, to engage and collaborate with us – these frontline experiences form the catalyst that will develop the LSIP Plan. “We must upskill and mobilise Norfolk.” The morning event started with a welcome from Dean Pierpoint, LSIP Project Manager, and an opening address from Tom Humphries, Skills Policy Manager at Norfolk County Council. Tom gave an outline of what a County Deal for Norfolk involves, saying, “We have to upskill and mobilise Norfolk.” This is the second attempt at a devolution deal – now under a different framework that puts rural communities on a standing of their own. He explained the funding will boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards and importantly empower local leaders and communities, “The LSIP plays a really important role for Norfolk skills and is a significant opportunity for our county – get involved and get your voice heard.” He went on to say that the LSIP is ‘developing our system – it’s a dialogue with employers and is evidence of where we will be funding’. “Communication in business is key, so use your voice to have an impact.” Dean Pierpoint, LSIP Project Manager spoke on the issues affecting Norfolk and Suffolk businesses right now; “Change is afoot, our counties are facing a massive skills problem but we’re going to change the skills landscape for the Region”. “However, we are here to identify the positives through collaboration and spreading the word.” The business community has a voice to encourage greater collaboration between employers and training providers. When asked on ‘what can businesses do now?’, Dean went on to say, “Communication in business is key, so use your voice to have an impact!” The final guest speaker was John Fowler, Senior Account Manager from Turning Factor, who spoke about the recruitment/retention dilemma that faces many businesses, citing 75% of people leaving a business will put it down to poor management and leadership. Empowering and engaging your team is what should drive your company’s mission, it should be the catalyst to your business’s growth. Questions raised. Susan Falch-Lovesey, Stakeholder Manager, Business Development at Equinor asked on the research process and getting down to the granular data, ‘Are you looking at specific sectors for a bigger impact and the big wins? Rob Panter, Managing Director at Canham Consulting talked on the lack of direct paths for people in Norfolk to train in Norfolk. ‘Young people must be trained outside of Norfolk; it’s exhausting for them and its expensive for businesses – they need to be trained here and trained properly.” Sally Butcher, Managing Director at Realise Futures said, “Our company absolutely promotes everybody with disabilities, I’m concerned we’re going to see a lot of people left behind in skills”. She went on to say, “Qualifications aren’t always the route to progress, soft skills, communication and working in a team are vital skills to learn.” Jonathan Cage, Managing Director at Create Consulting  asked on the future of the programme, ‘Where does this sit in the future?’ Tom at Norfolk County Council responded with ‘A devolved Norfolk with autonomy should look very different from a Brussels decision.” Gordon Simpson, Partner at Howes Percival LLP a Cornerstone Group employer said, “Young people are not work ready, we really need to tackle work experience – young people need that spark and enthusiasm”. Angela Carpenter, Pathways 50+ and Account Manager for Futures for Business spoke on the problems within Norfolk and Suffolk seem to lie in working with schools and employers – “There is a particular mindset when it comes to grants and funding.” All of the questions raised at the LSIP Roadshows will be taken into consideration when assessing the skills gaps in Norfolk and Suffolk – so we need to hear from businesses of all sizes and sectors.  Thank you so much to all our guests for attending, and to the Maids Head Hotel for their hospitality. If you like the sound of this event, and you want to hear more about LSIP why not come along to our upcoming LSIP events? The next event is on Wednesday 15th March at the Thomas Paine Hotel, Thetford. For a full list of all dates click here Why should you get involved?

• You want to increase the growth of your business.
• You want your team to have the skills they need to be engaged, empowered, and moving forwards.
• It’s vital to retain the talent within your business.
• You want to attract the right people, for culture, for growth and for success.

We are engaging with businesses of all sizes, stakeholders, colleges, training providers and universities to enable a more responsive and collaborative approach to the development of the local workforce. What happens next? Over the coming months, we will be conducting Employer Engagement surveys, telephone interviews, opportunities for 1-2-1 discussions, focus groups and events. Our LSIP Board is now in place to provide direction, oversight, and review of the development of an effective LSIP for the region, the first meeting took place yesterday, 17th January and was a huge success in steering the programme forward. You can view the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce LSIP programme of events across Suffolk here            

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce board member, Glen Webster, Business Banking Regional Manager at Barclays has recently stepped down after serving on the board for four years. Glen shares the passions of the Chambers and has the same desire to assist and promote local businesses for the greater good of the local economy. Glen supported the Chambers with many events including flagship events and has been very supportive of kick-starting the Business Climate Leaders programme. We asked Glen a few questions about his time on the board: Where do you feel you made the biggest difference? Connecting businesses to each other or to key contacts within the chamber or other support networks – it was always about who could help them realise their ambitions. What are your plans going forward within the business community? I hope to continue to support businesses through my day job at Barclays and also through a continued close alliance with Norfolk Chambers and all the services and support they offer. How does your role at Barclays help the Norfolk business community? My team and I seek to be partners in growth with local SMEs by supporting them directly through the many services we provide and increasingly through partners and signposting local organisations and individuals who can be of benefit. Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chambers says, “It has been a pleasure having Glen on the Norfolk Chambers Board. He has brought a wealth of experience and enthusiasm. Glen and Barclays have supported business engagement across Norfolk. Having served his term on the Board, Glen has now stepped down, but we look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with Glen and Barclays.”

Employers have told us that they face a skills shortage that could impact the future success of businesses. In response, the government has worked alongside hundreds of employers to design T Level courses that deliver the skills your business needs. Each T Level is equivalent in size to 3 A levels and helps young people develop the knowledge, attitude and practical skills to thrive in the workplace. At the heart of each course, every T Level student completes an industry placement that lasts a minimum of 315 hours (approximately 45 days). Industry placements give you a unique opportunity to help develop new talent in your industry, and get young people work-ready.

1. Develop your future talent/workforce and bring fresh ideas and perspective
2. Flexible scheme to meet your business
3. A new qualification developed in collaboration with employers
4. An industry placement is at the heart of each T Level
5. Government funded scheme, but you may have your own business costs
6. The qualification designed by employers to provide the skills set you need

T Levels and industry placement support for employers

The Norfolk Chambers of Commerce have launched their Engagement Focus Groups for 2023 and are delighted to announce that local broadband experts Upp are sponsoring the series of events. Upp is rolling out its ‘next level broadband’ to towns across Norfolk and the East of England. Their plans include investing in underserved areas and creating jobs as they grow. Upp follows eco-friendly practices wherever they can in order to provide reliably fast full fibre broadband to businesses and residents. “Fast reliable broadband that covers every corner of your home or office isn’t just a nice to have; it’s become a necessity, and our team is dedicated to delivering it across Norfolk. We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Engagement Focus Groups and looking forward to connecting with people across the county and hearing their thoughts. Being able to influence change and make Norfolk an even better place for business is important to us” says Edward Money, Director of Brand Experience and Product for Upp. The Engagement Focus Groups are coming to a town near you, with over 15 focus groups planned throughout the year. At least one Board member of the Norfolk Chambers will attend each group. The Focus Groups kicked off at Redwings Horse Sanctuary for the first of the North Norwich and North Norfolk Focus events. The Norfolk Chambers aim is to have groups in many towns, market towns, and villages across Norfolk, to connect, support, and give voice to every business in Norfolk. These groups are accessible to all businesses, whether you are a Chambers member or not. Nova Fairbank, CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce says, “These groups will provide attendees with a platform to debate issues that are most important to them, and their business. The Chamber network will lobby and influence on their behalf, using the Chambers dedicated team, website, social media channels, and digital platform. “The feedback will be used by the team and the Chamber’s Board, to help shape the strategic direction of Norfolk Chambers to ensure we can truly be the voice of Norfolk businesses.” Whether the local challenge is connectivity, skills, road, rail, digital infrastructure, recruitment, or the rising costs of doing business, these Engagement Focus Groups are for you. They are free to attend and can be booked here.

• Fewer than one in 10 SMEs (8%) fully understand what the Government’s 2050 Net Zero target means for them  

• Despite this most SMEs (79%) are taking action to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their efficiency  

• Huge divide on progress between smaller businesses, operating on tight margins, and larger SMEs with more resources  

• BCC and Lloyds Bank have joined forces to raise awareness – as one in five businesses think using green tech will harm their productivity, with costs and disruption cited as reasons  

A BCC survey of more than 1,000 businesses, of which 96% are SMEs, has found that nine out of 10 don’t fully understand what the Government’s target of making the UK Net Zero by 2050 means for them. But there is a substantial divide between firms with more than 50 employees and those with fewer than 50, in terms of understanding and progress. A total of 56% of the bigger firms have a ‘complete’ or ‘some understanding’ of the Net Zero target, compared to just 35% of the smaller ones. Almost twice as many firms with more than 50 employees (36%) have developed a plan for reaching Net Zero compared to those with fewer than 50 (19%). The research also showed that planning for the future skills needed to help businesses make the transition to greener and more sustainable operations has taken a backseat. Fewer than one in 20 firms (4%) have carried out a written assessment of the green jobs or skills they will need in-house over the next 10 years. One in five businesses (21%) also think that, on balance, green technology will decrease the productivity of their company, whereas 10% think it will provide a boost. Firms with a negative view of making improvements said  they were worried about the extra costs or time required in adopting green technology. For instance, a small retailer in Norfolk said: “Electric Vans have too limited a range to be effective for us, meaning we will have to waste time to re-charge during delivery rounds, reducing productivity.” Whereas those who had embraced changes cited cost savings and improved efficiency, with a micro information and comms firm  in Herefordshire  saying: “Over the last 18 months we have changed the majority of our lighting to LED, and as a result have achieved a net saving of over £1,000 per annum even after the cost of [installation]  is taken into account.” The survey also revealed many firms are using new technology or adopting greener policies even if their overall understanding of reaching Net Zero is incomplete. The research showed that:

• More than two thirds of SMEs (69%) have installed LED lighting
• More than a third (34%) are investing in greener vehicles
• Just under a third (30%) are using solar panels
• Almost half (46%) are using recycling and waste management strategies
• Over a quarter (28%) use renewable energy providers or tariffs
• Two out of five SMEs (42%) thinking about Net Zero will speak to Chambers of Commerce and almost a fifth (19%) to  their banks, lawyers or accountants.

In response to the findings, the BCC and Lloyds Bank plan to bring together businesses from across the country to identify the most effective ways to target support and raise awareness. Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said: “The cost-of-living crisis means many smaller firms are focussed on keeping their heads above water. So, it is perhaps no surprise that researching and planning for Net Zero has slipped down the list of strategic priorities. “But if the UK is to stand a chance of hitting its 2050 Net Zero target, then businesses must be put at the heart of the strategy to do that. They will provide one of the biggest dents in CO2 emissions by making the transition. “Yet, there is a real danger  that smaller businesses  will get left behind unless politicians, banks and business leaders come together to galvanise action. “Many chambers are  working with  their  members to help them develop their plans to become carbon neutral.  And this research shows that businesses are turning to Chambers and their banks for advice. “We have a position of responsibility here and it is up to us to use our influence to improve awareness of the benefits of becoming more energy efficient and how to do it. “Clarity and certainty will drive confidence to invest. As it stands, it is alarming that a sizeable number of firms think investing in green tech will damage their productivity. “Our work with Lloyds Bank will help pinpoint the main drag factors holding companies back and then set out in clear terms what business and the financial sector can do to change the dynamics.” Paul Gordon, Managing Director, Relationship Management Business & Commercial Banking at Lloyds Bank said: “SMEs account for 99% of UK business, three-fifths of employment, and half of the total turnover of the UK’s private sector. Their significance to the UK economy is not in any doubt. “The research from BCC reaffirms the challenges businesses face on their journey to Net Zero, but it’s pleasing to see that firms are already focusing on quick wins such as installing LED lighting and utilising recycling and waste management strategies. These are crucial first steps on the road to achieving the UK’s Net Zero emissions target by 2050. “However, the research also showed that smaller firms don’t always have access to the resources that larger firms have and may need more support. At Lloyds Bank, we are here to help, offering practical advice and financial support to firms, both as they develop their Net Zero strategies and for every step along their journeys as we build a more sustainable future together.” Business Climate Leaders at Norfolk Chambers of Commerce  Business Climate Leaders is for any Norfolk SMEs who want to either start or develop their climate journey and we’re here to help. We will do this with free access to our climate leader programme that at its core, has multiple positive and engaging ways to achieve net-zero. Everyone in business knows that now is the time to act and every act makes a ‘little by little, bit by bit’ difference so please get in touch via email or by phone 01603 625977.

Reacting to the latest ONS Labour Market figures, Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive at the Norfolk Chambers, said: “Businesses are crying out for people to fill job vacancies at all skill levels, and this must be the number one focus for government if it’s serious about Norfolk’s economic growth. “There are still a huge number of vacancies, currently sitting at 1.134 million, and this is stopping firms in their tracks. It means they are struggling to meet the orders on their books, and it puts any plans for growth far out of reach. “It is also ramping up pressure on wages, currently at the highest rates seen in the private sector outside of the pandemic. This has been identified by the Bank of England as a factor in its decisions to raise interest rates to tame inflation. “Government plans to get the UK’s untapped labour force into employment are a step in the right direction, but we need to see more action in Norfolk to address the barriers that are holding people back. “The Spring Budget represents a golden opportunity for the Chancellor to ease the pressure on family members who have been squeezed out of the labour market by childcare costs. “Older workers need carefully tailored careers advice, job seeker support and rapid re-training opportunities to help bring their skills and experience back to the workforce. “Businesses should play their part by adopting flexible working policies, wherever possible, and by supporting staff training needs. “And crucially, Government should reform the Shortage Occupation List to help firms fill urgent job vacancies from outside the UK when they cannot recruit locally. The List should include jobs at all skills levels where there is clear evidence of a national shortage.” Get Involved

• The Quarterly Economic Survey 2023 Q1 is NOW OPEN.
• Join our series of free LSIP events running Norfolk and Suffolk – BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY

Image credit: Canva 2023

Our annual flagship event The Big Debate returned on the 10^th February at The Space, Norwich for 2023. Bringing together local MPs and business leaders to debate topics chosen by the business community. The topics chosen were Transport & Infrastructure, People, Skills & Wellbeing, The Cost of Living Crisis in Norfolk and Zet-Zero & Sustainability. The Big Debate was sponsored by Greater Anglia and hosted by Nova Fairbank, CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and Neil Foley, Founder of Business Growth Club. Exhibiting in the Welcome area, sponsored by Norse Group were: Sizewell C Supply Chain, Ascot Lloyd, A County Deal for Norfolk, Supply Chain Development Fund, Huxley Events, KonectBus, New Anglia Growth Hub and Norfolk County Council Adult Learning Services. Over 80 people attended the event, including local MPs Chloe Smith and Duncan Baker as well as an exciting list of panellists from Greater Anglia, Konectbus, Norwich Airport, Westcotec, mobilityways, Turning Factor, Wellbeing International, Ascot Lloyd, Banham Zoological Gardens, The Feed, MAD-HR ltd, Norse Group, Natwest, Canopey, SaxonAir, Example Marketing and Holkham Estate. After a short welcome from our CEO Nova Fairbank and our headline sponsors Greater Anglia, The Big Debate kicked off with our first debate and panel – Transport & Infrastructure. We were joined by Duncan Baker, MP for North Norfolk, Julie Furnell, Managing Director of mobilityways, Chris Spinks, Managing Director of Westcotec, Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, Steve Royal, Network Manager for Konectbus, and Jonathan Denby, Head of Corporate Affairs for Greater Anglia. The first question for the panel was: Why is transport and Infrastructure important for the growth of this region? Jonathan Denby – “Norfolk is a lovely place to be, that’s why we are all here but actually for us to thrive we need to have excellent transport to, from and around the county and when we have that it makes it a place people want to come to.” Why do we need improved roads and how does that improve safety? Chris Spinks – “Infrastructure has to be safe for people to feel comfortable to use it. My company make intelligent traffic safety systems and we are all about making the roads better and giving the driver an enhanced level of information so that they can make a better decision about what they are coming up against. My company have installations all across the country, so we have to get out of Norfolk to a network or wherever we are going, its vital for us to say with some confidence that we are going to be at a particular place at a particular time and it doesn’t always lend itself to that because of the amount of single carriage ways we have and roadworks there are. We need to make it safe and attractive for people to use and not feel like they are coming into somewhere where they are going to be stuck.” A question submitted by our audience aimed at MP Duncan Baker – The Norwich western link; a vital infrastructure project or a costly environmental disaster?  “It is obviously a vital piece of infrastructure; I have no doubt about that, and the vast majority of Norfolk people actually support finishing the job we started. A country needs infrastructure, if you do not deliver infrastructure you do not deliver growth. If you do not deliver growth, you do not deliver job opportunities and prosperity.” What is the significance of the A47 to businesses in Norfolk and does the route need improving? Richard Pace – “Certainly for an airport surface infrastructure is very important. I am certain that improving that corridor will make more passengers come to our region, spend money at our airport and in our region and not go to other regions. We must also cover that with improved public transport it’s not an either or, we have to do both”. Steve Royal – “In terms of the A47 our main operating base is in Dereham. One of the biggest issues we have is that our main service is Norwich to Dereham, not many weeks go by where something doesn’t go wrong on the A47 which throws our bus services quite widely. The argument is if the roads are improved this then has a wider effect on the public transport delivery. Which means anytime saved with improved road networks can be reinvested into our timetables to improve bus services.” Affordable transport is essential to accessibility for employment. How does mobilityways help that affordable piece, what difference can car sharing make? Julie Furnell – “The key thing we are focussed on is what our members and customers tell us and what they tell us is the impact of cost-of-living crisis has had on them and what solutions they need to be able to get to work and have access to work which is really important when you have transport poor areas. For us if we can share and utilise a vehicle, whether this be a bus or a car we should be doing that, that will help so many factors, real life factors and issues that people are facing today.” The second debate was on People, Skills & Wellbeing, on our panel was Local MP Chloe Smith for Norwich North, Alex Sellers, Operations Director at Turning Factor, Kate Pigeon-Owen, CEO of Wellbeing International, Dean Pierpoint, LSIP Project Manager at Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and David Melloy, Business Development Manager for Ascot Lloyd. In an ideal world what would you like to see from a future skills system that will help businesses and sectors? Chloe Smith – “The two things I think we need to be focusing on which I think are probably hallmarks of this debate is skills. That means businesses having a greater opportunity than probably ever before to think about what skills they want in their workforce. You need to be able to recruit and retain so you need to think about what skills you are looking for. Secondly health, health is coming up the agenda, but there is a really big role here for businesses to grasp that nettle in their own workforce planning.” Alex Sellers – “The skills we are developing as a community need to be relevant, practical and accessible to everybody. One of the key things is that we have got to not put barriers in the way of people accessing these skills wherever they are for example funding. All of the people in this room know what is required, so you need to think long hard and carefully about those skills you need in your workforce and how you are going to keep paying your best people.” Kate Pigeon – Owen – “Leaders need to understand that their team is about holistic view rather than wellbeing being an add on. What matters is that you create a wellbeing culture not because you do this that and the other. It comes from the leaders.” Dean Pierpoint – “It’s about putting businesses at the heart of the skills agenda and everybody in this room having a voice on skills so we can shape future curriculum so that it one is applicable to your business and two it fits into your growth plan. Fill out our survey here so you can actually have a voice and help shape things for the future.” How do we create a county where talented young people want to stay and contribute to the local economy rather than moving to economic hubs such as London and Cambridge? David Melloy – I think collaborations work really well with universities and colleges but also businesses working together. Norfolk has got a fantastic community, we do a lot of networking and we go out of our way to get people together. We should be going into universities, colleges and schools and talking about it.” Chloe Smith – “A highly practical thing we need to do is increase aspiration via role models in schools. Primary futures is a charitable scheme that seeks to get people going into primary schools and doing you can to be a XYZ in the future. Let’s do more of that in Norfolk from the Norfolk employees, this will raise aspiration right here in this city.” Alex Sellers – “We really need to shout about the things we are doing in Norfolk. If we want people to stay in Norfolk then provide a future and provide what we need and shout about it. Stop people from looking externally in the first place.” The Big Debate restarted after a short break with a welcome back from CEO of Norse Group, Justin Galliford. The third panel of the day was Cost-of-Living Crisis in Norfolk. We were joined by Claudia Roberts, Chief Executive of Banham Zoological Gardens, Lucy Parish, CEO of The Feed, Carole Burman, Managing Director of MAD-HR, Justin Galliford, CEO of Norse Group and Andy Gray, Local Enterprise Manager at Natwest. How can Norfolk cope with the cost of living crisis? Andy Gray – “For us at Natwest we have the obvious things that you might expect, supporting people who can’t pay their bills or loans straight away but there is more that we do. For example, we have people from our branches going out into businesses actually supporting the staff members themselves with what is going to be an incredibly hard time. There is a lot more we could all be doing to support our staff and colleagues”. Carole Burman – “The thing that we find is that businesses are trying to be noble and do the best they can possibly do but also recognising that anything that they commit to or that they want to do they have to be able to sustain. When we have spoken to our clients, we have encouraged them to look at those employees who are on the national living wage whether they can make the move to the real living wage. If you have working parents in your business, childcare is probably one of the most expensive costs they are having to endure at the moment. Are you in a position where your staff can work in a different way that would enable them to still contribute and bring value but in a way that they don’t have to pay for quite as much childcare.” Your particular business Banham Zoological Gardens must be struggling as the cost-of-living crisis bites so do peoples discretionary spend. What support would you like to see the government do to help businesses ride the storm? Claudia Roberts – “Our costs went up nearly 33% last year, we had to then restrict the number of staff we had which put more pressure on their mental health. We have now got a minimum wage increase coming in. As far as energy is concerned, we have been campaigning hard around energy and I am pleased to see they have finally understood our issue and from the 1^{st of} April we will be getting some sort of rebate back which is a huge help, but we haven’t had anything over the entire winter, and we run a seasonal business. We are not the only seasonal business who haven’t had any support over energy. Some type of retrospective support is going to be really important because I don’t see the cashflow problems as one now its cumulative. If the government really want SMEs to grow, they are going to have to help those with a smaller turnover”. What can businesses do to support employees during this crisis? Justin Galliford – “I think what’s really important is support. Signposting to things like citizens advise is really important to people. They can talk about the pressures they are facing to people who understand and can support them. For a lot of people their mortgage is going to go up, this is a real issue that will give serious anxiety and concern. That wider support is really important.” Lucy Parrish – “We need to look at what we do and how we can be there to help our employees in a more cost-effective way. For example, everybody who works for me now gets a hot lunch because that doesn’t cost me very much money, the feedback has been incredible. It doesn’t cost me a lot to do but it means a lot. So, look within your business to come up with some things that won’t cost too much to do but will make a big impact with people. As leaders be approachable and accessible so that when there is an issue, they are more likely to speak to you about it.” The last panel of the day was Net-zero and Sustainability. On the panel was Thomas Panton, Founder of Canopey, Alex Durand, CEO of SaxonAir, Emma Raines, Founder of Example Marketing and Sue Penlington, Sustainability Manager at Holkham Estate. Lots of businesses complete carbon calculators but don’t know where to go next. What is the next step? Thomas Panton – “The whole aim of using carbon calculators is that you measure what your impact is, the next thing you should do as a company is to reduce in every single way possible that you know how to and find the knowledge and skills to if you don’t. What you can do is change your energy provider as quickly as you can, Shell announced $40 billion profit while most of us can’t afford to keep the lights on, it’s outrageous. If we stop supporting companies who use oil and gas that will change, energy is one of the greatest ways we can decarbonise as a company.” Emma Raines – “The key thing to do in terms of the next step is to do something. Having a really comprehensive plan in place is great and then working through that but if you can pick one thing and do that as a starting point then at least you have begun that journey and one step leads to another. If everyone can start doing something, then we are heading in the right place.” Sue Penlington – “For me it’s getting your teams involved straight away looking at those results and that data and identifying the most material area where you will make the biggest impact but also going for those little wins that get that action going in the organisation. Give your team the right training and development so they understand what carbon audit is.” Are all other debates fairly meaningless unless we tackle climate change. Alex Durrand – “The problem is we are prioritising existence particularly after the last 3 years and we are deprioritising the most important thing. It’s not at a pace where that is anywhere close that it should be. We seem to have collectively accepted the fact that we can’t keep up with temperatures, but of course we can. Particularly for the aviation industry there is a lot of finger pointing, we own our responsibility. If we all just do that and stop looking at everyone else there is a chance. We can’t change the big picture so let’s do everything we can as individuals.” The last question of The Big Debate 2023 was if you were able to give one piece of advice on sustainability what is it? Emma Raines – Do something. Sue Penlington –Don’t be put off and celebrate the small wins. Alex Durand – Do everything you can. Thomas Panton – Talk to people, don’t be afraid to report when it doesn’t look good, this is how you get help and get pushed to improve. You can learn a lot by speaking to people. This article has only touched upon some of the questions and answers discussed at this year’s Big Debate. Join us at The Big Debate 2024 if you want to hear Norfolk MPS and local business leaders discuss and debate the key issues affecting your region. Amy Wright, Events manager Norfolk Chambers of Commerce “What a big success for our first flagship event of 2023, key discussions were made throughout the debate and the atmosphere on the day was brilliant. A big thanks to all who supported me.” Image credits – Chris Ball