Chris’ Blog: Help us foster future talent by bridging the gap between education and industry
One major topic continued to dominate conversations in our regular dialogue with businesses throughout Q1 – skills.
I took my first steps in the world of work as an apprentice at the Southern Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, so fully appreciate the role that education and training in young people can play in mapping out their careers and equipping them with the skills they need for the future.
You may have read in Daily Focus this week that we have called on Staffordshire businesses to join a scheme that offers teenage pupils the chance to experience the world of work.
We have two schools in Staffordshire who are appealing to firms to fill placements for their 13 and 13-year-old pupils:
- Thistley Hough are looking to place pupils for week commencing 3 June
- Ormiston Horizon are looking to place pupils for week commencing 1 July
This is with a long term view of providing placement for pupils to enjoy some invaluable work experience while bridging the gap between schools and employers in the interests of a thriving Staffordshire economy.
What does it mean for you as a business? You could be supporting an enthusiastic young person to perform a job, or multiple jobs, in-house for a week.
We’re calling on all sectors and roles to help give students a thorough understanding of what is available in the world of work.
Your support could encourage a young person to explore different avenues, light a spark or contribute to society – and you never know, you could even find a future employee!
Employers wishing to offer placements should contact Georgia Parkins at georgia.parkins@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
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Tendering Opportunity: Staffordshire Chambers looking to appoint new mobile phone solutions provider
Staffordshire Chambers are looking to appoint a company to provide mobile phone solutions as part of a two-year managed business contract.
Applications are particularly welcomed from Chamber members.
Find out more and submit an application via our Tendering page, here.
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Declan’s Policy Blog: Q1 Chamber update including campaigns, forums and elections
The start of April, a new financial year and the chance to review our role as ‘the voice of business’ in Staffordshire.
It’s been a hectic start to 2024 but here’s a flavour of the policy and lobbying work we have developed since the beginning of January:
Political Meetings
We hosted a meeting with the Shadow Minister for Business & Trade (Jonathan Reynolds, MP), on Thursday 21st March. Following on from an opening session with more than 50 businesses, we joined Mr Reynolds on a brief tour of Synectics Solutions, before returning to Vale Park for a round table discussion with Chamber Patrons. Key topics of discussion included cutting export red tape, skills, the green economy, energy costs, land value capture and National Insurance and tax.
Other Activity
We wrote to Metro Mayors Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) and Andy Street (West Midlands Combined Authority) regarding their proposals to improve rail connectivity between Manchester and the West Midlands. On 27.3.24., I joined members of our Transport forum to discuss this in more detail with Transport for West Midlands. A detailed publication on the proposals will be unveiled in May 2024.
On Wednesday 20th March, we delivered the first of three Big Business Breakfast events, focusing on the theme of innovative skills solutions. Guest speakers included James Timpson, OBE and Adam Whitehouse of TMT First. Future events will look at the economy and planning/infrastructure. Feedback from those who attended was extremely positive.
Our Digital forum is one of eleven Chamber Policy forums and is tasked with driving the growing digital sector in Staffordshire, enabling businesses to freely exchange information, share best practise and discuss exploiting digital, collaboration, skills and digital inclusion.
We have developed two working groups (Digital Divide Working Group (DDWG) and Digital Skills Working Group (DSWG)). DSWG is looking at how to create a local view of a digital skills pathway, to enable learners (and where appropriate their families), to have signposting to technology specific learning opportunities and how these available courses can support a professional career development within the digital sector (and beyond).
A brand-new community interest company (CIC) has now been formed, called ‘Re-boot IT for all.’ The CIC has been formed with the support of TMT First, based in Newcastle under Lyme and a provider of technology lifecycle services and innovative solutions for the circular economy. The CIC will offer hardware repurposing, with securely wiped and clean items of hardware being offered to community groups or “trusted referrers”, who in turn can distribute to members of the community experiencing digital poverty.
Campaigns
Clean Air Zone
Measures to improve air quality at “specific areas of exceedance” across North Staffordshire are required by Government.
- A Clean Air Zone (CAZ) – Category C will extend across a defined area of Stoke-on-Trent stretching from Fenton to Joiners Square and Hanley. Buses, coaches, lorries and vans entering the CAZ which do not meet emissions standards will be forced to pay a charge.
- We are deeply concerned by the impact on businesses who may need to upgrade their fleets of vans and lorries, or who may be forced to pay the CAZ charge in order to receive deliveries from non-compliant lorries and vans.
- A bus gate will be introduced to limit westbound traffic at peak times of the working week, on the A53 (Etruria Road) from its junction with the A500. Electric vehicles, buses and emergency service vehicles will be allowed to join Etruria Road, but all other vehicles will be forced to find another route.
- We are concerned that the issue of poor air quality will be displaced rather than be reduced. We feel that the bus gate will lead to higher congestion on the approaches to the A500/A53 junction and will become an issue for staff recruitment and retention for businesses based along Etruria Road, as well as the wider area which extends to Festival Park and Hanley.
We were delighted by the recent announcement that Stoke-on-Trent City Council is developing a revised plan for the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which will cut NO2 and which could see changes made to junctions to reduce congestion, as well as upgrading pedestrian and cycle routes. This is welcome news for the business community Whilst we recognise the need to improve air quality for our residents, the implementation of the CAZ would have a detrimental impact on local businesses.
The news about a review of the CAZ proposal is welcome but we are still extremely concerned by the potential impact of a bus gate, which will prevent any non-compliant vehicles from driving in a westbound direction along Etruria Road (Basford Bank), at peak times of the working week and we call for a similar pragmatic approach to look again at the hugely negative impact of imposing a bus gate at Basford Bank. We note that the local authorities (Stoke on Trent City Council, Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council) continue to develop the full business case for a solution to the NO2 pollution exceedance on Basford Bank. All three local authorities involved in the project continue to express their concerns to Government about the impacts the peak period bus gate will have, for example on routes where traffic is diverted.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is planning to limit traffic access to Station Road at the front of Stoke on Trent Station, creating a new transport hub. This will follow on the back of the launch of a new camera-controlled section on nearby College Road, with offending motorists who drive along this stretch, being fined. We understand that this is scheme is due to progress and we’ll continue to monitor developments.
Etruria Valley Station
Etruria Valley Station was closed to passenger services in 2005. Jo Gideon MP submitted a bid to re-open this station, under the Restoring Your Railways Fund (RYRF). The bid was rejected but we feel that a far better alternative would be to open a new station at Etruria Valley, approximately 1 mile north of the former Etruria Station and close to the site of the new Etruria Valley Link Road.
Back in November, we invited businesses to join us for a round table discussion and we have asked local businesses to make a financial commitment towards the cost of developing a business case. This will cost an estimated £15,000. We continue to seek support for the development of a business case. In the early part of this year, we have held constructive meetings with both Stoke on Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council.
Letters & Consultation Responses
- We wrote to Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council to query business rates billing to a member business, who was unable to get a detailed response. We have since received an update from Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council and this has been shared with the member business.
- We wrote to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) on behalf of a member business to query the guidelines on getting three quotes for a UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) grant application. Our member also pointed out that innovation is not necessarily linked to job creation. There could be efficiencies which could mean that staff can be utilised in other areas of the business. Innovation can, of course, also bring about a reversal of jobs created/safeguarded. This could be down to a new process or use of machinery. SMDC called the member directly with a response but acknowledged the need to review guidelines. The issue was also escalated to the British Chambers’ of Commerce (BCC) who in turn, have lobbied Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Feedback from DLUHC has acknowledged the need for a strategic initiative to streamline and simplify funding, helping stakeholders navigate the local funding landscape.
- We wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer on 28.2.24. to call for a number of business ‘asks’ in the Spring Budget. We were pleased to see that our call to raise the registration threshold for VAT has been approved and this has risen from £85,000 to £90,000. It really does help small business as the administrative burden often sits disproportionately heavily on them because they don’t have the financial and operational resources at their disposal to deal with the paperwork required.
- We wrote to Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, calling for a joined-up transport strategy for North Staffordshire, following on from the government announcement of £4 billion for transport improvements across the country.
- We submitted a response to the government’s consultation on strengthening policy on brownfield land development.
- Copies of all letters can be obtained from declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk.
Policy forums
Our eleven policy forums continue to underpin our policy and lobbying work. Our forums are composed of Chamber member businesses from across a diverse range of business sectors. We invite guest speakers to join our forums and deliver informative updates to the business community. Our policy forums are a great way to keep updated and to join the conversations in shaping the work we do. Updates from our policy forums in Q1…..
Forum | Main Agenda Items |
Manufacturers’ | Guided tour of facilities at Stoke on Trent College Staffordshire Chambers’ Manifesto UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Planning & Infrastructure | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) update UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Transport | Electric vehicles – Experience of driving. Update from Midlands Connect Staffs County Council transport update UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Digital | Presentation by Clyk and D2NA on Digital collaboration Digital Skills Working Group (DSWG update) Digital Divide Working Group (hardware) UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Employment, Skills and HR | Succession planning – Using the 9 Box Method Gender equality UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Energy, Environment and Sustainability | Staffordshire COP Presentation on sustainability positioning of companies UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Money Matters | Middle Market Business Index (MMBI) Spring Budget 2024 – Business ‘asks’ UN Sustainable Development Goals |
Coming up
We will be launching our new Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce Manifesto in the coming weeks. With a General Election due to take place in the next nine months, now is a good time to update our Manifesto, ready to share with politicians of all parties. The Manifesto will be based around a number of themes:
- Connected Staffordshire
- Digital Staffordshire
- Global Staffordshire
- Green Staffordshire
- Skilled Staffordshire
We will be outlining a number of pledges linked to these themes and we will also be calling on commitments from stakeholders and partners. Watch this space for further details!
If you would like to join our policy forums or if you have any questions about our policy and lobbying work, feel free to get in touch:
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Guest Article: Steve Grice, UKSE area manager for the Midlands
In this guest article, Steve Grice, UKSE area manager for the Midlands, shares his views on collaborative opportunities in the professional services community across the West Midlands.
It’s a frequent discussion we hear in business circles across the West Midlands that ‘we need to do more to promote ourselves’, writes Steve Grice, Area Manager for business investment specialists UKSE.
Each region across the UK has its strengths, London is seen as a global city whereas other areas from Cornwall to Tyneside and across the UK, may trade off more recognisable identities but as UKSE’s West Midlands team approaches the end of our first year supporting growth, we have been impressed by the positive drive for collaboration within the professional services community in the region.
The relationship among brokers, advisors, and lenders around supporting small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is alive and well in the West Midlands and we have been encouraged by the support we have received since our launch 12 months ago.
Reflecting with our colleagues in other parts of the country, it seems every UK region has a different ecosystem of professionals, sometimes markedly so. In the West Midlands, we have a real comparative advantage in the strength and depth of our advisor network, working together to find the right solution for the customer.
Despite the challenges out there, my colleague Mike Lowe and I are optimistic that the positive approach taken within our community will add to the greater good as firms look to rebuild from the adversity, they have faced over recent years.
SMEs make up a huge part of the UK economy and have been hit hard through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis. Some businesses are now finding it increasingly difficult to access funding from traditional high street lenders and this is where the role of the broker and professional business community is vital.
Brokers and advisors not only understand how the lender and business relationship works but will have the business specific knowledge to inform decisions, something, we at UKSE value and see an abundance of in the West Midlands, Conversely, if we are approached by a business where we are not the right investor, we would rather match them with a trusted partner who can make the difference.
At UKSE we need and value this kind of relationship. A broker understands the type of businesses we are looking to support and will work closely with us to introduce businesses who meet our criteria.
Despite the positive outlook, the picture across the region is mixed. The latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking suggested that business confidence in the West Midlands rose to 56% in January with top areas for growth including entering new markets (43%) and investing in their team (41%). Whereas the latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) found that although businesses believe were positive about the future, recruitment was one of the biggest challenges firms faced with 57 per cent attempting to recruit, down from 71 per cent in the previous quarter.
We believe that as a region, the professional business community is thriving, with regular networking opportunities and great relationships with brokers who understand what we are looking for. It always helps get a deal over the line when we know all the professionals working for the company – broker, accountant or solicitor.
UKSE offers strategic loan and equity packages of up to £1m to generate growth, create local job opportunities and bolster the economy across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Based at our new office in Cannock, UKSE’s new local team have begun engaging with our team to support firms wanting to grow, innovate and bring employment opportunities to the West Midlands.
The West Midlands has a proud heritage for innovation. If the collaborative spirit within the investment sector can continue to make a difference, our region can look forward to more success from the businesses we support.
- To find out more about UKSE, a Tata Steel subsidiary, visit: www.ukse.co.uk
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Big Reputation: Staffordshire’s newest marketing agency launches
Staffordshire, known as the creative county, has welcomed its newest addition to the creative business club.
Big Reputation, a marketing agency dedicated to demystifying marketing for local businesses, have been founded on the principle of simplicity, with an aim to make marketing straightforward. On a mission to support local businesses, Big Reputation offers clear strategies specifically for B2B clients.
Chelsea Spencer, Director of Big Reputation, expressed her pride in the agency’s rapid progress since its inception in October 2023. “Our goal is simple: to help businesses thrive by simplifying marketing,” she stated.
“We’re not just another agency – we’re a partner dedicated to making marketing fun, effective and profitable for everyone.”
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Latest edition of Focus magazine available to read online
Staffordshire Chambers is thrilled to announce the release of the Spring 2024 edition of its highly anticipated Focus magazine, which is now available to read in full online.
On the cover of the latest edition is ‘Maxine Laceby’, the visionary founder of Absolute Collagen who recently appeared as keynote speaker at our International Women’s Day celebrations.
Focus magazine is the official business magazine of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and, launched in 1952, has a long, proud history in the local business community.
Speaking about the release, Staffordshire Chambers Deputy CEO Chris Plant, said: “We are delighted to present the latest edition of Focus magazine that provides an interesting and insightful read for businesses of all sizes and sectors.
“Focus Magazine’s themed issues provide an in-depth look at issues important to our membership; from environmental sustainability to economic updates and business features. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have!”
Click here to read Focus in full.
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Declan’s Policy Update: Events, events, events!
Last week was a hectic week at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, with the delivery of more flagship events.
During the course of the year, our Events team successfully co-ordinates a programme of more than 200 events. Some of our events bring in truly inspirational guest speakers, others will keep our member businesses informed of local and national developments, whilst others are simply about networking and making those contacts.
On Tuesday, we hosted the ‘Unlocking opportunities for your business: An expert insight into the new Procurement Act’ event. Guest speakers included Martyn Traynor, OBE (Small Business Crown Representative), who explained that there is a desire to make public sector procurement far simpler, which will help to encourage businesses of all sizes to come forward and bid for opportunities. The annual amount spent by the government on goods and services, has now topped £60billion.
The Procurement Bill received Royal Assent last year and The Cabinet Office has suggested a ‘go-live’ date of October 2024. We learned that social value is becoming an increasingly important feature of public sector procurement. Social value is all about being able to demonstrate wider benefit from the award of a government contract. Examples of social value could include creation of apprenticeship schemes for local people in order to deliver a contract, or investing in community groups to upskill local people as part of a technology bid.
We also listened to Liz Barclay, of The Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC), an independent public body set up by Government, to tackle late payment and unfavourable payment practices in the private sector. We were astonished to find that 1/3 of payments to small businesses are late, with an average value of each payment reckoned to be worth £6,142. Around 20% of small businesses have run into cash flow problems, so the devastating impact of late payments is clear to see.
Liz said that she is keen to hear from more businesses who are facing difficulties in getting paid and her services are free to use, on a non-risk basis.
On Wednesday, I joined our first Big Business Breakfast of 2024, at the Bet365 Stadium. This particular event was linked to the theme of ‘Innovative Skills Solutions’. James Timpson OBE, of Timpson Group opened the event in front of a packed audience and shared some of the tactics he has used in finding, attracting and retaining the best talent for his business.
James explained how he has recruited ex-offenders who have gone on to repay his faith in their ability by delivering exceptional performance. He shared some of the ways in which he supports an empowers his staff on a day to day basis. It was inspirational stuff and gave food for thought when it comes to staff recruitment.
Adam Whitehouse of TMT First shared the journey of how his business has grown in size, culminating in the recent launch of the very first Digital Device Repair Technician Apprenticeship, having spotted a gap in the skills market for tech repairs. This will help to build a pipeline of talent, offering more apprenticeship and job opportunities for our school and college leavers.
Perry Smith of Hays discussed the upcoming launch of the 2024 Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Workforce Survey, which offers an insight into local salary levels, helping businesses to benchmark their own salary levels to support with the recruitment and retention of staff. Watch this space for further updates.
Our Head of Business Services Tom Nadin, closed the event with an update on the delivery of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce has been appointed as designated employer representative body for the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire LSIP. Since the launch in October 2022, a high volume of activities and data gathering have taken place and good progress continues to take place, connecting businesses and training providers.
On Thursday, I joined a group of Chamber member businesses at Vale Park, when we welcomed Jonathan Reynolds MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade), in an event hosted by British Chambers’ of Commerce Director General, Shevaun Haviland. Mr Reynolds announced some of the Labour Party’s ambitions for small businesses and he was quizzed by the audience on a diverse range of topics, including energy, taxation, exporting and land value capture.
I joined Mr Reynolds on a visit to Synectics Solutions, whose premises are just a free kick from Vale Park. Synectics has been harnessing data in order to deliver effective and innovative fraud prevention solutions. The company is a great success story, having grown exponentially since it started life in 1992. After completing a very impressive site tour, we headed back to Vale Park where Mr Reynolds held a round table meeting with our Patron members.
If you would like information on any of the above events, please get in touch:
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Chris’ Blog: A brilliant Teapot Tour, Keele University MBA plans and an excellent talk from James Timpson OBEChris’ Blog:
Yesterday was the latest instalment of the Teapot Tour series, hosted by Protectapet’s Simon Davis, who is on a mission to create a new passion for the Potteries.
We started at Stoke Station, exploring the Etruia Valley on the way to Middleport, guided by local heritage podcaster Jenna Goodwin.
It was, as these tours always are, a fantastic event that really highlighted Staffordshire’s rich heritage – which included the only surviving section of Josiah Wedgewood’s original factory, the Etruria Industrial Museum as well as the former Shelton Bar steelworks site.
‘Manchester Unspun’ author Andy Spinoza shared brilliant insights from the regenerations of some of the industrial heritage sites over at Manchester. Some real food for thought!
Simon has now launched The Teapot Factory CIC, a community interest company, to take on key projects breathing new life into industrial heritage sites. Looking forward to hearing more about this as it continues to gather momentum.
You may have seen on our social media channels that we welcomed the visionary CEO of the Timpson Group, James Timpson OBE to Staffordshire on Wednesday to share some of the secret tactics he uses to hire and retain the best talent for his business.
James shared some fantastic insights around skills – an issue that is constantly flagged as a major concern for businesses during our lobbying work.
James was also joined by award-winning entrepreneur Adam Whitehouse and Perry Smith of Hays, who both shared unique perspectives into apprentices and salary levels.
Thanks to all three speakers for joining us on the day.
We were also delighted to announce that the next event in our Big Business Breakfast series which will be “Economic Insights: Positioning Your Business for Success,” where we’ll delve into the dynamic landscape of politics, economics and banking to equip your business for strategic success.
Joining us for the event will be keynote speaker Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, who will offer invaluable insights into the economic environment, shedding light on challenges businesses face and what lies ahead.
Book your space to join us on 26 June, here.
On Tuesday we welcomed Colin Rigby, Director of Enterprise at Keele University and Dr. Griff Round to Commerce House to discuss increased business engagement within the full-time MBA offered by Keele Business School.
We had some great discussions centred around the involvement of a different business within each module of the MBA to help inform its curriculum and assessment.
Hopefully this would make for a compelling proposition for both students and organisations.
Finally – today is the last day that Staffordshire businesses can submit a free Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards application.
They take 10 minutes and could unlock a range of new opportunities for your business. What have you got to lose?
Submit your free application, here.
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Staffordshire Chambers’ International Trade experts to help guide businesses through new CBAM legislation
Businesses that import goods into the UK are set to be subject to a new CBAM levy that will place a carbon price on some of the most emission-intensive industrial goods that enter the country.
The UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – or CBAM – will be effective by 2027, and targets goods from countries with a lower or no carbon price. It’s hoped that the move will ensure products from overseas face a comparable carbon price to those produced in the UK.
Businesses in the aluminium, cement, ceramics, fertiliser, glass, hydrogen, iron and steel sectors will be most impacted by these changes.
Now, experts from Staffordshire Chambers’ International Trade team are supporting businesses who have questions about what the CBAM legislation means for them.
Staffordshire Chambers International Trade Centre Manager, Allison Tomlinson, said: “The liability applied by the CBAM will depend on the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of the imported good and the gap between the carbon price applied in the country of origin – if any – and the carbon price that would have been applied had the good been produced in the UK.
“It’s hoped that the legislation will help to tackle ‘carbon leakage’ – which is the movement of production and associated emissions from one country to another due to different levels of decarbonisation effort through carbon pricing and climate regulation.
“Businesses understandably have lots of questions about CBAM and are able to contact the team here directly if they need support.”
Businesses can email allison.tomlinson@staffordshirechambers.co.uk for support with their enquiries.
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Declan’s Policy Blog: Mind the (gender) gap!
Last week, our Employment, Skills and HR forum received a very informative update on gender equality from Helen Bailey, Head of Learning and Development at Strategi Solutions.
Helen reviewed a summary of gender employment by sector. The top three sectors of employment for women, are ‘Health and social work’, ‘Wholesale and retail’ and ‘Education’.
When it comes to higher paying occupations, a study from October 2022 to September 2023 indicated that there is still a majority of males in roles such as ‘Managers, directors and senior officials’ or ‘Professional occupations’, compared to their female counterparts.
Helen’s update also looked at reasons for economic inactivity. When it comes to those looking after family or the home, this role is four times more likely to be filled by a woman than by a man.
PWC recently published a Women in Work Index, which found that whilst women’s participation in labour markets is increasing, they continue to face pay disparities compared to men. The gender pay gap widened between 2021 and 2022 in 20 of the 33 OECD countries. This includes the UK, which experienced the largest annual drop in the PWC Index of any OECD country, dropping four places from 13th to 17th place and with a gender pay gap estimated to be a whopping 14.5%.
Helen explained the many benefits of a gender balanced workforce. Studies by CMI suggest that ccompanies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability and that organisations with greater gender diversity are 1.4 times more likely to have sustained, profitable growth.
It’s barely a week since International Women’s Day, which celebrates the achievement of women and raises awareness about discrimination. It’s clear that more needs to be done if we are to narrow the gender gap. What practical measures can your business adopt, in order to close the gender gap?
How about promoting greater women’s representation at board level and development of clear and transparent parental and health policies, along with a work life balance policy. When it comes to recruitment practise, businesses can look at using inclusive recruitment initiatives and having longer shortlists for job vacancies. Any job adverts and job descriptions should include a gender decoder.
Other practical measures can include dedicated focus to close the gender pay gap and creation of a more inclusive workplace culture, to eradicate microaggressions in the workplace.
In 2015, the United Nations launched its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), encouraging the world community ‘to mobilise efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind’. A total of 17 SDG were developed, one of which (‘SDG # 5 ‘Gender Equality’) calls for greater gender equality.
Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce is proud to be a UN SDG Ambassador and we hope that more Staffordshire businesses will join us in showing their commitment to the Global Goals and the action that they’re already taking to combat major global challenges including climate change, gender inequality and poverty.
If you would like to join our Employment, Skills and HR forum and join the debate on how to develop a more inclusive and representative workforce, please contact: declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
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