Businesses tell us that they are struggling to attract and retain homegrown talent, and that school and college leavers aren’t aware of the job prospects in local firms across Staffordshire. That’s why we’re excited to be part of the British Chambers of Commerce new national initiative, Business Showcase Open Days.

Running in February 2020 these Showcase Open Days will see businesses across the country open their doors, providing a chance for local schools, colleges and universities to see first-hand the range of different career paths on offer in local businesses.

As a business you could provide, for example, a tour of your shop floor, warehouse or factory or give a presentation on site about how your business works. Maybe you could run a Meet our Staff event in your office to show young people the range of career opportunities on offer.

The hope is that it will inspire the next generation of Staffordshire’s workforce to understand the range of sectors and industries in the region and for businesses to attract and identify talent.

The Showcase Open Days will also allow businesses and schools to develop connections to help to bridge the gap between business and education.

Participation by businesses is entirely flexible – you can choose what days/times you can open your doors, what type of education provider you would like to support and how many students you could comfortably accommodate. Staffordshire Chambers will then promote your opportunities to schools across the county and will support in matching up schools and businesses based on the requirements of both.

If you would like to get involved in this national initiative, please complete the following form and return to Tom Nadin: Business Showcase Open Days Form

This information will be compiled for all businesses and a booking form will be sent to schools. Schools will then be able to choose on a first come, first serve basis which Business Showcase Open Day they would like to attend. We will then provide your details to the school for them to make contact and organise the visit.

For more information please contact tom.nadin@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce has commissioned a new ‘Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub’ to help support SME businesses in Staffordshire with the cost of bespoke training.

The fund is available to businesses from any sector, who can receive up to 48 percent of the cost of a training course up to the value of £5000.

To access the fund businesses will need to complete a needs analysis form with a member of the Skills Hub team.

Businesses can apply for funding for any bespoke course that is not currently funded elsewhere. Training such as CRM courses, accountancy courses, specialised engineering courses and training on specific business machinery are all included.

The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub was devised by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce who won ESF funding to help bridge the skills shortage in the area.

Suzanne Quinn, Project Manager of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub, said: “Any business who uses equipment or employs one or more staff member should contact the Skills Hub to see how we can support them. During our needs analysis we can identify how a business can be improved through specialised training and then we’ll help to find and fund that course.”

Sara Williams, CEO of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce said: “This is a great initiative open to all businesses in Staffordshire and we urge any business to get in touch to utilise this great opportunity”.

For more information businesses should call the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub on 0300 600 1066

We are delighted to welcome our three new presidents! Each of them will be under 40 years of age when they take up office, a first in the Chambers’ history.

New Staffordshire Chambers president, Matt Hubbard, is well known to many, having joined the Chamber in 2004 as a recent graduate of Staffordshire University with a BA in Film Production. Matt and a group of fellow graduates set up film production company, Reels in Motion, and as the company grew, so did Matt’s confidence. He became chair of Future Finest in 2011 and deputy president of the Chamber in 2017.

By coincidence, the new presidents of Stafford and Staffordshire Moorlands Chambers are both architects. Carl Croft is returning for his second stint as president, whilst the youngest president of the trio, Natalie Hewitt, is relatively new to the Chamber, having only joined in 2016.

We asked each of the new presidents what their aims are in post:

Matt Hubbard, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce: “To continue the excellent work done to date in repositioning the Chamber and its value to members. To improve engagement so that members get real value. To ensure that the Chamber is the go-to business support body in what is a very challenging period.”

Natalie Hewitt, Staffordshire Moorlands: “To give smaller SME companies in the Moorlands a bigger voice. To make sure our support reaches all parts of the district including Uttoxeter which comes under our wing and to build the great work of my predecessor Suzanne Davy who has worked tirelessly to increase membership and engagement.”

Carl Croft, Stafford: “I would like to carry on the great work of my predecessor, Phil Osman, to see the Chambers’ grow and for the Staffordshire economy to be in the best possible shape. Specifically, Stafford Chamber will be representing the members on issues such as HS2 – to get the very best rail service and economic benefits, new and forthcoming developments including digital and other infrastructure as well as promotion of the future of our town centres.”

We hope you join us in welcoming Matt, Natalie and Carl and wishing them every success in post.

Michelin Development are proud to have been instrumental in supporting a number of North Staffordshire businesses to invest and expand their operations.

Thanks to funding received, JPR Solutions (UK) Limited were able to not only benefit from ongoing business support, but have also been able to invest in infrastructure and to take on a significant number of additional staff which is a fantastic achievement for the team as they continue to grow within their chosen business sector.

Another success story is Patera Engineering who have been able to expand their business after receiving assistance from the fund. The business has benefited from two loans which has helped the team to move into larger premises, invest in high technology equipment and develop advanced Building Information Modelling (BIM). The team have also been able to make the leap into top specification projects both nationally and internationally.

Bartec Engineering Services who specialise in mechanical and electrical installation have used their loan to move into new premises. This has given the business the resource to secure larger and more prestigious contracts. The team are pleased to have been able to win impressive new sub-contractor projects that have included water recovery and treatment projects for Heathrow Airport Ltd, Thames Water, Southern Water and Severn Trent Water which helps to secure the future of the business.

Staffordshire Moorlands based Moorland Contract Cleaning have been able to move into new markets following a £50,000 cash injection from the fund. This significant sum will be used to launch a new division, providing janitorial supplies that feature greener formulations and sustainable packaging. Over the next three years, the business is forecasting turnover to double and more than 10 full time positions to be created as a result of the expansion.

Mike Cole from Michelin Development commented, “2019 has been another challenging year for businesses across the country but it is important for SMEs in North Staffordshire to know that Michelin Development continues to be there to support their growth and we look forward to hearing from more companies in 2020 both new and old with exciting plans to grow and create jobs.”

If you are inspired by these success stories and interested in finding out more about how a loan from Michelin Development could help your business to grow, visit https://michelindevelopment.co.uk/#who-can-apply

Surveying for our latest Quarterly Economic Survey is now open. We would love to hear from firms of all shapes and sizes – whether starts ups, sole traders, SMEs, medium sized or large corporations – to help create an accurate picture of the business landscape across Staffordshire.

The QES survey results will allow us to find out more about your business and some of the issues you’re having. It’s so important that we understand your challenges in order to raise these issues in national and regional government. Your responses will remain completely anonymous.

Whether you’re a seasoned director or new to your company, please spare just a few minutes to fill in the survey. Thank you for taking part!

Complete the survey here.

We’re excited to share that Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce has been shortlisted for an award in the category of Enterprise Support Organisation of the Year at the National Enterprise Network Awards.

The nomination is for the success of the Chamber programmes Boosting Women in Business, Back Her Business and Start-Up Membership. These all aim to support individuals, from any background or circumstance, to start a business through a tailored programme of workshops and one-to-one advice.

Established in 2007, the National Enterprise Network Awards recognise excellence in the delivery of enterprise support, encouraging the exchange of good practice and the development of improved services and organisations.

“We are delighted that the success of our projects has been recognised by such a prestigious institution,” said Sara Williams, CEO of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. “Through the delivery of these projects we have helped over 300 individuals with start-up business support over the last 12 months which has led to the creation of 141 new businesses”.

Alex Till, Chairman, National Enterprise Network said: “The organisations featured on the 2019 National Enterprise Network Awards shortlist have all clearly demonstrated excellence in the delivery of enterprise support or work taking place in educational settings which are focused on embedding entrepreneurial spirt and enterprise into this environment. We’ve always been proud of the work of our members and wider network and congratulate everyone who has been shortlisted”.

We’ll find out if we’ve won when the winners are announced at an award ceremony on Friday 22^nd November at Canary Wharf, London.

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who came along and was a part of this year’s Staffordshire Business Festival. Six hundred people joined us this week at Keele University for a range of talks, seminars and workshops.

Day one launched with a keynote speech by Georg Ell, CEO of the digital company Smoothwall and the former Western Europe Director at Tesla, sharing his experience in working for digital and sustainable businesses. The day then saw sessions ranging from what businesses can do to reduce their environmental impact to sustainable marketing.

The second day opened with an inspiring keynote from Kate Beardmore of Synectics Solutions, followed by interactive workshops and seminars including speed networking for social good, wellbeing within the workplace, and a mental health workshop. The day was rounded off with good food, drinks and entertainment at our gala dinner at the impressive Keele Hall.

We hope you enjoyed the festival and found it a valuable experience. The Chamber runs a programme of events throughout the year – take a look at our events calendar to see what’s coming up. https://staffordshirechambers.co.uk/events-cal/

JCB’s award-winning first electric digger will be on display on the first day of the Staffordshire Business Festival on 5^th November.

Developed at JCB’s World Headquarters in Staffordshire and built at JCB Compact Products in Cheadle, Staffordshire, the digger has impressive eco credentials and is the industry’s first fully electric mini excavator. The digger has just won the RAC’s Dewar Trophy for ‘Outstanding Technical Achievement in the British Automotive Industry’- one of the most prestigious award in the automotive industry.

“We’re delighted to be showcasing JCB’s innovative electric digger at the Staffordshire Business Festival,” says Chamber CEO Sara Williams. “Sustainable business is a key focus for the Chamber and it’s great to see businesses in the county such as JCB taking a lead on developing eco-friendly products and initiatives.”

Come along to the Staffordshire Business Festival for your opportunity to see this impressive digger.