News

A promising start to the year has prompted the British Chambers of Commerce to revise their economic projections in the Q2 Economic Forecast.

Businesses will be pleased to see that growth expectations for 2024 and 2025 have been increased to 0.8% and 1% respectively.

This comes as the economy continues its recovery following a short period of recession at the end of last year.

It’s thought that growth in the long-term is unlikely to be strong, however. The overall profile remains flat, with a headwind of a poor export outlook and high interest rates limiting investment across the board.

As this recovery remains largely fragile, and any additional changes, that be big or small, could significantly disrupt it.

Key Points from the report include:

GDP Growth: Upgraded to 0.8% for 2024 and 1.0% for 2025; steady at 1.0% for 2026.

Interest Rates: Expected to decrease gradually from 4.75% in Q4 2024 to 3.95% in Q4 2026.

Inflation: Slightly above the Bank of England’s 2% target, peaking at 2.3% in Q4 2024.

Trade: Imports and exports to contract in 2024 before modest growth in 2025 and 2026.

Business Investment: Predicted to rise steadily over the next three years.

Average Earnings: Expected to grow faster than inflation through 2026.

Unemployment: Expected to rise to 4.5% in 2024 and 4.6% in 2025, then drop to 4.4% in 2026.

During the crunch weeks of the general election campaign, businesses will be scrutinising politicians for sustainable and long-term economic plans.

You may have seen that we’re bringing eminent economist Vicky Pryce to Staffordshire just one week before the general election to offer an economic insight to local businesses.

Our first Big Business Breakfast event was a sell-out, and we had some incredible feedback from local businesses. We expect this event to be no different, especially with it being hosted at such an apt time. Book your tickets and unlock invaluable insights and networking opportunities for your business, here.

We’re also approaching the home stretch for our latest Quarterly Economic Survey. We’ve had a fantastic response and I would like to thank businesses who have taken the time to complete the survey.

If you’ve not yet completed the survey then please spare just five minutes to make your voice heard by local and national decision makers. Complete the survey, here.

A new Staffordshire-based content marketing agency is launching with a mission to blend emerging technologies with social impact.

Purpose Comms, founded by Sam Wilcox, will provide a variety of content including podcasts, video production and copywriting to SMEs.

And its the businesses’ focus on authentic narratives that will set it apart from the rest, according to Sam, who’s using her twenty years of experience in the media to help support clients.

Sam, who received support from Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce when launching her business, said: “We’re a collective of award winning content creators and our mission is simple: to make content better for businesses, audiences, and communities.

“Lots of businesses want to create content but aren’t sure where to start. We believe an authentic brand story, a cohesive content strategy with a purpose-led narrative will give content the cut through in a world that’s inundated with digital noise.”

‘I’m also really grateful for all the support I’ve had from the chamber. From networking events to signposting to support, it’s been invaluable, it’s also a great workspace for meetings too.”

The business will utilise a ‘blended’ approach, combining creativity with AI technology to offer affordable and sustainable content solutions.

Sam added: “We’re also experts at blending human creativity with AI tools to empower businesses to keep the costs of their content production down. But at the same time we don’t sacrifice quality for ease. We take a heart centered approach to content ensuring it’s high quality content to give businesses that cut through.”

“We’re really excited to bring our expertise to businesses who’re committed to creating a positive impact in the communities they serve.”

For more information, visit www.purposecomms.co.uk. For inquiries or to book a consultation, contact: hello@purposecomms.co.uk.

Staffordshire Chambers’ International Trade Centre has achieved a 100% score in its recent customs compliance audit.

Conducted by Chamber Customs on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs, the comprehensive audit evaluated the Centre’s adherence to stringent customs regulations and procedures.

A 100% score confirms that all aspects of their operations met or exceeded the high standards set by HMRC.

Allison Tomlinson, Staffordshire Chambers International Trade Centre manager, said: “This result is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our International Trade Centre team who are committed to maintaining the highest standards.

“The Chamber Customs audit is known for its rigorous standards, making the perfect score a huge achievement. It demonstrates our ability to uphold best practices consistently, thus contributing positively to the broader business community’s success in Staffordshire.

“Beyond that, we are proud to continue to offer a personal service to all of our clients and would like to thank them for continuing to use our services.”

The Staffordshire Chambers International Trade Centre also offer bespoke training packages to businesses who are interested in strengthening their international operations – or those businesses looking to go global for the first time.

Allison added: “We work with businesses of all sizes and experiences to help make the sometimes complex nature of international trade more accessible for everyone.

“The audit’s results reflects our proficiency in adapting to evolving trade regulations and its proactive approach to compliance, which is increasingly vital in today’s dynamic trade environment.”

From offering expert advice on export and import regulations to providing essential services like customs declarations and trade documentation, the Centre ensures that businesses can navigate the complexities of international trade smoothly and efficiently.

For more information on the services offered by the International Trade Centre and to take your business global, please click here

Stafford-based digital marketing agency, Stone Junction has appointed Stephanie Wood as its new Head of Digital in an expansion of its digital marketing services.

The agency created the new position as the demand for dedicated digital marketing campaigns has increased rapidly in recent years, and to ensure the production of high-quality content for clients across the STEM industry.

Wood started at Stone Junction five years ago as an account executive and, during her time with the agency, has helped develop its digital marketing services. This included overseeing the agency’s own digital rebranding in the first quarter of 2024.

Digital marketing has become a popular choice for businesses in recent years. In 2023, digital marketing spending in the UK reached £29.6 billion, an increase of 11 per cent compared with 2022.

“There’s so much potential to grow this side of the business, which is great for us but also for many of our clients and prospective clients,” explained Wood. “Companies can access digital marketing and PR services coming from a single STEM specialist agency, meaning they can take advantage of holistic campaigns covering all aspects of their marketing from content creation to optimisation.”

As digital marketing remains favourable with businesses, features like AI have a large presence in creating digital media, with 94 per cent of digital marketers already using AI in their campaigns, according to Statista. While convenient, AI-developed media impacts quality, an issue now being tackled by Google’s March update that includes prioritising human-generated content over AI-generated content in search.

Wood also explained, “Digital upskilling is an important part of this new role. This will help staff agency-wide  deliver outstanding SEO projects and ensure they are up to date with trends – like AI and Google core updates more recently. Training will be crucial for people at all levels in the business so that we can be consultative with our clients and optimise opportunities for new business.”

For more information about Stone Junction’s digital marketing services, visit www.wechangeminds.com/services/digital-marketing/. Or, to set up a meeting with Stephie, email stephanie@stonejunction.co.uk.

Finalists for the 2024 Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards will be exclusively announced in Daily Focus throughout next week. 

Readers will be able to find out who has been shortlisted by visiting the website – www.daily-focus.co.uk or by subscribing to receive the news service’s morning mail-out, which is delivered directly to inboxes by 8am. 

The finalists in three of the 15 categories will be revealed each day, from Monday to Friday, with supporting articles on a special section of the website and posts on social media platforms promoting the success stories.     

This is the 9^th year of the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of local businesses who have demonstrated exceptional growth, innovation and contribution to the Staffordshire economy.  

Winners will be announced at a glitzy award ceremony, taking place at DoubleTree by Hilton, Festival Park, in Stoke-on-Trent, on the evening of 4 July. 

Good luck to all of the businesses that have entered!

Synchronous machine specialist engineering firm Excitation Engineering Services (EES) has completed its move into a second office, in Amber Business Park, Tamworth.

The expansion of premises, doubling its floor space from 106 m² to 212 m², will enable the excitation specialist to install more engineering facilities, including more space for a testing laboratory, hire more staff and increase throughput to better serve its clients.

EES has also inspired and co-sponsored the installation of a public community access defibrillator (CPAD) outside its new property.

In the expansion, EES has acquired the other half of the building that it previously shared and renovated what was a tired, open plan, 1980s-style office into a vibrant, modern workspace. Separating the testing laboratory and storage area was key in freeing space to optimise EES’ workflow.

The move will streamline the company’s delivery times and comes after EES has grown consistently to the point where more room became essential.

Since completing the renovations, EES has added one experienced engineer, one undergraduate placement student and three graduates to its ranks. This aligns with its policy of shaping the next generation of engineers and helping to bridge the skills gap in Britain’s engineering community.

“With this move, we’re stepping into the next stage of EES’ journey,” explained Douglas Cope, director of Excitation Engineering Services. “We’ve expanded our capabilities in a big way: we’ve had clients in for training on our systems, we’ve had external bodies in to deliver training to us and the delivery time on our projects has dropped noticeably.”

Alongside the acquisition of the second half of its office building, EES has also overseen the installation of a defibrillator outside its premises. Survival rates for out of hospital (OoH) cardiac arrests can be over five times higher (10.8 per cent vs 57.1 per cent) when a CPAD is used.

After Ryan Kavanagh, a second director of EES, read about the impact of CPADs on OoH cardiac arrests on LinkedIn, he resolved to get one installed in the immediate area. EES approached the Amber Business Village committee, who all local businesses contribute a fee to, for financial support. The committee funded for the installation and parts cost, so EES only pay the electricity costs each month.

“When I learned that there are over 30,000 OoH cardiac arrests in the UK every year, I realised we had an opportunity to make our community safer,” recounted Kavanagh. “Hopefully no-one ever needs to use it, but it’s an investment in our future and the people around us.”

To learn more about Excitation Engineering Services and its excitation offering, visit the website today.

AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group, a leading provider of vocational and technical qualifications, today announced that it has been awarded a significant grant from Qualifications Wales to make high demand qualifications available in Welsh.  

The grant, a key part of Qualifications Wales’ targeted approach to increasing the availability of Welsh-medium qualifications across Wales, will enable AIM to make the following qualifications fully available in Welsh.

“We are immensely grateful to Qualifications Wales for this grant, which underlines our steadfast commitment to learners in Wales” said Kevern Kerswell, Group CEO of AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group. 

“The qualifications are already in high demand from key stakeholders in Wales and translating them into Welsh opens up new pathways for students to pursue their educational and career goals through the medium of their national language. AIM offers a much broader portfolio of qualifications and services in Wales and we are fully committed to the Welsh Government strategy Cymraeg 2050.  

“I am therefore delighted to match the support being offered by Qualifications Wales by announcing that we will commit to working with our recognised providers in Wales and Qualifications Wales, to identify demand for further qualifications to be made available in Welsh.”

This project aligns closely with Qualification Wales’s Choice for All strategy, which aims to aim to increase the availability of Welsh Medium qualifications.

“AIM has demonstrated a strong commitment to expanding access to Welsh-medium qualifications, and we are proud to support their efforts through this grant,” said Dr Alex Lovell, Qualifications Manager of Qualifications Wales. “Initiatives like this are crucial to ensuring all learners in Wales have the opportunity to study and be assessed in the language of their choice.”

These qualifications are expected to be available in Welsh from September 2024, in time for the start of the new academic year. 

For more information, contact businessdevelopment@aimgroup.org.uk  

AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group has partnered with pioneering edtech provider Learning Curve Group to offer a powerful new online learning platform to its 90+ recognised Access to HE centres.

eassessorpro offers an enhanced administration suite to support blended delivery models, providing engaging and personalised learning experiences while dramatically improving value for money.

Over the last few months AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group’s Access to HE team has worked with AIM centres to review every aspect of their Access to HE operation to ensure quality and centre support are at the forefront of everything they do.

The team has successfully re-validated 46 Access to HE Diplomas to meet new Quality Assurance Agency’s requirements, and strengthened and recalibrated moderation processes based on centre feedback.

To make sure that all AIM’s recognised centres can transition smoothly to the new Diplomas, the team has produced a range of guidance documentation, implemented a comprehensive programme of workshops and clinics, and is now out on the road visiting centres and providing personal support.

“This has been a huge undertaking for the team who are now going the extra mile (literally) by driving up and down the country making personal support visits to our Access to HE centres” said AIM Group CEO Kevern Kerswell. 

Blended delivery models 

One of the key themes emerging from centre feedback was the need to offer the highest quality programmes when delivering flexible, blended learning. “This was a clear message that we needed to respond to, so we made the decision to form a new partnership with sector leading Learning Curve Group” said Kevern. “We’re absolutely thrilled to join forces with Learning Curve Group, who have established themselves as trusted partners to over 250 colleges nationwide. Their industry leading learner management system, eassessorpro, incorporates the latest online technology for e-assessments and e-learning, and specialist subject matter” Kevern added.

The eassessorpro platform

The former eassessor platform received a million-pound investment from LCG. Eassessorpro now has enhanced learner interactions and feedback and will initially support eight re-validated Diplomas, offering content mapped to AIM’s bespoke specifications. It also allows for white-labelling and branding so individual organisations can add their own logo. 

Many AIM colleges and training providers are already using eassessorpro for other curriculum areas and qualifications so for them, it will be one less platform to use. Licensing fees also compare very favourably against competitors, but it is the quality of the platform, the content, and the support available for users that are going to be real benefits for AIM centres. 

“We are extremely proud to partner with one of the most highly rated AVAs and offer AIM centres this best-in-class solution”, said Tom Aust, External Client Services Director at Learning Curve Group. “Our platform seamlessly blends innovative teaching methodologies with advanced tech capabilities.”

Book a demo

New or current AIM delivery centres can book a free demonstration of the new platform by emailing businessdevelopment@aimgroup.org.uk. The platform will be available for use from September 2024.

This partnership demonstrates AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group’s commitment to providing exceptional support and cutting-edge solutions to Access to HE providers across the country.

Local youth charity Ruff & Ruby has been formally presented with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in a ceremony led by Lord Lieutenant, Ian Dudson CBE.

The King’s Award is the highest award that a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. It recognises the charity’s work in energising, engaging and empowering young people to realise their value across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

The ceremony, which took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton, was attended by Lord Lieutenant, Ian Dudson, patron Jan Williams, BBC presenter, Beccy Woods and Patron and actor, Rachel Shenton, who joined remotely via video link.

Speaking after being awarded the King’s Award, Dawn Reynolds, founder and CEO said: “We are honoured and delighted that our group’s work has been recognised – we wouldn’t be able to deliver our extensive work in the community & staff our all-age community hub in the Potteries centre, impacting the lives of young people as a homegrown local charity without our fantastic volunteers.

“We believe in investing in ‘lived experience’ and volunteers bring their ‘No struggle, no story ‘DNA to the table which we highly value.

“They work tirelessly to support young people & the wider community of Stoke on Trent from the age of 13-65 – they are incredible, passionate and loyal – wow, we are blessed.”

Find out more about the work of Ruff and Ruby, here.

Business owners and leaders are being urged to complete the new Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2024 to help inform policymakers on the challenges facing businesses in our local area.

This is one of the most important times for businesses across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to complete the QES as firms continue to battle headwinds of skills shortages, inflated costs and supply chain disruption.

The information you provide will help to shape policy thinking as the data is shared with the British Chambers of Commerce, Government departments including HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office as well as the Bank of England.

We are keen to hear from firms of all shapes and sizes as it will help create an accurate picture of the current business landscape.

Whether you’re a seasoned director or relatively new to your company, please spare just a few minutes to fill in the anonymous survey.

We understand your time is precious, even more so now, so thank you to all those who complete the survey. Click here.