Apprentice Town

Brand new Apprenticeship Hub opens in Chesterfield

Learning Unlimited’s brand new Apprenticeship Hub in the heart of Chesterfield College is now open.

The information hub – in the heart of the college on Infirmary Road in Chesterfield – will be open daily from 8:30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30am to 4:30pm on Fridays, to give individuals the chance to get one to one advice and find out more about apprenticeships.

“We’re here to offer advice and guidance to anyone considering an apprenticeship,” said Learning Unlimited’s Operations Manager, Leah Shortt. “There are so many apprentice opportunities available at the moment and we’re here to make it easier for people to find the right job role for them and help them find the right route to their dream career.”

“Apprenticeships are a great way to get quality training and valuable work experience. Apprentices are employed, earn a wage and get the opportunity to study at the same time. All apprentices – no matter what their age, their role or level – gain real industry experience, benefit from on-the-job and off-the-job training and receive support throughout their apprenticeship.”

The hub is equipped with all the information needed about a wide variety of apprenticeship opportunities from engineering and construction, hairdressing and beauty to catering, business administration, IT and marketing. There’s the opportunity to pick up information about new opportunities and the different training available. The team will be on hand to offer support and guidance through the entire application process.

Leah added: “There’s no need to make an appointment. People are very welcome to just stop by and say hello. We’re a friendly bunch and we look forward to welcoming people to our new space and offering the advice and help that they may need.”

Apprenticeship Hub chesterfield College

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield

Deadline looms for Enterprising Women nominations

The annual quest to find the region’s most successful and inspirational businesswomen will end soon after Christmas.

The final deadline for nominations for the 2019 East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) Enterprising Women Awards is Friday 4 January.

Winners will be announced at a glittering, ‘little black dress’ dinner on 8 March –International Women’s Day.

Eileen Richards, Founder of ER Recruitment, a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and one of the Co-Chairs of Enterprising Women, said: “If any enterprising women have time over the Christmas break – between balancing work and family through the holidays – then it would be an ideal time to nominate themselves or someone else for an award.”

“Enterprising Women is all about finding and recognising women who make a serious contribution to the regional economy, often successfully balancing work, keeping home and motherhood but not always being acknowledged for what they achieve.”

There are seven awards to be won this year: Business Woman of the Year, Social Commitment, Apprentice of the Year, Female Employee of the Year, Female Entrepreneur of the Year, Team of the Year and Small Business of the Year.

Co-Chair Jean Mountain, a Past President at East Midlands Chamber, said: “By highlighting their contribution and telling their stories, hopefully we can inspire other women to pursue their business dream, which is why I would urge as many people as possible to send in nominations for the 2019 awards.”

Chamber membership is a requirement for nominees, however anyone can nominate. For more information click here. For an application pack email ew@emc-dnl.co.uk or call the Chamber’s events team on 0333 320 0333 and select ‘option 2’ when prompted.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield

Local female entrepreneur chosen as science Community Leader

Local entrepreneur Ann Fomukong-Boden has been chosen by the British Science Association (BSA) to become one of its new Community Leaders.

Ann is a STEM Ambassador, Electronic Engineer and Director of Chesterfield-based Kakou Technologies. Ann is one of twelve individuals from across the UK chosen to take part in the programme. The aim of the Community Leaders programme is to harness the passion and ideas of the individuals, enabling them to deliver sustained public science engagement throughout the year.

Since 1994, the BSA has organised British Science Week, an annual grass-roots celebration of science and engineering that runs over 10 days every March.

For the past three years Ann has organised Science Week events in collaboration with Brampton Brewery, Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery, Monkey Park Community Cafe, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council and Pavements Shopping Centre.

Ann said: “I’m very proud to be chosen by the BSA as one of their first Community Leaders. Many people find it hard to engage with or relate to the sciences; it is still seen by many as a difficult subject that is not useful later in life. However, we all use and rely on the sciences every day, for example, using our mobile phones, cooking, applying make-up or going to the pub.”

“Working with local organisations, I’m hoping to build a network which can share and promote each other’s STEM related activities and events.”

In the New Year, Kakou will start offering a mixture of creative arts and technology-based workshops designed for people looking to learn or discover new skills. The first workshop will be a Raspberry Pi session for total beginners (parents, teachers and hobbyists) held at Chesterfield Library in January 2019. More information can be found here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Made in Chesterfield

Local charity gains award for apprenticeship programme

Derwent Rural Counselling Services has truly embraced its apprenticeship programme and it’s that dedication to the programme that has earned it the title of Learning Unlimited’s Employer of the Month for November.

Derwent Rural Counselling Services provides counselling services across Derbyshire and the Peak District, which now has several offices at locations including Chesterfield, Alfreton and Bakewell. The trust works with individuals suffering from common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress and long term conditions.

Receiving the award, Chief Executive Officer, Janette Smeeton, said: “We’re delighted to be recognised as Employer of the Month. Recruiting people with the right skills had been proving difficult for us in the past but our apprentices have really become a big part of our team.”

“With apprenticeships, we have been able to help new staff grow, learn new skills and gain valuable experience. They’ve each become valuable members of our team and we want to see them take on extra responsibility as time goes on.”

When Rosie Allison joined Derbyshire’s Derwent Rural Counselling Services as an apprentice, little did she imagine that she would be recruiting apprentices herself just a few years later.

Rosie’s has risen through the ranks and within five years she has gone from Apprentice to Deputy Operations Manager. Rosie now manages the office and is helping others to follow in her footsteps.

She explained: “When I was welcomed to Derwent Rural Counselling Service five years ago as an apprentice, I did not realise I would have had as much help, support and encouragement to be where I am, doing what I’m doing today. My apprenticeship helped me with the knowledge and skill set I needed to progress and support the organisation.”

“I hope I’m able to continue that level of support for others, and mentor the newer apprentices well and encourage them to grow. It is great to see them become more confident in the workplace and develop. The organisation has grown and achieved so much over the past five years and I’m so pleased I have been a part of it.”

Chloe Milner, 22, joined the team three years ago as a Business Apprentice and now after completing her apprenticeship has progressed to Data Protection Practitioner with the team. Meanwhile, the organisation’s most recent Business Administration Assistant, Ruby Russell, 28, has just celebrated her first anniversary with the organisation. “I’m really enjoying it here,” she said. “It’s a varied and interesting role and I very much feel part of the team. It’s got a lovely atmosphere.”

David Higham, Commercial Director at Chesterfield-based Learning Unlimited, presented the award and said: “It is clear that Derwent Rural Counselling Services have a real commitment to their apprenticeship programme. They are a good example of why apprenticeships work so well. Organisations that succeed are those that grow their own talent and ensure that their businesses are in safe hands for the future.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Made in Chesterfield

New Vice Principal joins the Chesterfield College team

Anna Jackson recently joined the Chesterfield College management team as Vice Principal for Learning, Skills and Innovation. She is working alongside Directors at the college to develop academic and technical provision and to drive forward the college’s quality and improvement plan.

Anna brings a wealth of education experience and a track record of curriculum improvement and working in partnership with local industry to develop the skills needed.

Following a career in industry, Anna joined the education sector around 15 years ago. Her first role in further education was in Leicester, where she initially worked as a lecturer but she quickly joined the management team.

Anna left her role as Head of Faculty for Business, ICT, Technology, Engineering and Construction at Birmingham Metropolitan College to join Chesterfield College. During her time in Birmingham she worked on key projects such as setting up the region’s Rail Academy working with stakeholders such as the National College of High Speed Rail.

Anna said: “I know from my short time in this job that this is a college which puts learning at the heart of what it does and I am looking forward to being part of that. A huge part of my role is to work with the team to improve performance and progress of learners and to develop Chesterfield College’s offer to ensure we are providing quality further education for students and employers.”

“I am keen to work with schools, employers and the Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure that we are developing study programmes with progression and the local economy in mind. We will be working hard to raise learner aspirations and ensure they move on to positive destinations.”

Anna will play a key part in growing the college’s engineering and advanced manufacturing provision and a number of other projects to meet the needs of the region.

Chesterfield College open days

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Made in Chesterfield

Arvato supports local young people through digital skills training partnership

Arvato’s team in Chesterfield has backed a training initiative designed to equip young people in the region with digital skills.

As part of Arvato’s sponsorship of the Digital Advantage project, which took place at DCAS Chesterfield, they have supported twelve 16-18-year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to improve their employability and digital skills. The best performing students have been offered work placements at leading companies across the region.

Digital Advantage is a pop-up digital agency, run by The White Room who provide training and apprenticeships for companies working in or with digital media. The agency captures the energy of the digital revolution that is sweeping around the world to bring industry trainers, work experience and digital skills into colleges or schools.

They were supported by industry leaders who guided them in the development of a prototype digital business, website and video pitch to a panel of experts. The various tasks support the students to deepen their understanding of digital businesses and learn how to successfully break into the industry.

Arvato has previously sponsored the scheme in Sefton, offering work placements to two young people taking part in the initiative to help kick-start their careers.

Damon Bruce, Head of Operations at Chesterfield, Arvato UK & Ireland, said: “Creating opportunities for young people in our local area is really important to us, helping them unlock digital talent and developing skills that will be crucial to the success of businesses up and down the UK. The Digital Advantage scheme is a fantastic initiative that helps the participants to develop their creative and digital knowledge and translate this into a work environment.”

“After the success of the scheme in Sefton we’re excited to see the results of the Chesterfield project. We’ll be following the project closely as we look out for the next generation of talent in the digital world.”

For more information on the Digital Advantage programme please click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development

Chesterfield Champion wins accolade in National Apprenticeship Awards

Apprentices and employers from across the country joined together on Thursday to celebrate their successes during Learning Unlimited’s very first ever National Apprenticeship Awards.

During a glittering ceremony at Pond’s Forge in Sheffield, awards were presented to businesses and individuals in recognition of their dedication, work and commitment to developing a skilled workforce though apprenticeships.

TV personality and journalist, Helen Fospero, presented the awards to those who had been chosen from the hundreds of nominations received from peers and managers.

The team at Chesterfield-based Heathcotes Group received national recognition when they were awarded the Large Employer of the Year title for demonstrating their commitment to developing apprentices in their company.

Heathcotes’ Managing Director, Brendan Kelly, said: “Winning this award is a fantastic achievement for all of the people involved in training and apprenticeships at Heathcotes. Health and social care is currently a very challenging sector and bringing on talented and dedicated people through apprenticeships is vital to achieve a sustainable model for high quality care.  Heathcotes and our learning partners, the Chesterfield College Group, have developed a work-based learning programme which has proved to be exceptionally successful in creating employment and developing careers, both locally and nationally. We have achieved almost 600 apprenticeship starts over the past five years, with an 82% increase in apprenticeship starts between 2013/14 and 2017/18.”

Mark Bennington, Vice Principal Commercial Services and Enterprise at the Chesterfield College Group, said: “The Learning Unlimited National Apprenticeship Awards provided us with the opportunity to recognise the value of apprenticeships and the employers who are invested in the apprenticeship model.”

“Each award presented during the evening represented the positive impact on each and every one of those individuals and businesses. We look forward to working with our apprentices and businesses over the coming year and look forward to next year’s Apprenticeship Awards!”

And the rest of the winners were:

Newcomer of the Year

Winner: Bumbles Day Nursery

Finalists: Tameside Radio and Briggs of Burton

Investment in Apprentices

Winner: Read Roper Read

Finalists: MVIS, Accrofab and Alphaweld.

Partner of the Year

Winner: Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union

Finalists: Slack and Parr, NTAR and Tulip Ltd.

Small Employer of the Year

Winner: Wilson Howe.

Finalists: Sherwood Electronics and DOR Electrical

Medium Employer of the Year

Winner: Graphoidal Developments Ltd

Finalists: Ashgate Hospicecare and Refresco.

Large Employer of the Year

Winner: Heathcotes.

Finalists: Bombardier and Tarmac.

Employer of the Year

Winner: Derbyshire Constabulary

Outstanding Contribution to Delivery

Winner: Stef Monks

Finalists: Jennifer Dyke, Helen Payne, Mark Dixon, Fliss Shaw, Jonathan Price, Martin Thomas, James Lund, Wendy Taylor, and Kate Barker.

Chesterfield College Group’s Principal’s Award

Winner: Stef Monks

Intermediate Apprentice of the Year

Winner: Tillie Woolliscroft (MVIS)

Finalists: Jessie Lambkin (David Mason Design), and Jake Banton (Bombardier).

Advanced Apprentice of the Year

Winner: Luke Bunting (Bombardier)

Finalists: George Sheldon (MVIS), and Polly Oakes (Fifteen).

Higher Apprentice of the Year –

Winnner: James Bateman (Derbyshire Constabulary).

Finalists: James Marshall (Royal Mail), and Cameron Landa (Bombardier).

Dedication to Apprenticeship –

Winner: Amy Flint (Blackwell Primary School).

Finalists: Liam Quinby (Bombardier), and Sian Jones (Royal Mail)

Apprentice of the Year

Winner: Kyle Stewart (DEB Chemicals)

Chesterfield’s Heathcotes Group were awarded the Large Employer of the Year title.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Chesterfield business relaunches as a dedicated commercial training provider

Continuing its 50-year history in the Chesterfield business community, NLT Training Services has successfully relaunched as a dedicated commercial training provider.

Recognising the need to multi-skill people within the workplace to better enable companies to manage skill shortages, NLT has developed a range of commercial training courses.

Specialising in training for the manufacturing and engineering-related training, NLT now also offers bespoke packages, specifically created to match the training needs of businesses.

Supporting the refocus of the business, NLT has also launched a new, more user-friendly website which includes an online booking system for its range of health and safety course. A new, centralised telephone number has also been introduced to make getting in touch with NLT even easier.

The new training offering has been welcomed by businesses operating in the sector.

According to research from the Open University, three in five firms say that the skills shortage in the UK has worsened in the last year. More than half (53%) expect recruitment problems to deepen in the next year as we leave the EU.

91% of employers surveyed revealed that a lack of available talent was affecting their business. Upskilling and cross-training existing workforce has been identified as a solution to the immediate skills shortage.

The company’s re-focus follows the move to cease operating as an apprenticeship training provider. Keen to build on 50 years’ experience working with businesses throughout the region, the company refocused its efforts earlier this year to concentrate on its commercial training offering.

NLT continues to be led by Chief Executive Sarah Temperton, who said: “This is a time of transformation for NLT. Although early days we are have a strong team and are building our commercial training offering to reflect the ever-diversifying needs of businesses.”

“We also want to give something back to businesses, so we are looking at developing a bursary to help more people enter the industry in order to address the skills problem.”

Posted in Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Made in Chesterfield

Education and business sectors join forces to launch 12-month Made in Chesterfield campaign

A year-long campaign, which is sponsored by University of Derby, has been launched in Chesterfield to get more young people interested in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

Established in 2014, Made in Chesterfield has traditionally been a month-long festival held during November. To mark its fifth year, the campaign has now been aligned with the National Curriculum and will run throughout the next 12 months.

Organised by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, the Made in Chesterfield campaign brings together businesses and employers in the sector with schools and education providers.

This year, the campaign is supported by key employers in the local STEM sector, including Chesterfield Police, MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar, Kingfield Electronics, Aztec Oils, Penny Hydraulics and Trans-Tronic, who are all opening their doors to teachers and pupils who are keen to know more about careers and jobs on offer.

Since establishing Made in Chesterfield, the campaign has resulted in over 2,500 young people from schools spending time in the area’s manufacturing and engineering businesses. School visits to businesses operating within the STEM sector are being organised by Derbyshire Education Business Partnership.

Chesterfield College has also credited the initiative with helping to make a difference to the awareness of careers linked to STEM subjects. The number of students studying STEM subjects at the College has increased from 265 last year to 440 in 2018.

Launched at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, the move to a 12-month campaign follows news that Spanish train manufacturer Talgo is considering investing in a £9 million innovation centre at Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

Speaking at the launch Dr Peter Dewhurst, Commercial Director, University of Derby, said: “Since opening the University’s Campus at St Helena’s in October 2016, the University has worked hard to support the town with us enrolling over 400 new learners and engaging with 12 local businesses to deliver Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. However, we are keen to do more to support the community and local businesses in achieving their potential and one way we are looking to achieve this is through our support for the Made in Chesterfield campaign.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “Talgo’s recent interest in Chesterfield has further put the spotlight on the town’s engineering and manufacturing sector. Our central location, engineering heritage and knowledge base makes us particularly attractive to companies operating within the STEM sector.”

“It’s a very exciting time for Chesterfield. We have the core ingredients to make the area a national hub of excellence for manufacturing and engineering. Initiatives like Made in Chesterfield which bring together education and business are so important in helping the town attract further investment to increase both job numbers and opportunities for everyone.”

Clare Talati, Director of Derbyshire Education Business Partnership said: “We have seen this initiative grow each year and we actively encourage all schools to get involved; bringing the world of work to life for learners is at the core of what we aim to deliver and the commitment made by local businesses is fantastic and not to be missed.”

In addition to the University of Derby, Made in Chesterfield is also run in partnership with MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar Ltd, NatWest and Placing Futures.

To find out more about Made in Chesterfield and how you can get involved, please visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/made/.

launch Made in Chesterfield campaign

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Countdown to first National Apprenticeship Awards

Apprentices and employers from across the country will join together on 22 November for Learning Unlimited’s very first ever National Apprenticeship Awards.

The evening of glitz and glamour at Pond’s Forge in Sheffield sets out to celebrate national apprenticeships and recognise the hard work, dedication and commitment made by organisations over the past year.

The shortlist has been completed and the celebration is now just weeks away. Winners will be announced during the ceremony, which is being compered by TV personality and journalist, Helen Fospero.

Invitations have been issued and places are filling fast but there are some remaining tickets still available for the extravaganza that includes a drink on arrival and three course meal along with music and dancing until 1am.

Mark Bennington, Managing Director at Learning Unlimited, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing everyone together for an evening of celebration. It will be the perfect opportunity to recognise the amazing achievements made by apprentices and businesses.”

“It’s also a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the successes of the past year with colleagues and also network with other businesses.”

Awards will include Intermediate Apprentice of the Year, Advanced Apprentice of the Year, and Higher Apprentice of the Year to recognise those apprentices who have demonstrated an outstanding approach to their development. There will also be a special Dedication to Apprenticeship Award for the apprentice who has gone above and beyond their role as an apprentice.

Employers have also been shortlisted across six categories of awards that are designed to recognise companies who have shown a commitment to developing their workforce through apprenticeships. There are also two further categories of awards for individuals who have provided outstanding support to apprentices in the workplace.

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Top restaurant revealed at Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

Less than two years after opening, Bottle and Thyme has been named as Chesterfield’s Restaurant of the Year, taking the top honour in the town’s 2018 Food and Drink Awards organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Chesterfield College.

Based on Knifesmithgate in Chesterfield town centre, Bottle and Thyme was one of 13 bars, restaurants, food producers, cafés and individuals to scoop an accolade across 15 categories.

Now in its sixth year, the awards ceremony recognises the very best in the town’s growing food and drink sector. Once again held at Chesterfield College’s Heart Space building, the awards ceremony was hosted by celebrity chef, Lesley Waters, who explained: “I was delighted to host the 2018 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards.

“There is a real passion amongst food and drink businesses in the area for using locally sourced produce. As well as supporting local business, it’s about using fresh ingredients and creating great food. I firmly believe the best food is made with passion and there is plenty of that in Chesterfield.”

Since opening in December 2016, Bottle and Thyme has made a big impression on the town’s food and drink scene. Last year, it took home the titles of Best Newcomer and Best Customer Service, in the 2017 Food and Drink Awards.

Hannah Grainger, Owner of Bottle and Thyme said: “It feels incredible to win Chesterfield’s Restaurant of the Year. We were so happy to win the two awards last year and, this year, we are ecstatic to win this – it means so much. We try to use as many local suppliers as we can and always try and make our menu seasonal to change it up; keeping things exciting.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “Once again the awards have been a tremendous success and reflection of a thriving sector in Chesterfield. The awards – in terms of nominations, businesses and guests, increase year on year, and 2018 was no exception. They epitomise everything that is great about the Chesterfield hospitality scene – great food, drink and partnerships between both the business community and education sector.”

This year, the awards saw the introduction of two new categories – Apprentice of the Year and Apprentice Employer of the Year, recognising the contribution that apprenticeships make to the hospitality industry.

Corey Elliott, an apprentice chef at The Lilypad Café & Restaurant was named as the Apprentice of the Year, while Stephenson’s Tea and Coffee House was named as the Apprentice Employer of the Year. Stephenson’s’ owners, Claire and Sam Wood had cause for double celebration on the night after being named as the Café/Tea Room of the Year.

Chatsworth Road-based Junction Bar was also a double winner on the night scooping the awards for Pub/Bar of the Year and Best Customer Service.

More than 250 people attended what has become the biggest night of the year for Chesterfield’s food and drink community. Held in association with The Chesterfield College Group, the awards are also a hands-on learning experience for the College’s hospitality students, who prepared and served a two-course menu at the event.

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of The Chesterfield College Group said: “I am delighted that the role of apprenticeships in the industry was celebrated for the first time this year, alongside the achievements of the Young Chef of the Year finalists.

“We are training the next generation of catering and hospitality experts both in our classrooms and working with employers through apprenticeships, so it is fantastic to be able to inspire them by helping to showcase successful businesses in the sector.

“I am very proud of our catering and hospitality staff and students who have worked hard to prepare and serve an amazing meal for guests, which highlights the quality of their work and their professional approach.”

Lesley Waters added: “Having worked in education myself as a former Head Tutor of Leith’s School of Food & Wine and now owning my own cookery school, it is very exciting to see Chesterfield College and its budding chefs of the future so actively involved with the town’s foremost food and drink event.”

To see all of the winners of the 2018 Chesterfield Food and Drink awards, visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards/.

Supporters of the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards include Apprentice Town, Banner Jones Solicitors, BHP Chartered Accountants, Casa Hotel, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Building Control Partnership, Derbyshire Times, Elder Way (Jomast Developments), East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire), FEAST (The Food and Drink Forum) Hoods Florist, Jumble Creative Design, Juxta-Post Media, Kier Group, Learning Unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group), MSE Hiller, Owen Taylor & Sons, Peak FM, Reflections, Shorts Chartered Accountants, Reflections, Steve Faulkner and Winster Foods.

bottle and thyme

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Christmas, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting