Managed IT and Data Security Specialists, CT, now have 15 women in a range of senior and supporting tech roles, finance and sales, accounting for just over a third of their workforce, way above the national average.

Across the technology industry women are still massively under-represented, a mere 16% of employees in the tech industry are women.  This has a knock-on effect within the industry.

Ian Snow, MD of CT remarks, ‘We are extremely proud of this balance and of the support and flexibility we provide many of the working mums here at CT.  There is a massive need for more IT talent to continue to provide exceptional customer service to organisations. By tapping into the potential female talent out there, demonstrating through our own role models the opportunities for a rewarding career, coupled with providing the opportunity to work around busy work life/home life, we may just meet the huge demands of businesses across all sectors.’

There is a big challenge to help raise the profile of women in tech.  It is widely acknowledged that attracting women into technology is a challenge. Boys are more than twice as likely to be encouraged to work in tech at school.

Ian Snow, MD of CT remarks ‘The way we talk about technology needs to change to help bring about change and perceptions of the IT industry.  Technology is an industry enabling remarkable advancements from business processes to consumer experiences to helping automate processes that can help a business rocket or even save the environment! You also don’t have to be technical to have a successful career in the technology industry. Technology companies need every type of role, whether it be technical superstars, sales leaders, HR staff or digital marketing gurus.  By promoting the diverse job functions required to do all these things, there is a real opportunity to attract a more diverse pool of people to the table.’

CT will be showcasing their inspiring role models across all areas of IT, from sales, through to finance, team leaders and technical support specialists.  They are also looking at hosting women in tech events at their CT offices later in the year, where stories can be shared and people can be inspired.

East Midland Chamber* has today written to Boris Johnson to congratulate him on his appointment as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.

In the letter, the Chamber urges him to resolve Brexit as quickly as possible so that businesses can move forward, free from the doubt and uncertainty created by repeated delays and constant bickering in Parliament and with the EU.

Scott Knowles, the award-winning Chamber’s Chief Executive, said: “It is essential that the Brexit issue is now resolved. Business wants to invest, it wants to plan for three, five and ten years ahead, it wants to know that it will have access to skilled workers, it needs to know what future trading relations will be, both with the EU and the rest of the world, and it needs to know what costs it will face.

“Given a clear direction, business will go back to excelling at what it does best, which is to drive economic growth through the creation of jobs and wealth, something that it has found hard to do while mired in the doubt and uncertainty of Brexit.”

The letter calls for a more business-led focus on domestic issues, as set out in the manifesto the Chamber delivered to Westminster in November with the support of many regional MPs, officials and business leaders.

The manifesto – Delivering a Great Future – sets out four clear goals:

• Connect Us – make sure we have the infrastructure business needs to succeed
• Get the Basics Right – give us education reform that aligns to the needs of business, fix the broken business rates system that discourages investment in property, plant and people and encourage more equitable public procurement practices
• Realise our International Ambitions – minimise tariffs, place business needs at the heart of trade agreements, fund expanded trade missions, remove Air Passenger Duty and maximise the potential of regional airports, and
• Boost Our Competitiveness – Recognise the importance of diversification and innovation in current funding structures, support supply chains from the bottom up and the top down, increase R&D incentives, provide funding for leadership and management training and align the Shared Prosperity Fund with Industrial Strategy priorities.

Scott said: “Brexit has proved to be major planning challenge for business, but it’s not the only one. There are many domestic issues that need to be delivered and we are calling on Mr Johnson to look at those issues with new eyes and create a domestic environment that shouts to the world that UK plc is most definitely open for business.

“Mr Johnson has a brief window of opportunity to initiate change. Focus solely on Brexit to the detriment of domestic issues and the opportunity will quickly disappear, resulting in years more of the same, which is something we don’t want to see happen.”

Chesterfield Champion Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP) has further strengthened the delivery of its building control service across the county with the appointment of experienced building control surveyor Natalie Harwood.

Based out of the company’s Derby office, Natalie will be covering Heanor and Ripley working with builders, architects and property owners in the area.

Natalie is one of a number of new appointments made recently by the company across both its offices in Chesterfield and Derby. The new appointments support DBCP’s aims to be the building control service provider of choice in Derbyshire.

She boasts 20 years of building control experience having started her career as a trainee with Nottingham City Council in 1999. Prior to that, Natalie completed a shop fitting apprenticeship.

She commented; “My shop fitting experience gives me an appreciation of the pressures and constraints that the construction industry is currently under. I believe it’s important to take a partnership approach to deliver the best outcome for all concerned. This is at the very core of how DBCP operates and what attracted me to the company.”

Natalie joins DBCP at a time of growth for the company. As it responds to the construction boom in Derbyshire and the increased need for building control services.

Delighted to join the DBCP team, Natalie added: “My job is my passion. I am fascinated with structures and how buildings go together. I consider myself very lucky to call my job my hobby.”

DBCP is the recommended building control service provider in Derbyshire and is responsible for ensuring that all new construction, conversions, alterations and extensions are built to a minimum standard and meet certain health, safety and welfare standards.

To learn more about DBCP and available job opportunities, please visit www.dbcp.co.uk or call 0333 880 2000. 

The number of people in work in the East Midlands continues to rise, according to figures released this morning.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed there were 7,715 more people in work in the region in period between March and May 2019 than in the preceding three months.

There were 50,987 more people in work than a year ago and 80,984 more than two years ago.

Due to a rising population in the 16- to 64-years-old age range – the measure used by Government – the number of people out of work increased by 179 between March and May, by 7,480 compared with a year ago and by 16,835 compared with two years earlier.

The unemployment rate for the East Midlands was 4.2%, a 0.1% improvement on the previous month’s figure but consistent with the figure for the previous quarter. The UK figure was 3.8%, with England being 3.9%.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire rose by 1,320 in June compared with May according to the ONS today.

Nationally, the East Midlands had the highest percentage of jobs in the production sector at 14.4%.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at award-winning East Midlands Chamber*, said: “Once again the figures confirm what our own analysis tells us, that East Midlands businesses are creating jobs and wealth despite continuing political machinations and uncertainty about Brexit, which bodes well for the region and the national economy for when stability returns.”