First For Business March 2015

THE MONTHLY INDEPENDENT VOICE OF BUSINESS IN THE SHEFFIELD CITY REGIONFREE TO COMMENT FREE TO CHALLENGE FREE TO YOU EVERY MONTH

MARCH 2015www.ffb-online.co.uk

@ffbmagRMC

TTHHEE NNEEXXTTGGEENNEERRAATTIIOONNTeacher Amy Hirstinspires girls tostudy engineering

NATIONALAPPRENTICE

WEEKFocus on

quality training

001 FFB Mar15_Layout 1 27/02/2015 15:48 Page 1

Recently installed at ourSheffield headquarters11 meter height of lift12,500 KG capacity with 27 meter span

002 FFB Feb15_Layout 1 23/01/2015 09:51 Page 1

CONTENTS First For Business MARCH 2015

www.ffb-online.co.uk

Editor Chris [email protected] Editor John YatesChief Feature Writer Julie Farmer

Chief Sub Editor Richard AbbeySub Editor Richard Smith

Operations Director Jillion WoodPublishing Manager Mandy [email protected]

Studio Manager Chris BrierleyDesign Dan Wray, Steve LeversNew Media ManagerTerri Moore

Regional Magazine Company 6 Broadfield Court Broadfield Business Park Sheffield, S8 OXFTel: 0114 250 6300

Email: [email protected]: www.ffb-online.co.uk

CONTENTSMARCH 2015

AGENDA 10Britains first advanced manufacturing

innovation district is to be built betweenSheffield and Rotherham. John Yates

looks at where the idea came from andwho will turn the dream into a reality

CHANGING ATTITUDES 13UTC Sheffield engineering teacher Amy

Hirst is on a mission to encourage morewomen to take up a career in the sector

YOUNG AND TALENTED 14Julie Farmer looks at the positive impact

apprenticeships are have on young people,businesses and the economy as a whole

DREAM TEAM 20Social networking can be a great way to

grow your business. Our Dream Teamexperts off a few suggestions to help youget the most from your internet strategy

WE CAN MAKE IT! 26Julie Farmer takes a look at the thriving

manufacturing activity in the city andsurrounding areas

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 32Women across the region put their best

feet forward as International WomensDay approaches

MOTORING 41The new release from McLaren is veryspecial but comes with a very special

price tag

HOW TO... 47Take on an apprentice, by Dale

Robinson, head of sales and marketing atThe Source Skills Academy

WORK & PLAY 48Round-up of news, achievements,

celebrations and new faces

10 THINGS... 50That keep event organisers coming backto Sheffield, by Emma France, marketingmanager, business tourism and trade at

Marketing Sheffield

48

8

32

FRONT COVER:UTC Sheffield engineering

teacher Amy Hirst

26

14


Discover what Apprenticeshipscan do for your business.Visit www.learningunlimiteduk.comor call 0845 850 1055.

Carol Smy Victory Design

with Apprenticeships

busyM

y ml SoraCngisey DrtociV

sesni bus

s

busyMx esi

sesni busgindanpx

enticeshipswith Appr

sg

enticeships

004 FFB Mar15 25/02/2015 11:32 Page 1

Apprenticeships provide anexcellent way for businesses of allsizes to grow their own talent butsmall businesses can benefit the most. Asthe apprenticeship offer develops andthe number of young people taking upapprenticeships increases there is a realopportunity for small businesses to tackletheir skills shortage and barriers togrowth. This year National ApprenticeshipWeek is encouraging small businesses tolook at how an apprentice can give thema competitive edge.

Learning Unlimited, part of theChesterfield College group, has seen asignificant increase in the number of smallbusinesses they work with over the lastfew years. Paul Champion, operationsdirector at Learning Unlimited, reflectedon why the development ofapprenticeships is so attractive to thissector of the economy. He said: Smallbusinesses often have the problem offinding a way to grow sustainably. One ofthe barriers to growth is filling the skillsgap in an affordable and effective way.

Apprenticeships can be the solution.With funding and tax incentives, provenincreased productivity and theopportunity to shape the workforce in the way that is specific to your needs apprenticeships make goodbusiness sense.

The Centre for Economics and BusinessResearch have identified that productivityimproves by as much as 214 per weekwhere an apprentice is employed. Otherresearch has shown that 96 per cent ofbusinesses which have taken on anapprentice believe that their companyhas benefited.

Carol Smy, from Victory Design inClowne, told us why apprenticeshipswork for her small business. I find iteasier to mould a young person into theVictory culture if they learn on the jobwithin the organisation. I can shape how Iwant them to work, she said.

It is a really cost effective way to get thetalent you need to take your business inthe direction you want it to go.

As an apprenticeship provider, LearningUnlimited works with businesses todesign and deliver a solution that isrelevant to the needs of the businesssectors in the region. They offer over40 frameworks in areas as diverse as electrical engineering to pharmacyservices.

Phil Staveley, a director at PhoenixProperty Management Solutions Ltd,explained how Learning Unlimitedhelped his business As a small businessowner, I was keen to understand moreabout apprenticeships and how theycould benefit my business. LearningUnlimited took the time to understandme and my business needs and explainhow an apprentice could support ourplans for growth.

To find out more about how an apprenticecan help you to grow your business callLearning Unlimited on 0845 8501055 orvisit www.learningunlimiteduk.com

GROW YOUR OWNAPPRENTICESHIPS ARE A GREAT WAY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO DEVELOPTALENT FOR THEMSELVES, WRITES JULIE FARMER

Apprenticeships canbenefit smallbusinesses in a wholerange of areas, saysLearning Unlimited

TRAINING First for Business MARCH 2015


5


FLEXIBLE TERMSSmall Units

Available


National Apprenticeship Weektakes place this month, throwinga welcome spotlight on thelatest quality training that is leading anew generation of motivated youngsterstowards meaningful qualifications andlong-term employment in secure andthriving industries.

In this issue of First For Business weexamine the positive impactapprenticeships have on young people,business and the economy.

While this is obviously good news forthe next crop of school leavers, theimpact on businesses is also hugelyencouraging. Apprentices help businessesgrow their own talent, shape the skills ofemployees and increase productivity.

Currently, more than 100,000 employersin England offer apprenticeships in200,000 locations, covering more than170 industries and 1,500 different jobs. Ifyou are an employee looking to take onapprentices for the first time, we askedDale Robinson, head of sales andmarketing at The Source Skills Academy,to answer some of the key questionsthat may be preying on your mind.

Not so long ago, these opportunitieswould have been regarded as mainly forbright young men, but that is no longerthe case. A new generation of femaleshas been bitten by the engineering bug,

inspired by teachers like this monthsFirst For Business cover star, Amy Hirst.The only girl in her school year taking A-level engineering, Amy is now a 24-year-old engineering teacher at UTC Sheffield,and is determined to encourage morewomen to follow in her footsteps.

If the current crop of local would-beengineers is looking for inspiration, theycan find it on their doorstep on anarrow strip of once-contaminated landon the border between Sheffield andRotherham. The site where miners andthe police fought hand-to-hand battlesthree decades ago is now the venuechosen by Rolls Royce to manufactureturbine blades for jet engines using smarttechniques and technologies developedin collaboration with some of the bestand brightest university post graduateengineers in the world.

One visitor to the AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre(AMRC), American business mogulBruce Katz, went so far as to claim thatthis was Sheffields moment; anopportunity to use the regionsadvanced manufacturing and materialsskills to make its mark on the world.

But is it really that simple? Consultanteditor John Yates looks at the origins ofAMRC and the roles all interestedbodies, from universities to politicians toprivate enterprise, have to play to ensure

PREVIEW

PREVIEW First For Business MARCH 2015


@

CHRIS WILSON, EDITOR

Facebook: Regional Magazine CompanyTwitter: @FFBmagRMCLinkedIn: First For Business magazineEmail: [email protected]

the best possible economic outcome forSheffield City Region.

Along with an aptitude for high techindustry, our area has no shortage ofentrepreneurs in many different fields...take Chikumo Fiseko as an example. This21-year-old business student at theUniversity of Sheffield has not waited forgraduation before making her mark. Sheis already running two businessesalongside her studies, and has set herselfthe target of being namedBusinesswoman of the Year before sheturns 30. Chief feature writer JulieFarmer went along to see what drivesthis dynamic Zambia-born, Sheffield-raised student.

Along with a look at the latest motorsappearing in a company car park nearyou soon, and more words of wisdomfrom the First For Business Dream Team,that is just a taste of this edition of FirstFor Business. Let us know what you thinkby tweeting us at @ffbmagRMC

7


TRAININGFor a Brigh

t Future

We have apprenticeships available in: RetailSalesCustomer ServiceWarehousingAdministrationHospitalityManagementMarketing

The Source Skills Academy0114 263 5600 | [email protected] | www.thesourceacademy.co.uk

For more information call 0114 263 6651 or email [email protected]

can do for your

Discover what an apprenticeshipbusinesstoday

008 FFB Mar15 25/02/2015 11:35 Page 1

For many years, The Source SkillsAcademy has been organisingapprenticeship recruitment events attheir flagship building oppositeMeadowhall. Recently, we have steppedup the frequency of these events becauseof the high demand for apprentices fromemployers within the Sheffield Region.Held in The Sources conferencing suite,our recruitment team works hard toensure that employers are matched withthe right candidates who are looking forwork in all sectors from Retail, Hospitality,Marketing, Warehousing and BusinessAdmin.

Additionally, our links with the SheffieldCity Regions Skills Made Easy projectallows candidates to exploreopportunities in many diverse industriesfrom Engineering and Manufacturing toHair and Beauty.

Sourcing the right placement for thecandidates is our number one aim. Theapprenticeship fairs have been a greatsuccess in part due to involvement frommany different partners, including SYPTEwho have been able to advise candidateson their best traveloptions tointerviews androutes to workusing publictransport.

Collaboration withJob Centre Plusand the WorkProgramme hasenabled us toreach even morecandidates whocome along tohave theopportunity toapply for over 100vacancies.

During the event, candidates are able topick up top tips on what is involved in anapprenticeship. Parents are also welcometo attend and have found the event hashelped them to understand whatapprenticeships can offer their child andthe job satisfaction and training these

opportunities provide.

An apprenticeship may not be the rightroute for everyone and we have manyother different solutions available such aspre-apprenticeship training andtraineeships. The most importantoutcome is that each candidate is guided

towards the right support, informationand guidance to suit their needs.

The recruitment fair is also open toemployers allowing them to conductinitial interviews with candidates on theday. Full details on how employers can getinvolved can be provided by contactingone of our team on 0114 2636654.

Our next recruitment fair on the 13March will be our biggest to date. Thereare lots of opportunities and wewelcome anyone who would like to findout more about apprenticeships toattend and get involved.

Dale Robinson, Head of Sales andMarketing, said: Apprenticeships are thefuture. Employers are getting increasinglyinvolved and this is reflected in the highvolume of vacancies available right now.

RIGHT FOR THE JOBFirst For Business MARCH 2015 APPRENTICESHIPS


The SourceSkills Academy

Job Fair

at The Source, 300 Meadowhall Way, S9 1EAAll welcome

13th March 2015 - 12pm-6:00pm

Apply for over 100 local apprenticeship vacancies

For more information call 0114 263 6651 or email [email protected]

skillsmadeeasy

The Ss ASkill

ecuroThe Semyadcs A

s ASkillb FJo

0 M0e, 3croue St Tha wellA15 - 10ch 23th Mar1

emyadcs Aairb FFa

, S9 1EAyy,al Wlahowdae0 Mmeolc we2pm-6:00pm15 - 1

ac0 loer 10or ovy fpplA

call information e moror F 0114 263 6651 r oemail .ceships@thesourceacademyapprentic

aaaaaamaeekeksksksksksksaaaaamamamamakksksksksksaaaaaamamamamakkkkkkkkkkkkkkksksksksksksskemmmmmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaeaaeaeaeaeeaaeaeaeeeeeeeeeeeea

sncieaacp visheictenpprl aa

o.uk.c

yyyydysdsdddsssaaaakk ssssss

eeseeeeedeylydyldddddyydddsssasaaaiaikkikkk ssssssssssssssssslslsslslslslslslslslslslslslllllllllllllllllllllllilililililililililiikikikikikikikikikikikikikikikikikikkkkeddaa eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedededdddddddddddddadadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayssssyyyyyyyyssa yyyyyyyyyyyssssssssssasasasaaaaaasy

Apprenticeshipsare the future.Employers are

gettingincreasingly

involved and this is reflected in the

high volume of vacancies

available rightnow.

THE SOURCES RECRUITMENT FAIRS ARE HELPING EMPLOYERS TO FINDTHEIR PERFECT APPRENTICES.

9


Manufacturing is back soclaimed Californias Kelly Klineon a recent visit toRotherham and Sheffield. The economicdirector of Fremont one of the 39cities that form the heart of the high-tech Silicon Valley was on a fact-findingmission to the region with Bruce Katz,Vice President of the BrookingsInstitution and one of Americas mostinfluential think tanks.

The couples visit culminated in Katzgiving a public lecture to a packedaudience of researchers and industrialistshosted by the University of Sheffield,whose Advanced ManufacturingResearch Centre (AMRC) had been thechief focus of their attention and theprincipal object of their transatlanticjourney.

Katz and Kline were clearlyoverwhelmed by what they saw growingon a narrow strip of once contaminatedland on the border between Sheffieldand Rotherham. I am taken aback by thescale of this, said the former advisor toUS President Barack Obama on his visitto the AMRC.

Where, three decades earlier, strikingminers had fought hand-to-hand battleswith the police, Rolls Royce now

manufacture turbine blades for jetengines using smart techniques andtechnologies developed in collaborationwith some of the best and brightestuniversity post graduate engineers in theworld.

It is this culture of collaboration betweenuniversity and industry that so impressedKatz and Kline. It is also the reason whyCabinet ministers continue to fight forthe right to cut the first sod, or top outthe first roof, in the succession ofdevelopments that chart the remarkablegrowth of the AMRC and which ledthe Prime Minister to recently cite theAMRC during Question Time as beinginstrumental in the revival ofmanufacturing in our country.

Inevitably, David Camerons comments,and the Kline/Katz visit, have once againput the role of the AMRC and Sheffieldstwo distinct, but complementary,universities at centre stage. Katz himselfwas unequivocal: This is Sheffieldsmoment. Your capability in advancedmanufacturing and materials is distinctiveglobally, and your culture of collaborationacross business, university and localgovernment aligns well with the newnetwork model of innovation growth.

Within moments of the visit, local

politicians were talking of Sheffield andRotherham becoming the UKs firstadvanced manufacturing innovationdistrict and linking its development tothe wider argument about the so-calledNorthern Powerhouse and thecontentious issue of the North/Southdivide.

Sheffield Cabinet member, Leigh Bramall,argued that: we need to accelerate thenext generation of growth by ensuringthat our investment in innovationcontinues and that the area is physicallyconnected, transit-accessible andtechnically wired, with spaces designedfor open innovation to deliver a placewhere skilled workers want to live, workand play.

The latter part of this statement was astraight lift from Katzs most recent work,The Rise of Innovation Districts: A NewGeography of Innovation in America,which examines where Americasrecovery and economic growth willoccur and what shape it will take.

The first thing to note is that theinnovation districts described by Katz arerather different to the AMP/AMRC which, instead, looks strikingly like thesuburban corridors of spatially isolatedcorporate campuses, accessible only by

BUILDING A FUTUREBRITAINS FIRST ADVANCED MANUFACTURING INNOVATION DISTRICT IS TO BEBUILT BETWEEN SHEFFIELD AND ROTHERHAM. JOHN YATES LOOKS AT WHERETHE IDEA CAME FROM AND WHO WILL TURN THE DREAM INTO A REALITY.

First For Business MARCH 2015


Adrian Allen andKeith Ridgway

10

010 - 012 FFB Mar15_Layout 1 27/02/2015 14:17 Page 1

car, with little emphasis on the quality oflife or on integrating work, housing, andrecreation which Katz sees as anoutdated model.

By contrast the new wave of innovationdistricts described by Katz are locatedclose to the metropolitan heart of citiesand are open, collaborative and wiredenvironments that offer mixed-usedhousing, office, and retail.

Again, this is not the case with theAMRC, whose founders quiteprofoundly disagreed with the idea ofincorporating retail and recreation intothe model they were constructing(fearing it would just become anotherout of town retail experience with abusiness park tacked on the side).

Likewise, the AMRCs global commercialpartners have been none too keen onthe open source collaboration whichKatz sees as integral to the wired andnetworked innovation district. Instead,they jealously guard the secrecy of whathappens in the AMRC to keep acompetitive edge over their rivals.

It is no surprise, therefore, that ratherthan advanced manufacturing, theexamples of innovation districts that Katzcites are chiefly in the rapidly expandingdigital and app economies what isknown in the UK as tech cities and bestexemplified in Londons Shoreditch.

As Katz says, innovation districts attractan eclectic mix of firms in the appeconomy and high tech sector as well asin high-value, research-oriented sectorssuch as life and material sciences, cleanenergy, and data computing. They arealso home to companies in highlycreative fields like architecture, design,theater production, advertising, andmarketing. We even see a return tocities of small-scale and customisedmanufacturing, made possible by 3Dprinting, robotics, and other advancedtechniques.

So, rather than showing the City Regionis heading in the right direction, as oneRotherham councillor claimed, Katzsanalysis would indicate that Sheffieldcould be following an old model, which

the likes of Research Triangle Park inNorth Carolina are now having tochange.

Here is Katz again: Perhaps the greatestvalidation of this shift (to innovationdistricts) is the fact that traditionalexurban science parks like ResearchTriangle Park in Raleigh-Durham arenow responding with efforts to meet thenew demand for more vibrant andcollaborative work and livingenvironments.

Doubtless the founder of one of theUKs most successful digital industries,Lee Strafford, who recently left the cityregions Local Enterprise Partnershipover its failure to promote the regionsdigital economy, will have a view onwhether his idea of open collaborativetech cities is more closely aligned to theKatz model than the AdvancedManufacturing Park.

So what are the implications of Katzsthinking for the AMRC and Sheffield?Local politicians talk of accelerating thenext generation of growth. >>>

AGENDA

THIS IS SHEFFIELDS MOMENT. YOUR CAPABILITY IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING ANDMATERIALS IS DISTINCTIVE GLOBALLY, AND YOUR CULTURE OF COLLABORATION ACROSSBUSINESS, UNIVERSITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ALIGNS WELL WITH THE NEW NETWORKMODEL OF INNOVATION GROWTH. BRUCE KATZ

Factory 2050 will be an integral part of theAdvanced Manufacturing Innovation District

11


First For Business MARCH 2015 AGENDA


While this might sound superficiallyattractive, is putting the pedal to themetal at this stage the right approach?What do those who have steered theAMRC to such success thus far thinkabout having to drive even faster? Andare our politicians, who are often caughtdriving under the influence of animpending election, really the bestpeople to judge how fast an enterpriseshould be travelling?

The lessons from the recent past inSheffield are instructive. The success ofthe AMRC is not the result of someabstract economic blueprint dreamt upinside city hall, or the creation of a costlyconsultancy-driven masterplan, but theresult of a back-of-a-fag-packet ideacooked up between two utterly inspiredindividuals Technicuts Adrian Allen andthe University of Sheffields ProfessorKeith Ridgway.

Both Kline and Katz were savvy enoughto realise this. The development at theAMRC has been really organic andthat is just the way the world works. Ithas evolved in a very interesting way,said the diplomatic Katz. What he waseither too polite to say or had notbeen apprised of is the fact that thefertile seeds of the AMRC, first sown in2004, took root and flourished largelybecause the University of Sheffield madethe brave and bold decision to retaincontrol of the ambitious project fromthe start, rather than hand it over to thepoliticians.

Despite pressure from local and regionalpoliticians and particularly from thethen Regional Development Agency,Yorkshire Forward Allen, Ridgway, andthe then Vice Chancellor, Bob Boucher,held their nerve and kept faith in theirvision for a South Yorkshire Centre ofExcellence (what Allen, always the jokerin the pack, liked to call psycho).

Since those early days, various politiciansand policy makers have laid claim tobeing the legitimate parents of theAMRC, but few if any of these claimshave been taken seriously. The DNA ofthe AMRC is to be traced not in thepainful labour that eventually produces astrategic economic plan but in the closecollaboration between a university thatexcels in engineering and materialsscience and some of the biggest playersin the global aerospace sector.

In other words, it is the leadership teamat the University of Sheffield that hasbeen the key to the continued success

of engineering and the AMRC. Indeed,two years ago the universitys high-flyingengineering faculty overtook Cambridgefor research income generated. Theirambitious plan is to topple ImperialCollege London from the top slot andto become number one.

So who will create the innovationdistrict? The challenge for councillors isto enable the citys two universities tobuild on their success. This requires asubtle, light-handed approach: anapproach where politicians defer to theskills and knowledge of two remarkableinstitutions rather than try to imposethings from above. Whether this can bedone in a political system based moreon box ticking resulting in dubiousstatistics for jobs created, jobs saved, andapprentices trained than realoutcomes and added value, is the bigquestion.

Local politicians now say that the resultsof the Katz/Kline visit will be used toprogress a masterplanning process andundertake infrastructure and economicassessments, as well as transportmodelling studies, news that wasgreeted with audible groans frombusiness leaders who think that Sheffieldand Rotherham have been flooded withmasterplans over the years.

To name but a few, we have had theRegional Spatial Strategy, the GrowthPlan, the Regional Economic Strategy, theCity Centre Masterplan, the SheffieldAirport Masterplan, the Sheffield MoorsMasterplan, the Sheffield EconomicMasterplan, Sheffield City RegionTransport Strategy, LTP3 Action Plan,Public Transport Action Plan all ofwhich we were told would boost jobsand get the city moving again.

Politicians love plans. Labour politiciansespecially. The reality is we have more thanenough plans. Endless post-mortems havebeen conducted on what happened tothe old economy. Much less is being doneto build the new one. What makes thisopportunity different to those in industry,who have witnessed the launch of far toomany plans, is that the two universities arenow moving closer to taking a leadershiprole in the economic fate of the region.

But, if there has to be a masterplan forthe innovation district, perhaps we coulddo worse than ask the AMRCs AdrianAllen if he still has his scribbled sketchfor the South Yorkshire Centre ofExcellence, which he took with him to StLouis all those years ago. After all, it wasthat back-of-a-fag packet drawing whichhas taken the AMRC to where it is today.Now that is a plan.

THE FERTILE SEEDS OF THE AMRC, FIRST SOWN IN2004, TOOK ROOT AND FLOURISHED LARGELY BECAUSETHE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD MADE THE BRAVE AND

BOLD DECISION TO RETAIN CONTROL OF THEAMBITIOUS PROJECT FROM THE START, RATHER THAN

HAND IT OVER TO THE POLITICIANS.

12


When Amy Hirst was at schoolshe was the only girl in heryear taking an A-Levelqualification in engineering.

Now an engineering teacher at UTCSheffield, Amy, 24, is determined tochange attitudes. She wants toencourage more women to take up acareer in engineering to address thedramatic shortfall of skilled talent goinginto the industry.

Engineers change the world, they helpto solve its problems, said Amy. I loveengineering because it is creative andexciting, practical and theoretical, andinvolves problem solving.

Engineering involves designing andmaking things. Its very rewarding to seea product evolve from design toproduction. Its really important that wetell girls and boys what engineering reallyinvolves, and explain the fantastic careeropportunities out there, to dispel myths.I advise young people to keep an openmind.

UTC Sheffield is for students aged 14 to19. The first institution of its kind inYorkshire, it specialises in two sectorswhere there are regional opportunitiesfor business growth. These are advancedengineering and manufacturing, and thecreative and digital industries.

Students complete mainstreamqualifications, including GCSEs and ALevels, as well as technical ones.

Employers shape the curriculum so thatwork projects and skills development arepart of it.

Amy teaches engineering to Year 10 andYear 12 students, and as part of theircurriculum the students work withemployers on industry projects.

Amy, who has a BSc in Product Design,and a Post Graduate Certificate inEducation in engineering from SheffieldHallam University has already seen herconfidence rewarded with a marked risein applications from girls for places atboth Year 10 and Year 12 in 2014/15across both advanced engineering andmanufacturing and the creative anddigital industries.

Currently the UTC has 440 students onits roll, 78 of which are female thisamounts to 18 per cent and is anincrease on last year.

There has been a view that engineeringis male-dominated but that is way out ofdate, said Amy.

Anyone within engineering knows howdiverse and multi-skilled the industry isand I do believe that the understandingof this is changing rapidly. We are farfrom the end of this journey of change,but it is great to be able to see a futurewhere young people, both boys and girls,are much better informed about theindustry and opportunities around them.

It has been, and continues to be, a hugepassion of mine and I firmly believe thatall the hard work introducing youngpeople to the profession is fantastic forthe future of the industry.As UTCSheffield grows, the number of girlsstudying engineering is growing with it.

This is not only great news for us, it isvitally important for the future of theworkforce. As the industry starts to beseen as a non-gender specific andexciting and international career the skillspool will essentially double in size. Thisalone will ensure a wider range of skillscoming through into the workplace. Theindustry needs the talent we are growingright here at UTC Sheffield.

UTC SHEFFIELDENGINEERINGTEACHER AMY HIRSTIS ON A MISSION TOENCOURAGE MOREWOMEN TO TAKE UPA CAREER IN THESECTOR. JULIEFARMER REPORTS.

ENGINEERING First For Business MARCH 2015


CHANGINGATTITUDES

13


Its National Apprenticeship Week from9-13 March and what better time tocelebrate the effect apprenticeshipshave had for both individuals andbusinesses?

Thousands of apprentices across thecountry have already received topquality training and gone on to securelong-term employment in secure andthriving industries.

For learners the benefits ofapprenticeships are plentiful. They giveyoung people and adults theopportunity to earn while they learn inreal jobs, gaining real qualifications andexperience.

But the businesses that take onapprentices benefit too, in a number ofways. In fact, 96 per cent of employerswho take on an apprentice reportbenefits. Apprenticeships help businessesto grow their own talent and shape theskills of employees. They can alsoincrease productivity, with businessesreporting an average increase inproductivity of 214 a week when theyhire apprentices.

Small businesses are eligible for a 1,500grant to help cover the cost of starting anew apprentice aged 16-24. Employerscan claim support for as many as five

apprentices and the grants do not haveto be repaid.

Nick Wilson, deputy director, Employerand Delivery Services for the NationalApprenticeship Service in the NorthEast and Yorkshire, said: Apprenticeshipsare thriving in England. They arebecoming an increasingly popular optionfor businesses and its easy to see why.They enable companies to grow theirown workforce, providing highly-qualifiedand motivated employees.

Apprenticeships also offer ambitiousunrivalled career prospects, enablingpeople to get in and go far with some ofBritains leading companies, providingopportunities for individuals to fullyrealise their potential and maximise theircareer progression.

Currently, more than 100,000 employersin England offer apprenticeships in200,000 locations, covering more than170 industries and 1,500 different jobs.

National Apprenticeship Week iscoordinated by the NationalApprenticeship Service and is designedto celebrate apprenticeships and thepositive impact they have on individuals,businesses and the wider economy. Ahost of activities will take place acrossthe country.

Sue Husband, executive director,Apprenticeship and Delivery Services atthe Skills Funding Agency, said:Apprenticeships continue to grow, bydelivering work for young people andadults, enabling them to earn while theylearn in a real job, gaining a realqualification and a real future.

Apprenticeships help businesses todevelop their own talent pool,something that is helping thousands ofbusinesses to shape the specific talentsneeded in their workplace.

National Apprenticeship Week getsbigger and better each year. I am verymuch looking forward to seeing how theactivity in 2015 helps to further raise theprofile of apprenticeships; whilstcelebrating the important role they havein equipping people with the skills thatthey need to prosper in their lives.

For information on what is happeningduring apprenticeship week, please visitGov.uk and search for NationalApprenticeship Week. To find out moreabout apprenticeship opportunities, contactthe National Apprenticeship Service on08000 150 600 or visit the websitewww.greatbusiness.gov.uk/taking-on-an-apprentice

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE THRIVING IN ENGLAND AND THE SHEFFIELD CITYREGION IS NO EXCEPTION. JULIE FARMER LOOKS AT THE POSITIVE IMPACTTHEY HAVE ON YOUNG PEOPLE, BUSINESSES AND THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE.



YOUNG &TALENTED

14


DID YOU KNOW? n 1,000 businesses are now

involved in designing the newapprenticeship standards

n There have now been over twomillion apprenticeship starts since2010

n In 2014 the most popularapprenticeship was health andsocial care

n 88 per cent of apprentices stay inemployment after finishing theirapprenticeship; 71 per cent withthe same employer

n Women make up 55 per cent ofapprentices

n 19 per cent of apprenticesprogress to higher education

n Apprenticeships contributed anestimated 34billion to the UKeconomy in 2014

NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

CASE STUDY:TATA STEELTata Steel is a multinationalcompany producing steel forindustries including aerospace,defence and rail. At theStocksbridge site in South Yorkshire,Tata Steel Speciality Steels makesspeciality steel products andcurrently employs 70 apprenticeson advanced apprenticeships asLaboratory and Science Technicians.

Apprenticeships are extremelyimportant for Tata Steel SpecialitySteels to ensure we have sufficientskilled employees to meet ourcurrent and future needs, explainedTony Goddard, training manager. Asour business is fairly bespoke, werequire our apprenticeships to becomplex and intensive.

In 2010 the company opened itsown on-site training facility, deliveringapprenticeship qualifications such asBTEC Level 3 in Electrical andMechanical Engineering.

Recruiting apprentices has allowedTata Steel Speciality Steels to meetvital business requirements.

Tony said: Our apprenticesspecialise after their first year ofbasic engineering training, ensuringthat the business has key individualswith skills sets to match areaswhere our company is vulnerable.

For example, the process controltechnician role is a position wherewe have struggled for several yearsto maintain our expertise. Byselecting and specialisingapprentices, we now have threeyoung people on this pathway.

The success of theseapprenticeships is shown by the factwe currently have a 98.5 per centretention rate, giving us theconfidence to continue to investeach year in the recruitment andtraining of apprentices.

The company was recognised forthe quality of its apprentices at theNational Apprenticeship Awards2014, being named Large Employerof the Year for the Yorkshire andHumber region. It has also beenincluded in the list of the Top 100employers of apprentices in 2014.

3REASONS TO TAKE ON AN APPRENTICE:1. IMPROVE YOUR BOTTOM LINEApprenticeships deliver real returns to your bottom line, helping to improveproductivity and competitiveness. Training apprentices can also be more cost effectivethan hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.

2. FILL YOUR SKILLS GAPSApprenticeships deliver skills designed around your business needs providing the skilledworkers you need for the future. They also help you develop the specialist skills youneed to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in your sector.

3. MOTIVATE YOUR WORKFORCEApprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that investedin them. Remember, an apprentice is with you because they want to be they havemade an active choice to learn on the job and a commitment to a specific career.

15


/BrinsworthTraining /AMEETraining

/brinstraining /AMEETraining

/BrinsworthTraining /AMEETraining

01709 389520 01709 389520

Apprenticeship ProvisionBoasting Success RatesAbove National Average

www.brinsworthtraining.co.uk

Engineering TrainingDelivered From Experience

SPECIALIST

FREE AFFORDABLEApprenticeship

RecruitmentService

FLEXIBLEDelivery Models Designed To Meet Employers Needs

Training SolutionsTo Meet The Requirements

Of A Rapidly ChangingEmployment Sector

SPECIALISTrainingEngineering T Deliv y Models Designed erDeliv

FLEXIBLEom Experiencerered FDeliv

rainingEngineering TTDeliv

s Needsero Meet EmployTToy Models Designed erDeliv

atesBoasting Success RvisionoApprenticeship Pr

rainingthTorw/Brins

/brinstraining

rainingthTorw/Brins

01709 389520

.uk.cothtrainingwor.brinswww

geeravl AAve NationavAboatesBoasting Success R

raining /AMEET

raining/AMEET

raining/AMEET

01709 389520

016 FFB Mar15 25/02/2015 11:37 Page 1



Brinsworth Training, who specialise inengineering apprenticeships,provide a growing number ofprogrammes designed to meet the needsof aspiring engineers and effectivelymatch them with employers to fill theindustry skills gap.

Whether its a machinist, maintenance ortechnical apprentice, Brinsworth have theindustry-trained tutors on hand to trainthe engineers of the future. As a trainingprovider Brinsworth are always looking atdiversifying into other areas and havewidened the current apprenticeship offerto include Business Administration andWarehousing frameworks to fulfil furtheremployer demand.

Technology is changing all the time inengineering and Brinsworth Training haveresponded by investing heavily in a newCAD suite enabling them to offer 2Dand 3D courses, as well as other bespoketraining packages. CAD training can beprovided as an NVQ unit for apprenticesand for training new and existing stafffrom industry. This, alongside their currentup to date CNC programming suite,enables them to provide specific technicalskills that both candidates and employersrequire.

Brinsworth Training recently supplied 12engineering apprentices to Alcoa at itstwo former Firth Rixson sites in Sheffield.The US metals giant took over FirthRixson, the global leader in aerospacecomponents in a deal worth 1.7bn. Aspart of their programme the apprenticesundergo 14 weeks of intensive, basicengineering training at BrinsworthTraining and then are released intocompany where they will be assessed ontheir NVQ Level 3 whilst returning onday release to Brinsworth.

Skill and staff shortages in themanufacturing and engineering sectorsare an underlying structural problem thatis worsening, threatening businesscompetitiveness and undermining growth.It is clear that current market approachesand solutions are not working and,without employers taking a proactiveapproach, the situation will worsen.Individual employer investment alone inskills and workforce development will notresolve the issue and a collectiveemployer strategic response is needed.

Jen Bramley, Brinsworth TrainingsOperations Director said: The newEmployer Ownership Pilot (EOP) fundingscheme allows Brinsworth to establishand develop new products, services anddelivery mechanisms that are fit forpurpose, enabling them to deliver trainingresponding to industry innovations andtechnological advancements withincreased flexibility.

The scheme has an employer boardwhich collectively sets the strategicdirection and Brinsworth Training wouldwelcome more employers in the SheffieldCity Region to get involved and join theboard.

As part of National Apprenticeship WeekBrinsworth Training are supporting theTeenage Cancer Trust by hosting anumber of fundraising events. The staff atBrinsworth are organising a 5-a-sidefootball tournament, along withemployers and apprentices at RotherhamFootball Centre.

There will be a Great Brinsworth BakeOff , a Winter Warrior-style Iron Manevent and other activities.

To find out more and donate, please visitwww.justgiving.com/BrinsworthTraining

CONTACT:Brinsworth Training LtdSheffield Road, RotherhamS60 1BNTel: 01709 389520Email: [email protected]

TRAININGFOR THEFUTURE

BRINSWORTH TRAINING PRIDES ITSELF ON RESPONDING QUICKLY TOINNOVATIONS AND ITS LATEST INVESTMENT KEEPS IT AT THE CUTTING EDGE.

We have successfully secured90 unemployed learners into

employment opportunities across allsectors.

Brinsworth Training

I honestly don't know where tobegin. Brinsworth Training gave me a future.

Shameel Handfield

Following our successful recruitment ofyet another Brinsworth-trainedapprentice, I just wanted to thank youand your team for their efforts inconsistently fulfilling the (sometimesurgent) requirements of our business.

Richard Cook Castings Technology International

17


Supporting you to recruit new talent, train your staff and develop your business

Contact us to nd out how Barnsley College can benet your business

Email: [email protected]: 01226 216 166Web: www.barnsley.ac.ukTwitter: @BCApprenticesFacebook: BarnsleyCollegeApprenticeships Barnsleycollege

Supporting Apprenticeship Week913 March 2015

Ap

prent

iceships

Fl

exib

le pro

fessional courses

Rec

ruitment services

018 FFB Mar15 25/02/2015 11:40 Page 1

SUPPORTING GROWTHBARNSLEY COLLEGES RANGE OF TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT OPTIONS ISTAILORED TO ENSURE YOUR BUSINESS REALISES ITS FULL POTENTIAL.

For more information on BarnsleyColleges business support call01226 216 166, [email protected] or visitwww.barnsley.ac.uk



Barnsley College is offeringorganisations a range of support,recruitment and training options tohelp grow their business and developtheir teams.

Whether businesses are looking to recruitnew members of staff, train existingemployees or provide opportunities foryoung people to gain valuable workexperience, the college can help.

Working with over 700 employers acrossthe region, the college understands that allbusinesses are unique with individualneeds and organisational demands. This iswhy Barnsley College has developed asuite of recruitment and training optionswhich include bespoke services andadded value.

RECRUITMENTBarnsley College wants to help businessesto identify and develop the best people, atthe right level, with appropriateexperience for the job. Whetherorganisations could benefit from full time,part time or temporary staff, BarnsleyCollege can assist, free of charge. Thecollege works with school leavers, existingstudents, alumni and those affected byunemployment and redundancy. Thismeans the college has access to a rangeof individuals with a breadth ofqualifications and experiences who are alllooking for opportunities in localbusinesses.

TRAININGThe college provides a variety of flexibletraining options to meet the diverseneeds of individuals and businesses.

n Traineeships provide businesses with ashort term staffing solution and theopportunity to offer young peoplevaluable work experience.

Trainees undertake high quality workpreparation training to meet the needs ofyour business, English and maths training(if required) and a work placement, whichcan last up to six months. After this point,your business can choose to offer thetrainee a paid position or continue to

provide opportunities to other trainees.

n Barnsley College provides over 50different apprenticeship programmesacross all industry sectors, meaning almostall businesses can benefit. Apprenticeshipsprovide your organisation with anenthusiastic member of staff, who iscommitted to training, professionaldevelopment and pursuing a career inyour business. Apprentices typically spendone day per week in training, where theylearn the theory and technical expertiserequired to succeed in business, and fourdays in the workplace where they willwork with and support your staff.

With Level 5 and Level 7 programmesavailable in Team Leading andManagement, you can upskill yoursupervisors and management teams.

n Barnsley College and UniversityCampus Barnsley offer a range of flexible,part time higher education professionalcourses, ranging from HND, HNC andfoundation degrees to specialistpostgraduate programmes.

INVESTING IN INDUSTRYBarnsley College is committed todelivering outstanding training in state-ofthe-art, industry standard premises. Thesefacilities provide students with simulationworking environments preparing them forwhat they will find in the work place.Employers can be sure that their staff are

being trained using the latest tools andtechniques by tutors with a wealth ofindustry experience.

The coming year is set to be an excitingone for the college with two brand newsites set to open later in 2015.

The colleges new 10.9m constructioncentre at the Honeywell campus is due toopen this September and the 18mBarnsley Sixth Form College campus onSt Marys Place is due to open in the2015/16 academic year. These sites are inaddition to the recently openedHoneywell Sports Village, the new Science,Technology, Engineering and Maths(STEM) Centre and an extension atWigfield Farm.

Regardless of the size or nature of yourbusiness, Barnsley College can work withyou to grow. Barnsley College works witha huge range of businesses across a widerange of sectors. The colleges employerengagement team works very closely withbusinesses to establish the precise area forimprovement and develops a solution tomeet these needs. The team will alsosupport you to access any funding andgrants that may be available.

With current apprenticeship success rates18 per cent above the national averageand employer satisfaction levels at 92 percent, where better to train your staff?

The colleges new 10.9mconstruction centre due to

open this September

19


THINK SOCIALSOCIAL NETWORKING CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS. OURDREAM TEAM EXPERTS OFF A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU GET THEMOST FROM YOUR INTERNET STRATEGY.



LISA LEIGHTONPARTNER AT BARBER,HARRISON & PLATTYour digital plan should support youroverarching business plan, so start there.What are the business objectives for yourcompany and how do these filter down?Are you looking to achieve branddevelopment, client retention and winnew business? Each of these will influencethe tactical objectives of your digital plan.

Once you have your objectives mapped,its important to have an understanding ofyour competitors. What can you do tostand out? Thinking about your companysvalues will help you with this.

Next, find out which social mediachannels both your existing customersand potential customers engage with. Arethey on Twitter 24/7, or do they only everengage with LinkedIn? Do they reserveFacebook for friends only, or are theyhappy to like and engage with brands?Find out and then start to build your planaround this.

If you want your sales team to use socialmedia to support their roles, it may helpthem to have individual corporate profilesthrough which to engage the people youare targeting. Alternatively, your office-based staff can engage with thecompanys prospects. Before you start todirectly engage with your targets usingsocial media platforms, it is useful to listen

to what messages your targets are puttingout. Take time to understand what theyare trying to achieve and this should leadto more meaningful engagements in thefuture. Remember that social media isabout being social, so it is more aboutinteraction than direct sales. Social mediacan be used effectively to supportrelationship building.

You asked about the company benefits ofhaving a digital plan. In part, this dependson your business objectives, but in generalit can help you to build your brand, its aneasy way of sharing information that isuseful to both your existing andprospective customers, and its valuablefor targeting and really understandingthose you want to do business with.

In short, map your objectives based onyour business plan, get to know your

competitors, customers and targetcustomers and share useful and relevantcontent with the right people on theright platforms.

KEVIN KERLEYCHAIRMAN, ACADEMYOF CHIEF EXECUTIVESThere has definitely been a social mediaexplosion over the past five years andbusinesses ignore this at their peril , asyour competitors are almost certainly notdoing so. I like to think of social media inbusiness as an extension of yourmarketing strategy, but there are so manyplatforms today that you could spendalmost all of your time doing nothing else.The key question, of course, is how doyou monetise your social media activity?

First of all you need to decide who youwish to communicate with and why?Once this is decided, then you shouldensure that you have quality rich contentthat your target audience are likely towant to read, and broadcast it constantlyand consistently. But dont overdo it sothat the receiver considers it spam. Youshould share useful and interestinginformation , free voucher codes, whitepapers, interesting articles, ted talks, videoclips, interesting company news, IP thiswill help to position your business as anexpert in your field and give youcredibility.

Dear Dream Team:I am determined to expandmy business in 2015. My salesteam are out of the officeevery day, talking to clientsand bringing in business, but Ineed to create a strategicplan for using platforms suchas Facebook, Twitter andLinkedIn. Where do I start,and how will the companybenefit?

AnnCadmanRichard

Dale

RobMoore

KevinKerley

LisaLeighton

20

020 - 021, 036 FFB Mar15_Layout 1 27/02/2015 14:25 Page 1

DREAM TEAM

This is called broadcasting to youraudience, which helps establish yourcredentials to potential prospect clients.This alone will not provide you with salesthough, the next step is engage with thereader. Once the audience has beenreading your broadcasts for a few monthsand you have established yourself,products and services in the socialmarketplace, you need a hook to engagethe prospects so that you can begin tobuild a relationship with the new contactthrough online conversation and furthersharing of interesting content. The keyfinal stage is once trust and a relationshipare established, you need to offer a hookwhich will bring the prospect into yoursales funnel. This might be an invite to anevent, trade show, corporate day, freeconsultation, or a networking event thatoffers benefits for the prospect to makethem want to attend. Once you meetface-to-face then you have theopportunity to close.

The above process also keeps you in theforefront of your audiences mind keeping the prospects warm and whilstthey may not need your products orservices currently, you will be the firstport of call they make when they do.

Social media and rich content can alsohave a huge positive effect on yourorganic Google positioning for yourwebsite. I personally think that in thefuture websites will become a secondarysource of reference for accessing yourcompany and will be replaced byYOUTUBE, so I would also highlyrecommend that, if you dont currentlyhave any YouTube clips about yourbusiness, products and services or achannel for your business, you would dowell to do so. Ask any teenager about asubject and they are almost certainlygoing to look on YouTube first beforeasking Google, so the next generation arealready using this resource as theirpreferred reference point. Google didntbuy YouTube for nothing.

Then the second most powerful socialmedia site in my opinion currently isLinkedIn. You can use this platform to getto almost anybody directly today andbypass the gatekeeper, so I would alsorecommend ensuring that you have aprofessional profile that is fullycompleted one that informs the type ofpeople you are looking to connect anddo business with. But its of no use to justconnect with people, you also need tobroadcast quality content, engage andhave a hook.

I havent even, touched on blogs,

Google+, Snapchat, Pinterest, Facebookfor business,Twitter, Digg.com, Instagram,Mashable.com, Scredible.com the list ishugely growing and so is the market.Facebook would be the third largestcountry in the world!

So social media is, as I said at thebeginning of this article, an explosion. Itreally is a full-time job to do it justice forany size business and, therefore, I wouldsuggest that that you outsource it to adigital agency, who will have the expertiseto present you in the correct andappropriate manner, as well as design abespoke strategy for your business and iscost effective.

Several Academy members and myselfhave employed a social media graduatefrom the Sheffield universities through theRise programme or the universitybusiness school, to carry out this projectalong with managing the website and insome cases SEO. It has been verysuccessful and lead to most of thegraduates being kept on long-term. Youmay wish to look into this option.

I wish you the very best of luck withwhatever strategy you adopt for socialmedia. My best advice is dont do nothing,if you wish to stay ahead of the curve.

ROB MOORERECOVERY EXPERT ANDPARTNER ATTAYLOR&EMMETTNowadays every business needs anonline as well as an offline marketingstrategy.

Social media has changed the way peoplecommunicate and it is therefore now avery important tool for businesses suchas yours. Consequently, it is imperativethat you develop and implement a socialmedia strategy that will help your

business get found online. You will beable to connect with, and engage, existingand target customers, raise the profile ofyourself and your business and makemore people aware of your products andservices.

In order to develop your strategy youneed to think about your target audience.I recommend that you initially do somemarket research to find out which socialmedia sites your existing and potentialcustomers use. You should look then tobecome active on those sites.

There are many different social mediaplatforms which you can use to connectwith and engage with your existing andtarget customers. A few of the biggersocial media platforms are Facebook,LinkedIn and Twitter. You can useFacebook to connect with your existingcustomers and cultivate new relationships.Facebook is incredibly popular and manypotential customers will look at yourFacebook profile even before they look atyour webpage.

You can use LinkedIn as a means ofpromoting your professional public imageand establishing your business presence.You should use LinkedIn to create aprofile for yourself and set up yourbusiness as a company profile. Yourcompany profile page can list yourservices and products and be a link toyour website.

You could use Twitter to tweet your ownbusiness messages, re-tweet interestingtweets and comment on other userstweets. Potential customers who useTwitter tend to follow both people andbusinesses, so you should create both apersonal and business Twitter profile.

Other social media platforms you maywish to use include Google+, which is

CONTINUED ONPAGE 36

21

020 - 021, 036 FFB Mar15_Layout 1 27/02/2015 15:46 Page 2

Were hoping you agree, that with all these great initiatives and improvements, East Midlands Trains is the right choice for Business Travel.

To nd out more about East Midlands Trains and the wide range of business tickets available please contact our Business Development team at [email protected]

HAVE YOUR SAYWe continue to strive to meet the needs of all our passengers and are constantly looking for ways to improve our customers experience. Thats why weve launched Customer Voice a forum for us to invite you to discuss your views of East Midlands Trains and help us to develop a service thats right for you. These forums are held all over our network.

To take part in a Customer Voice forum, please get in touch at [email protected]

AWARD WINNINGAccording to the latest National Rail Passenger Survey results, provided by independent watchdog Passenger Focus, a resounding 88% of passengers said they were satised with their service with East Midlands Trains.

East Midlands Trains also have the honour of 2014 Passenger Operator of the year, which is a prestigious accolade of the rail industry. This is the result of our continued investment in providing the best possible service to our passengers.

Since the start of our franchise in November 2007 we have been the best performing long distance operator, beating all the rest and delivering you to your destination on time. Thats over 90% of trains arriving on time for over seven years and were the only long distance Train Operator to do so. In the last year we delivered 90.7% of trains on time compared to First Transpenine Express at 89% and Cross Country at 87.5 %.*

We know that there is always room for improvement though and thats why we are working with Network Rail on a project worth over 1.6 billion pounds to electrify and modernise the railway on our Shefeld and Nottingham routes into London St Pancras International. The work is already underway and will be completed in phases over the next ve years with the outcome of faster, quieter and greener trains for all to enjoy by 2020.

Not only do we want to get you from A B on time for important business meetings or on your daily commute but we want to get you there in comfort.

In order for you to start your journey in style we have transformed our First Class lounges into a space where you can relax at ease, with cosy leather seats and complimentary refreshments. You can take time out and catch up on the daily news with one of our free newspapers or stay connected and log into your emails via our free WiFi. Our lounges at London, Nottingham, Derby and Kettering are already upgraded, with Shefeld and East Midlands Parkway to be upgraded soon.

As well as our service improvements on board, we have invested in our stations. Nottingham station has undergone a major re-development and new Cycle Hubs have been installed at Shefeld and Leicester as part of over a 10 million improvement programme across the East Midlands Trains network.

FIRST CHOICE FOR BUSINESS TRAVELHere at East Midlands Trains we know that performance is important, and delivering you to your destination on time, in comfort is what matters. We pride ourselves in being a top performing train operator and providing a great service to you.

FIRST CHOICE FORBUSINESS TRA



FIRST CHOICE FORVELAAV

Since the start of our franchise in November 2007 we havebeen the best performing long distance operator

BUSINESS TRAHere at East Midlands Tdestination on time, in comfort is what matters. Wtrain operator and providing a great service to you.

Since the start of our franchise in November 2007 we havebeen the best performing long distance operator

BUSINESS TRArains we knowMidlands TTr

destination on time, in comfort is what matters. Wtrain operator and providing a great service to you.

Since the start of our franchise in November 2007 we have, beating

BUSINESS TRArains we know that performance is important, and delivering you to your

e pride ourat matters. WWetrain operator and providing a great service to you.

VELAAVrains we know that performance is important, and delivering you to your

e pride ourselves in being a top performing

rains we know that performance is important, and delivering you to youre pride ourselves in being a top performing

been the best performing long distance operatorall the rest and delivering you to your destination on time.

s over 90% of trains arriving on time for over sevenThatyears and were the only long distance Tdo so. In the last year we delivered 90.7% of trains on time

irst Tcompared to FCountry at 87.5 %.*

e know that thereWWes why we are working with Network Railthough and that

on a project worth over 1.6 billion pounds to electrify and

, orming long distance operatorr,all the rest and delivering you to your destination on time.

s over 90% of trains arriving on time for over sevenrain Operator toyears and were the only long distance T

do so. In the last year we delivered 90.7% of trains on timeranspenine Express at 89% and Crossirst T

Country at 87.5 %.*

e know that there is always room for improvements why we are working with Network Rail


AWWAAAWAccording to the latest National Rail Presults, provided by independent watchdog Pocus, a resounding 88% of passengers said they wereF

satised with their service with East Midlands T

East Midlands Tassenger PPa

accolade of the rail industry

, beatingall the rest and delivering you to your destination on time.

s over 90% of trains arriving on time for over sevenrain Operator to

do so. In the last year we delivered 90.7% of trains on timeranspenine Express at 89% and Cross

e know that there is always room for improvements why we are working with Network Rail


ARD WINNINGasseto the latest National Rail PP

results, provided by independent watchdog Pocus, a resounding 88% of passengers said they were

satised with their service with East Midlands T

rains also have the honounds TTr, which is aOperator of the yearr,

. This is the result of ouraccolade of the rail industry

assenger Surveyassengerog PPa

ocus, a resounding 88% of passengers said they wererains.satised with their service with East Midlands T

rains also have the honour of 2014, which is a prestigious

. This is the result of our

on a project worth over 1.6 billion pounds to electrify andmodernise the railway on our Shefeld and Nottingham

ondon St Proutes into Lalready underway and will be completed in phases overthe next ve years with the outcome of fastergreener trains for all to enjoy by 2020.

Not only do we want to get you from A B on time forimportant business meetings or on your daily commute butwe want to get you there in comfort.

In order for you to start your journey in style we have


ancras International. The work isondon St Palready underway and will be completed in phases over

, quiewith the outcome of fasterr,greener trains for all to enjoy by 2020.

Not only do we want to get you from A B on time forimportant business meetings or on your daily commute butwe want to get you there in comfort.


VEHAAVe continuWWe

continued investment in providing the best possibleservice to our passengers.


ancras International. The work isalready underway and will be completed in phases over

, quieter and

Not only do we want to get you from A B on time forimportant business meetings or on your daily commute but


YOUR SAAYE YYOe continue to strive to meet the needs of all our

accolade of the rail industrycontinued investment in providing the best possibleservice to our passengers.

e continue to strive to meet the needs of all our

continued investment in providing the best possible

In order for you to start your journey in style we haveirst Class lounges into a space wheretransformed our F

you can relax at ease, with cosy leather seats andcomplimentary refreshments. Ycatch up on the daily news with one of our free newspapersor stay connected and log into your emails via our free

i. Our lounges at LWiFettering are already upgraded, with Shefeld and EastK

arkway tMidlands PPa

As well as our service improvements on board, we haveinvested in our stations. Nottingham station has undergone

In order for you to start your journey in style we haveirst Class lounges into a space where

you can relax at ease, with cosy leather seats andou can take time oureshments. YYo

catch up on the daily news with one of our free newspapersor stay connected and log into your emails via our free

ondon, Nottingham, Derby andi. Our lounges at Lettering are already upgraded, with Shefeld and East

arkway to be upgraded soon.


passengers and are constantly looking for ways toimprove our customers experience. Thatlaunched Customer Vyou to discuss your views of East Midlands Thelp us to develop a service thatforums are held all over our network.

o take parTTotouch at [email protected]

irst Class lounges into a space where

ou can take time out andcatch up on the daily news with one of our free newspapersor stay connected and log into your emails via our free

ondon, Nottingham, Derby andettering are already upgraded, with Shefeld and East


passengers and are constantly looking for ways tos why weveimprove our customers experience. That

oice a forum forCustomer VVoyou to discuss your views of East Midlands T

s right for you. Thesehelp us to develop a service thatforums are held all over our network.

oice forum, prt in a Customer [email protected]

passengers and are constantly looking for ways tos why weve

oice a forum for us to inviterains andyou to discuss your views of East Midlands T

s right for you. These

oice forum, please get [email protected]

invested in our stations. Nottingham station has undergonedevelopment and new Cycle Hubs have been-a major re

installed at Shefeld and Lmillion improvement programme across the East Midlandsrains network.T

invested in our stations. Nottingham station has undergonedevelopment and new Cycle Hubs have been

eicester as part of over a 10installed at Shefeld and Lmillion improvement programme across the East Midlands

ere hoping yoWWeand improvements, East Midlands T

ravel.Business TTr

o nd out moreTTo

Development team at

invested in our stations. Nottingham station has undergonedevelopment and new Cycle Hubs have been

eicester as part of over a 10million improvement programme across the East Midlands

ere hoping you agree, that with all these great initiativesrains is the right choice forand improvements, East Midlands T

rains ane about East Midlands TTr

Development team at [email protected]

ere hoping you agree, that with all these great initiativesrains is the right choice for

rains and the wide

[email protected]

022 FFB Mar15 25/02/2015 11:41 Page 1

* Based on Public Performance Measure for the last year up until 31 January 2015.

FOOD FOR THOUGHTIts no secret that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and can boost your productivity and energy levels, thats why we offer complimentary breakfasts on selected services in First Class. We have a wide selection available from our renowned Great British Breakfast, to lighter dishes including the East Midlands Benedict or Smoked Salmon on selected weekday trains into London St Pancras International.

Youll also nd our All Day Menu is designed with you in mind, full of delicious dishes to tantalise your taste buds from Beef in Black Bean sauce to Spanish Style rice and vegetables for the foodie in you. We also have options to keep you on the go from our Chunky sausage roll with award winning pastry to our Croque Provencal or Fish Finger sandwiches to keep you refuelled throughout the day, available on weekdays. Look out for new Summer editions coming in May.

ONBOARD WIFIFollowing customer feedback, we have invested signicantly in our onboard WiFi in order for you to receive a more reliable connection throughout your journey. We also introduced new easy to use log-in screens and a new 10 hour anytime bundle to allow more exibility for passengers to use over 30 days. WiFi is complimentary in First Class and available to purchase in Standard Class.

023 FFB Mar15 25/02/2015 11:42 Page 1



Emilda Morgans was recently namedProfessional Business Woman ofthe Year by Forward Ladies. But,claims Emilda, the achievement was not asolo effort; it was a reflection of theculture so valued at Wosskow Brown.

Despite thinking Im not going to winright up until her name was called, EmildaMorgans was delighted to be recognisedat the Forward Ladies Women inBusiness Awards in November.

The awards are considered to be thelargest celebration of female-led businesssuccesses throughout Yorkshire, so it wasa real honour for Wosskow Brownpartner Emilda to scoop the award forProfessional Business Woman of the Year.

The event, held at the Queens Hotel inLeeds, attracted an outstanding line-upfrom a broad range of business sectorsand honoured women including four

from Sheffield in 12 separate categories.

Emilda was joined by Faye Smith, of KeepYour Fork, who won Home-BasedBusiness Woman of the Year; Kate Krachai,of Quality Context, who won STEMBusiness Woman of the Year and AnneWilson, of Numill, who won SMEBusiness Woman of the Year and also theoverall Business Woman of the Yearaward.

On the way there I kept thinking Im notgoing to win. Forward Ladies is based inLeeds and the event was in Leeds so Iexpected most of the winners to be fromcloser to that area, said Emilda. I wastotally surprised when my name was readout and it was incredible for Sheffield tohave such a big presence. It was a greatboost for the city.

Delighted as she was to earn the covetedtitle, Emilda is insistent that the award is

not only a reflection of her ownachievements, but those of WosskowBrown, which itself was recently given aSpecial Recognition Award at theSheffield Business Awards after raisingmore than 25,000 for charity over thepast year.

It is wonderful to have your effortsrewarded and, hopefully, this is areflection of what the firm is all about. Imcertain I won the award because of thesuccess of Wosskow Brown.

Emilda believes the basic ethos and thecore of a business is what makes it asuccess and what leads to itsemployees being deemed worthy ofwinning awards.

Client care is paramount and it is crucialthat all staff are on board with client care.This is what leads to a company doing agood job, to word-of-mouth referrals and,

SERVICE IS THEKEYTOSUCCESS

FORWARD LADIES AWARDWINNER EMILDA MORGANSREVEALS HOW HER ACHIEVEMENTIS THE RESULT OF THE WINNINGCULTURE AT WOSSKOW BROWN .

24


LEGAL

CONTACT: Wosskow BrownThe John Banner Centre,620 Attercliffe Road, Sheffield, S9 3QSTel: 0114 256 1560www.wosskowbrown.co.uk

ultimately, to getting more work throughsatisfied customers.

It begins with identifying clients needs.We listen to clients and what they wantand we tailor our advice and service tosuit. They go away feeling they have beenlooked after.

Client care is our core value and itshould be the core value for anycompany that wants to do well. It formsthe basis of the vision we have for thefuture the growth of Wosskow Brownand continued success by deliveringoutstanding client care.

For Emilda, the partner in charge ofrecruiting trainee solicitors, identifying andinstilling the right values is something thatbegins at the recruitment stage.

It is not all about academic qualifications.When we interview potential newemployees we ask them to do a traineechallenge and come up with somethinginnovative that would benefit WosskowBrown. It might be thinking of an event ora sponsorship deal that would raise ourprofile or bring in new clients.

At this early stage we encourage themto think outside the box because we arenot looking for solicitors who want to sitat their desk and hide away. We wantthem to be commercially aware andcommitted to going that extra mile forclients.

Other than recruiting solicitors, we arealso keen to work with younger people.We have recently taken on threeapprentices from Sheffield College and

we are taking on two more from BarnsleyCollege. They are all working in secretarialor reception positions but we wouldencourage them if they wanted to thengo on to train as paralegals.

There are some real benefits torecruiting apprentices including the abilityto train them in the way your companyoperates. The ones we have are excellent.They are 16 years old but have quitemature heads on their shoulders and it islovely to see the transition from whenthey first come out of school and have noconfidence in picking up the phone, toreally finding their feet in just a fewmonths.

Emilda is a firm believer in rewardingemployees for their achievements.

We measure success by sending out

questionnaires to clients at the end of amatter and we reward the staff that havegood feedback. We also have an annualChristmas awards where we rewardpeople for various achievements.

It is not about financial or materialrewards. I have worked for biggercompanies where the young solicitorsused to say to me that a simple thank youfrom a partner goes a long way.

Just taking the opportunity to recognisethose who have done well reallyencourages them to keep going and tokeep working hard. Again, this issomething that not only benefits thecompany but results in a better servicefor clients.

Emildas plans for 2015 include continuingto grow her team. Since starting atWosskow Brown in 2012 she has grownthe Private Client Department fromthree to 13 members of staff, increasingher teams turnover by 170 per cent. Thevision for the future is to increaseturnover by a further 50 per cent by2017 and to excel in client care aboveany other firm in the region.

Emilda feels that setting out such plansfor the future help businesses and theiremployees to work towards a goal. Shealso believes that entering businessawards offers the perfect opportunity for reflection.

I feel it is really important for companiesto make plans for the future we dontwant to keep still do we? At WosskowBrown we have a five-year plan which weshared with staff in November so thateverybody here knows what we aretrying to achieve and everybody feelspart of the journey to make that happen.

As well as setting out firm plans, enteringbusiness awards can be a great way forcompanies to focus and have somethingto aspire to. When filling out entry formsyou have to look at what you are doing,what your company is doing well, what itcould be doing better. This focuses yourmind and helps you take a step back andassess what you have done in the pastyear. This can really benefit your companyand, who knows, you might even win!

Just taking theopportunity to

recognise those whohave done well reallyencourages them tokeep going and tokeep working hard.

This is something thatnot only benefits thecompany but results

in a better service for clients.

25


SHEFFIELD HAS LONG BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH MANUFACTURING ANDWILL NO DOUBT BE RECOGNISED FOR ITS EXPERTISE FOR YEARS TOCOME. JULIE FARMER TAKES A LOOK AT THE THRIVING MANUFACTURINGACTIVITY IN THE CITY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.



In recent years manufacturing hasundergone something of atransformation no longer do weconjure up images of dark, dustyfactories and minimum wages. Today, wethink of advanced technologies, precisionexpertise and a highly skilled workforce.

Of course, Sheffield has a longassociation with manufacturing and overthe years has remained at the forefrontof developments in the industry. TheSheffield City Region is knowninternationally for its skills and expertiseand the Made in Sheffield brand isconsidered a mark of quality the worldover.

The region is host to many world-leading manufacturing and engineeringcompanies including Tata Steel, Gripple,

Rolls-Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters andSwann Morton.

Such companies are supported by acluster of world-leading research anddevelopment facilities including theUniversity of Sheffield AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)with Boeing; the Nuclear AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre; TheWelding Institute (TWI) TechnologyCentre and the National MetalsTechnology Centre (NAMTEC).

Last year Sheffield City Councilapproved plans for Factory 2050, theworlds first totally reconfigurable factory,to be based on the AdvancedManufacturing Park (AMP). The43million circular building will combinea range of technologies including

advanced robotics, flexible automation,unmanned workspace, off-line printing,3D printing and new programming andtraining tools.

On 25 and 26 March the region will hostthe first international conference aboutFactory 2050 which will look at the visionfor the factory, machining and weldinginnovations, innovative manufacturingprocesses, robotics and automation,layout and systems, data handling and ITsystems and developing people.

The conference will include acombination of industrial and academicspeakers and will be of interest toengineers, academics, manufacturingtechnologists and those interested in thedesign and development of new andinnovative processes.

WE CAN MAKE IT!

Sheffield Forgemasters

26


MANUFACTURING

HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN OUR REGIONS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY:

Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd(SFIL) recently poured the first in a seriesof ultra-large components destined to besome of the largest castings ever made.

The casting will weigh more than 320tonnes finished weight, but required astaggering 600 tonnes of molten steel poured continuously to fill the vastsubterranean mould and create thecomponent.

SFIL will deliver 11 similar castings over

two years as part of a landmark 19m USDcontract for German company SMS Meer.

Manufacture of the components createsa significant body of work for all of SFILsoperational areas and its 800 staff andwill see the production of more than6,000 tonnes of molten steel, with eachcasting requiring multiple ladles of steelpoured continuously.

Dr Steve Price, managing director of salesat SFIL, said: This is not the first time we

have produced castings of this size, but theprocess is highly complex with precisetimescales for each element of the pour from melting the steel, transporting suchlarge volumes of molten steel across thesite and scheduling the continuous pour.

SFIL has the largest foundry facilities inEurope and is one of the onlycompanies in the world able tomanufacture ultra-large castings of morethan 150 tonnes in weight.

Fast-growing modern manufacturingcompany X-Cel Superturn is massivelyexpanding its operations in the region bybuying a top-spec industrial unit at theEnterprise Zone.

The company, which produces precision-machined components to thepetrochemical and power generation

industries, has bought the newly-completed unit from Rotherham Councilfor 2.75million in order to triple the sizeof its operation at the Enterprise Zone.

Andrew Taylor, chairman and managingdirector of X-Cel Superturn, said: Ourrapid growth has meant that we havequickly outgrown our premises at

Evolution but we are delighted to be ableto stay on the Advanced ManufacturingPark by moving to a much larger unit onR-evolution.

Being located in a prestigious building onthe AMP raises the profile of our company,it impresses our customers and makes iteasier to recruit and retain skilled staff.

KD NAVIENSouth Koreanmultinational, KDNavien, has chosenRotherham for itsUK HQ with plans to open trainingcentres and an R&D facility.

At the cutting edge of low carbon heatingtechnology, KD Navien has recentlylaunched a boiler combining newcondensing and IT technologies. Thismeans users can adjust their boiler bysmartphone anytime, anywhere.

The company is part of the KD groupwhich has a turnover in excess of 4.6bn.

KD Naviens UK representative, GrahamParkes, said: There is an ambitious planfor growth with the goal to recruit up to100 employees and open trainingcentres by 2017.

In the UK we have two bases, theEuropean HQ in London and the UKHQ in Sheffield City Region.

The opportunity for growth issignificant and we are confident we havethe right products and support to takethe UK by storm.

X-CEL SUPERTURN

NAYLOR INDUSTRIESManufacturing firm Naylor Industries, whichwas established more than a century ago,primarily manufactures products for theconstruction industry.

The firm has five factories in South andWest Yorkshire, Fife and the West Midlandsand employs more than 220 people in thisregion.

The Clay division of Naylors Drainage subsidiary has recently been given grant fundingof almost 650,000 towards a 2.5million project to increase capacity and reduceenergy consumption in its Cawthorne factory. This project will boost sales, create jobsand reduce the companys carbon footprint.

Naylors finance director Andrew Trippitt said: We are thrilled that this grant fundingfrom the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership will enable us to progressour ambitious plans to grow internationally whilst simultaneously creating a moresustainable business for the future.

Over recent years, we have made great progress in developing export sales of ourspecialist pipe systems for the chemical drainage and trenchless technology sectors.

At the same time, capacity constraints and rising energy costs have posed a threat tofuture growth. This project will allow us to expand our international sales whilstallowing careful control of energy consumption.

The project plan is all about enabling us to develop and grow our export business in asustainable manner whilst creating employment opportunities in the Sheffield City Region.

Naylors products include clay and plastic pipes as well as decorative gardenware. Thecompany has sold onto every continent and into 49 different countries.

SHEFFIELD FORGEMASTERS

27


28

S. Anselms, Stanedge Road, Bakewell DE45 1DP 01629 812734www.sanselms.co.uk [email protected]

For: An extensive curriculum taught in

small classes.

Accessible minibus travel in alldirections.

Extensive sport, drama, art and musicfacilities.

A creative and spacious environmentwhere children are allowed todevelop at their own pace.

A wideranging breadth ofextracurricular opportunitiesincluding the Duke of EdinburghAward Scheme.

A highly competitive fee structure.

The only independent GCSE educationin the local area.

and for your childs chance to have a lifechanging education in the

heart of the Peak District call S. Anselms on 01629 812734 to register

your interest or come to see what we can offer your childs future.

Our next Open Day is on Friday 20th March call now to book your place.

S. Anselms College is now acceptingregistrations for September 2015

www.wsnl.co.uk/youmatter

Worksop College LIFE CHANGING. VISIT US DURING OUR OPEN DAY AND EXPERIENCE LIFE AT WORKSOP COLLEGE

Take a closer look

9 . 3 0 A M - 1 1 . 3 0 A MTHE COLLEGE, FOR AGES 13-18 Worksop College, Nottinghamshire S80 3AP Tel: 01909 537155 Email: [email protected]

1 0 . 3 0 A M - 1 2 . 3 0 P M PREPARATORY SCHOOL, RANBY HOUSE, FOR AGES 3-13 Worksop College Preparatory School, Ranby House, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 8HX Tel: 01777 714387 Email: [email protected]

First For Business MARCH 2015 INSOLVENCY


The recent insolvency of theRotherham-based MTL Group is atimely reminder that no company,however large and high profile, is immunefrom failure. Administrators wereappointed to MTL Group on 2 Februarywith the immediate loss of 157 jobs andleaving creditors owed around 10m.

The immediate effect of any insolvency isthat creditors suddenly have a bad debtto deal with, and the larger the debt, themore likely that there will be a dominoeffect, causing otherwise solventcompanies to have cash flow problemswhich could ultimately lead to failure.When the initial insolvency involvessuch a high profile company asMTL Group the risk of thedomino effect only increases.

We are currently helpingone of the creditors of MTLwho has a large bad debt.Fortunately this company isfinancially sound but evenso, the disruption to its

immediate cash flow caused by MTL issuch that we are currently negotiatingwith HM Revenue & Customs a time topay arrangement for the current VATquarter. This will enable the company toavoid penalties and make nominalpayments until, over the next six months,it can claim VAT bad debt relief on theMTL debt and so satisfy the current VATquarter.

Other companies in less financial healthmay need to negotiate with their creditorsgenerally and this is where an insolvencypractitioner can provide valuable help. Ofcourse, this is dealing with the effects of a

bad debt after it has happened. Butwhat practical things can acompany do to lessen the effectsof a bad debt before it happens?

The first thing is to know yourcustomer, assess their credit

worthiness and set a credit limitwhich reflects the

commercial risk you are prepared to take,because were your customer to fail, that ishow much you stand to lose. Once set,stick to it. We often see cases where,although a credit limit was in place, thecompany has ignored it and gone onsupplying the customer which hasultimately failed. If possible, incorporate apersonal guarantee into your creditapplication form, it may not always bepossible, especially with larger customers,but it is worth trying. Finally, considercredit insurance to protect against non-payment should a customer fail. Thebenefits of credit insurance are that thedebt being insured would be paid andthat you will have access to improvedcredit intelligence on your customers.

NO BUSINESS IS IMMUNE FROM FAILURE SO TAKEPRECAUTIONS, SAYS CHRISTOPHER BROWN.

If you require any assistance in dealingwith your creditors or require furtherinformation about credit insurance pleasecontact Christopher Brown, BusinessRecovery & Insolvency Partner at HartShaw on Tel: 0114 251 8850 or email:[email protected].

Business Recovery & Insolvency

Christopher Brown

028 FFB Mar15 27/02/2015 10:13 Page 1

29

WestbournePre-School

Educating girls and boys for life

For further details contact:60 Westbourne Road, Broomhill, Sheffield, S10 2QTTel: 0114 2660374www.westbourneschool.co.uk

Indoor and Outdoor classroom

Open 42 weeks per year

Available 07.4517.45

Purpose built play are

Documents

First For Business March 2015