Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of Apprentices Aged 16 and 17

Derbyshire County Council is making 200 grants of £2,500 available, to provide valuable financial support to employers wishing to take on an apprentice aged 16 or 17. These grants, administered by Learning Unlimited (part of the Chesterfield College Group), are available to companies with 50 or fewer employees.

At over halfway through the Grant period there are still just over 100 grants available to small businesses in Derbyshire. The Derbyshire Dales, and High Peak areas are targeted for this grant assistance.

Full details are at www.chesterfield.ac.uk/age16and17

From 2 April 2012 if you employ someone who is currently on the work programme, a wage incentives worth up to £2,275 each, will be available for employers who can offer an 18 to 24 year-old from the Government's Work Programme, a job lasting at least 26 weeks.

The wage incentive will be available if you employ someone for 16 hours or more each week. There will be a part-time rate of £1,137.50 for work between 16 and 29 hours and a full time rate of £2,275 for 30 hours or more. This will be paid 26 weeks after the employee starts work. Small businesses (less than 50 employees) can also claim a part payment 8 weeks after the employee starts work.

Wage incentives will be primarily available to private, voluntary and community sectors and social enterprise employers

Further information

Employers in the High Peak, who interested in employing a local person currently receiving support from the government's ‘work programme' can contact Chamber Training (part of Derbyshire Notthinghamshire Chamber of Commerce). Chamber Training provides a free service to employers to match vacancies to local unemployed people; can sift CVs, short-list for interview and provide free interview rooms in Glossop. They maintain an on-going relationship with employers once the candidate is in post, to help resolve any problems. Contact Sean O'Neill with details of your vacancy or discuss your recruitment needs: Tel: 07837 170733 E-mail: Sean.O'Neill@dncc.co.uk

Following on from the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on the opening of the third round of applications for the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce will be holding an RGF Business Briefing on 13 March 2012.

The Chamber and the LEP want the two counties to attract further funding in Round Three and will be working with, businesses and other partners to encourage strong bids from local firms, which meet the key criteria of creating jobs, stimulating economic growth and leveraging further private investment.

Taking place at JCB Academy from 8.30am–10.30am, this event will give local firms a better understanding of how to bid for Regional Growth Fund cash and the sorts of projects the fund was set up to support.

Breakfast rolls and refreshments will be available on arrival.

To book your place please follow the online booking procedure, or for more information, please call 01332 851280.

Over the next few years, broadband services across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent will be improved.

The Government's Broadband Delivery UK programme has allocated £7.44m to improve services in the area. A local project led by Staffordshire County Council, City of Stoke-on-Trent Council, and the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership is working to raise the extra funds needed to deliver faster, more reliable broadband.

You will find more details of the plans here.

If you live in Staffordshire or Stoke-on-Trent, you can help the project by completing an online survey. You can measure your broadband speed when completing the survey. Residents and businesses are encouraged to take part.

Please visit: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/broadbandconsultation to take part in the survey.

Businesses have until the end of January to sign up to Trusted Trader for free after Derbyshire County Council extended the deadline on its membership offer.

The usual joining fee of up to £54 has been waived until January 31.

Cllr Kevin Parkinson, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "We didn’t want any businesses to miss out which is why we’ve extended the offer for a further month.”
With more than 1,100 businesses listed, Trusted Trader is the biggest scheme of its kind in the country run by a council.

For more details, call 01629 536148 or visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/trustedtrader.

Over 700 young people will be helped into work after Derbyshire County Council signed a contract to deliver one of its biggest ever apprenticeship drives.

An agreement has been signed with Chesterfield College's apprenticeship academy, Learning Unlimited, to manage a four-year scheme.

It means 500 apprenticeships will be created across the county council – ranging from roles in engineering and maintenance, business administration, and other services including adult care – with the opportunity to compete for permanent employment on completion.

The authority is also offering training grants of £2,500 to small and medium-sized companies to take on apprentices – creating a further 200 training opportunities in a £500,000 scheme. These will be targeted at 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training.

Register your interest at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/apprenticeships.

Chapel-en-le-Frith's Blythe House Hospice has won a major award for women in business across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

They took the Team of the Year title, sponsored by The Money Shop, at the awards ceremony, which was held at Chatsworth House. The awards were facilitated by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce and presented by ITV Central News anchor Sameena Ali-Khan.

Jean Mountain, Chair of the Chamber's Enterprising Women group, said: "These enterprising women make an important contribution to the local economy and their success stories will hopefully inspire many other women to pursue their business dreams and these awards are all about acknowledging and celebrating those achievements.”

Source - Buxton Advertiser

A new local produce market will be held in Glossop on the second Saturday of each month. Specialist local food and drink producers and crafts people will be setting out their stall along side Glossop's Outdoor Market Traders.

The markets will sell a range of high quality goods including cakes, pies and locally reared meats as well as craft and artwork items. The markets will take place at Glossop Outdoor Market, off Market Street, Glossop, alongside the regular market.

For further information contact Sarah Porru on 0845 129 77 77 or call 01298 28400 ext 3523 or email sarah.porru@highpeak.gov.ukFarmers' Markets are also held in:

Castleton – the first Sunday each month, 10am – 3pm, Call Lindsay Carruthers on 01433 620699

Whaley Bridge – second Saturday each month, 10am – 2pm, inside the Uniting Church, Buxton Road, Whaley Bridge. Call 0845 129 77 77 or 01298 28400 for further information.

Local MPs and councillors are showing their support for small businesses by signing-up to be ‘Champions for Real-Life Entrepreneurs'.

Launched by the Federation of Small Businesses, Championing the UK's Real-Life Entrepreneurs seeks to support small businesses, both through practical support and by ensuring that, at every level of Government, entrepreneurs are viewed as potential wealth, growth and job creators of the future.

John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, Andrew Bingham, Conservative MP for High Peak, Councillor David Wilson and Councillor Julie Pattern of Derbyshire County Council have committed to; listen to the concerns of Real-Life Entrepreneurs and champion their cause, represent the interests of Real-Life Entrepreneurs on a national and local level, recognise the many thousands of hard-working Entrepreneurs that support the UK economy and support the FSB in their endeavours to get the best deal for Real-Life Entrepreneurs.

Natalie Gasson, FSB Development Manager, said "Now more than ever, local authorities must adopt policies and programmes that place small businesses at the heart of their agenda and directly support an entrepreneurial economy. Creating the right environment for entrepreneurship to flourish is complex, but there are key things the Government can do to make a difference. I am delighted that local MPs and councillors are keen to work with the FSB to support small businesses in the region and I look forward to working with those who have already signed up as Champions and those willing to do so.”

There will be a series of free FSB events and workshops in the New Year designed to help start-up businesses get off the ground and to give existing small business owners the tools they need to succeed and flourish.

For more information on the FSB's Real-Life Entrepreneurs campaign, visit www.fsb.org.uk/real-life-entrepreneurs or email Natalie Gasson, Development Manager, on natalie.gasson@fsb.org.uk.

Peak Perks is a new discount scheme run by Verity Calderbank at High Peak Community Housing.

Up to 4200 High Peak Community Housing tenants will be given the chance to join the Peak Perks scheme and save up to 10% with local businesses. Discounts and offers can vary and Peak Perks will promote whatever offer that you suggest.

Times are tough in the recent economic climate so some additional business through your door may help turnover for local businesses.

Email verity.calderbank@hpch.co.uk to join in the scheme - places are limited so do not delay!