INDEX business The BUSINESS Twinkle twinkle little lights
Could you back a Christmas light? The great switch on will be on Thursday 17 November, and the city council is looking for sponsors.
Local company Amelix have been tasked by the city council with organising the
event, which promises to be a spectacular launch to the Christmas shopping season. The council is keen to engage the community and there are some high-profile sponsorship opportunities on offer. Louis Hurst, Director at Amelix said “We are delighted
to be Canterbury City Council’s partner for Christmas 2011, we want to try and engage as many local businesses as possible and make the 2011 light switch on celebration as engaging as possible. We have already got a load of ideas on different ways the local community can be
involved and look forward to lots of exciting conversations over the next few months as the plans come together.” If you are interested in becoming a sponsor contact Laura Siminson at laura.
siminson@amelix.co.uk or on tel: 0844 801 99 66.
Image courtesy of David Iliff Students are ready for work
University of Kent students are reaping the rewards of strategies to ensure they are ready for the workplace according to government data. Statistics from Destinations
of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) shows that almost 90% of full-time first degree Kent students are working and/or studying six months after graduation and that high percentages of this group are in graduate jobs. Consequently, almost 66% of the academic subjects at Kent have been placed in the top 20 for employment prospects in the UK, with 75% of academic subjects contributing to full-time first degree students in graduate level jobs.
The university aims to develop skills of value to employers and to this end operates an employability points scheme which rewards students who improve their prospects by training, attending seminars or by getting work experience. It also encourages enterprise through its business development unit, Kent Enterprise and Innovation. Professor Alex Hughes,
Pro-Vice Chancellor (External) at the University, said: “For our students, it means that we are providing them with skills that are both sought after by and useful for employers. For the university, it means that our employability programmes are of real and substantial benefit.”
Hot desks to weather the downturn
Canterbury City Council is giving businesses a hand in the economic downturn by providing desks in an office, free of charge. The TEN Project, a three-
year initiative to promote new cross-border ventures, has an office suite at the Lakesview Enterprise Centre, in Hersden, Canterbury.
Simon Reed owner
of Rough Old Wife Cider near Canterbury, said: “It’s an excellent, modern and
www.indexmagazine.co.uk
professional office space to host meetings away from the bustle of the cidery – not everyone wants to savour the heady atmosphere of bubbling cider so this gives a great ad hoc alternative for smaller, more production-based businesses such as ourselves.” Located within the
Lakesview Enterprise Centre, the office has access to meeting rooms, facilities, and on-site parking.
Companies with 10 or
fewer employees, a sole-trader and even pre-start businesses are eligible. To use the free office space contact: natalia.
sukhram@canterbury.gov.uk
Link up
Networking events can introduce you to new clients, and help you build bridges with other businesses. There is plenty of choice in the area, and here are a few to get you started. • Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce has a networking breakfast at Canterbury Holiday Inn Express on Thursday 6 October; and an open evening at East Well Manor, Boughton Lees on Wednesday 12 October. Book through www.
kentinvictachamber.co.uk • 4Networking has breakfasts on Tuesday 4 October and 18 October at the Best Western, Abbotts Barton. Sign up at
www.4networking.biz • BoB (Business over Breakfast) meets at the same place on Wednesday 12 and Wednesday 26 October. Find out more at
www.bobclubs/ club/canterbury • Another top tip for local networking is the Whitstable Tweetup, which is on Thursday 20 October from 10am at the Hotel Continental, Whitstable. A tweetup is a real-world meeting for users of the micro blogging site Twitter – but you don’t need a Twitter account to benefit, and the event is free. For details see
www.whitstabletweetup.co.uk
49
The INDEX magazine October 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68