Business News


Sponsored by: Birmingham Education Partnership


Closing the gap


By Mike Pipe, senior enterprise coordinator


Employers across the country are stepping up their connections with schools and work with students to build job skills and prepare them for the world of work, according to new research published today. The Closing the Gap report


by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) highlights a significant increase in the level of business engagement in schools and colleges. The report found a


narrowing of the gap between the number of young people meeting employers and the target of reaching all secondary and college students in England. Eighty per cent of young


people are now benefiting from meeting employers every year and two thirds (66%) are gaining from work experience. It means consistent and


definitive progress is being made towards the overall target of four million young people meeting employers and one million having work experience every year. Major employers from


multiple sectors are working with schools across the country to improve the employability skills of young people. Areas of disadvantage are among the best performing – tackling the issue of social mobility. Airbus, BAE Systems, Toyota, KPMG, Vodafone, JP Morgan, Easyjet, Pinewood, Aviva, Seddon, Willmott Dixon and a few resume writing services are among the many companies involved. Check our partners' best resume writing service reviews, they made a great job, now you'll know how to find the best one!


If you are interested in becoming an Enterprise Adviser, please contact Mike Pipe, Senior Enterprise Coordinator at Michael.pipe@bep.education or call on 07717316661


14 CHAMBERLINK April 2020 Theme park in clean up Water water everywhere: This carousel won’t turn until the water goes down


Staffordshire-based family attraction Drayton Manor Park faced a two- week clean after Spring storms brought flooding and mayhem. The venue was forced to close for 12 days while staff battled with the


aftermath of the storms, which brought record rainfall to parts of Britain. The park said its main lake burst its banks in the downpours, severely flooding the site. As soon as it was safe to do so, team members at the park began an


extensive clean-up operation involving more than 150 employees undergoing countless man hours to get the family-favourite theme park back up and running. The scope of repairs was broad, with numerous sections of the park such


as the arcade, catering outlets, shops and offices needing an entire refit. As well as damage to outlet interiors, the family-owned and run park sadly


lost several stocks of toys and refreshments. After days of pumping water, restoring damaged buildings and cleaning,


team members managed to get the park opened again for its first Thomas & Friends weekend at the end of February. Drayton managing director William Bryan said: “The entire Drayton


Manor team has banded together and worked tirelessly to get the site back to normal as quickly as possible, and we’re extremely grateful for their effort and enthusiasm.”


Report urges more funding for female entrepreneurs


A study conducted by researchers at Aston University, which has revealed that men are twice as likely to start a new business in the UK as women, has been used to shape Government policy. The research, carried out by


Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) experts in the UK for more than two decades, based at Aston Business School in Birmingham, consistently shows that for every ten male UK entrepreneurs, there are fewer than five female entrepreneurs. The GEM findings have helped


inform a Government review in 2019, titled ‘The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship’, which predicts that the entrepreneurial gender gap equates to over one million missing businesses. The report recommends that increased funding be directed


toward female entrepreneurs, greater family and care support as well making entrepreneurship more accessible for women through local mentors and networks. In response to the review,


Government has backed a new code, titled ‘Investing in Women’, which comprises a number of initiatives which encourage institutional and private investors to further support female entrepreneurs, expand networking and membership opportunities and create new banking products. Alison Rose, deputy CEO of


NatWest, said: “I firmly believe that the disparity that exists between female and male entrepreneurs is unacceptable and holding the UK back. The unrealised potential for the UK economy is enormous.” Mark Hart, professor of


Entrepreneurship and Small Business


at Aston Business School, said: “A year ago, on International Women’s Day, the Rose Review was published and signalled a step change in strategic and practical thinking on how the gender pay gap, identified by the annual GEM findings, can be addressed in the UK. “Since then, great progress has


been made, not least by NatWest themselves, as they meet head on some of the issues that women face in raising finance to start and grow their businesses. “The recent British Business Bank


report on Small Business Finance Markets (2019/20), again using GEM data, highlighted the scale of the task ahead. “So on International Women’s Day


in 2020, we renewed our pledge to create a level playing field for all nascent, new and established entrepreneurs in the UK.”


Aftercare for luxury goods


Selfridges Birmingham is to launch an aftercare service that provides repairs for shoes, bags and leather goods. The Restory, which provide


aftercare for luxury goods, is opening on Level four of the department store. Clients are invited to drop


off any items in-store where they will be collected by The Restory and taken to their atelier. A digitised quote will then


be sent to clients containing a list of recommended services, which they can approve or decline. Once the services have been approved work will commence and be completed by hand. Vanessa Jacobs, founder


and CEO of The Restory, said: “We enable consumers to invest confidently in the brands they love. “Knowing one has the


support structure to fall in love with their investments again and again inspires mindful, and more sustainable, fashion consumption. “As one of the world’s most


forward-thinking retailers, Selfridges has been leading sustainability as an integral part of the fashion experience.”


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