The Government has recently published guidance to inform employers about the new right for employees to request time for training. The guide is available through the DirectGov website.
Commenting on the guidance, Skills Minister, Kevin Brennan, said: “Now, more than ever, we need learning and training opportunities in place that empower people to gain the skills and training they need to get on.
“Many businesses are really good at training their staff and already recognise the benefits of having a highly skilled and motivated workforce. While two-thirds of businesses do train their staff, we need to encourage employers and employees who do not to speak about training opportunities.”
The right to request time to train was included in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act. Phased in from April, it will initially be available to employees in organisations with 250+ employees. It will then be extended to all employees from April 2011, allowing more time for smaller businesses to prepare for the introduction of the new right.
Amanda Davey, Head of GWE Business West Training and Development said, “One of the most effective ways to meet your organisation’s learning objectives is through bespoke training.
Commissioning a training programme, tailored to your company’s needs, can offer a business more flexibility and save valuable time.”
GWE Business West Training and Development provide bespoke solutions that offer high impact training with cost effective delivery. After a free consultation, bespoke training can be delivered in three ways, to match the individual needs of a business and its employees:-
- Scheduled – select a course from the standard Open Training Programme and run it in-house.
- Tailored – customise a standard Open Training Course and refine modules to your own requirements.
- Bespoke – devise an entirely new training course from scratch. Subject not on the standard programme? Want to consider a different approach to its delivery?
With over twenty years training delivery experience, GWE Business West is well placed to help businesses take advantage of this new guidance, understanding the challenges that businesses face and what makes a difference when it comes to learning and development.
Working with specialist trainers, the quality of training is high, attributable to the extensive knowledge gained in working closely with different business sectors. Bespoke programmes are designed to be interactive and thought provoking, encouraging delegates to take part and maximise their learning experience.
Bespoke training services include tailored courses, available under a wide range of themes including personal effectiveness, leadership & management, business essentials, sales & marketing, communications, finance, effective administration and many more. As well as consultancy, executive coaching, mentoring, facilitated learning, in-house IT, Investors in People, and advice on and delivery of Government Funded Initiatives.
Businesses can also access an extensive open training programme, with scheduled business courses held in first class facilities providing an ideal environment to learn.
To find out how GWE Business West can support your business learning objectives, call 01275 370 847 or visit www.trainingforbusinesspeople.co.uk
Guest blogger: Member Stephen Woodman, AMD Solicitors
Stephen Woodman, Employment Law Specialist at AMD Solicitors
Stephen Woodman, Employment Law Specialist with AMD Solicitors explains why small businesses should pay attention to their disciplinary and grievance procedures.
Running internal disciplinary or grievance procedures is a challenge for any employer but for smaller businesses with limited resources at their disposal the problem is often most acute: how can the matter be dealt with so as to be fair to the employee concerned but without causing unnecessary disruption to other employees or to the business in general?
The cost of getting it wrong can be high and the challenging economic climate over the last twelve months suggests that the numbers of claims by employees are likely to rise. In an unfair dismissal the key question for adjudication is whether the employer’s actions were reasonable; one issue that is always scrutinised by the Tribunal is whether the employer followed adequate internal procedures prior to dismissal, either a disciplinary or a grievance process. There have been several changes in the law including, in April 2009 the introduction of a revised ACAS Code of Practice.
On the face of it a disciplinary process is quite different from a grievance procedure (not least because the disciplinary process will be initiated by the employer and the grievance procedure by the employee). However, the Code and accompanying guidance notes contain useful consideration of issues relevant to both, such as the conduct of meetings, allowing the employee to put their case, communicating the outcome and offering an appeal procedure.
Although the new code appears an improvement on the old regime, an unreasonable failure to comply could still result in a significant increase in the level of compensation awarded at Tribunal. Therefore, general advice to all employers is still to think and act carefully and give strong consideration to taking legal advice upon the procedures put in place and, at an early stage if any disputes arise.
Stephen and his colleagues can assist in drafting appropriate procedures and advise in particular employment situations.
Tel 0117 9621205 or email stephenwoodman@amdsolicitors.com
Copyright AMD Solicitors
GWE Business West joins the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) with effect from 1st February 2010.
By joining the BCC, GWE Business West aims to raise its profile on a national level, linking in with the National lobby at a key time of political change. It will also enable direct input to BCC policy and research work, to share results and to represent the views of their Chambers of Commerce members. Achieving a broader audience for activity and the ability to promote key projects and policy at a much wider level.
Tessa Coombes, Director of Policy & Strategy at GWE Business West said “Overall, from a policy perspective it is good news as it enables us to set our work in the broader context of other Chambers, benchmark against what they are doing and share information and learning on key policy issues. As well as influence the British Chambers agenda.
“The ability to stand on a national platform as part of a bigger entity of business views and voices will allow us to help lobby for issues of interest and help promote, in particular, broader visioning work at a national level.”
A further benefit of joining the BCC will result in GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce members being able to take advantage of a number of additional benefits as part of their membership package. To highlight a few, new benefits will include Chamber Fleet Services, offering excellent preferential rates on The AA’s roadside assistance and fleet management services; access to a range of nationwide discounts from leading brands via an exclusive Chamber Connect Card; and the option to log in to Business Network Online, which provides businesses with new leads and competitive purchasing opportunities at a click of a button.
New businesses can also benefit by signing up to the Business Start-up Pack, which provides a comprehensive range of products and services to help them to develop their newly formed business.
These new services will be available shortly via GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce, which operates the network of Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Chambers of Commerce, engaging with over 2000 members.
“Becoming part of a wider network of Accredited Chambers will provide some tangible benefits for our members, as well as raising the GWE Business West profile and catchment area with Government and other National agencies.” said GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Director, Nigel Hutchings.
In for the Spring / Summer Season 2010, the Scuba Dress (Design shown by MaxMara).
GWE Business West welcomed over 50 business women, representing a diverse mix of sectors, to our first women’s networking event of 2010, which was held at Harvey Nichols in Bristol.
General manager, Sue Stones, provided an overview of the key trends for the Spring Summer season, including some new styles such as the Silky T, the Contour Panel Pant and the Scuba Dress, as well an old faithful of any fashionista’s wardrobe, the Trenchcoat.
Sue Stones said “It was lovely to welcome over 50 fellow business women to the Harvey Nichols Second Floor Restaurant, hopefully everyone managed to take away something from my trend talk which they can apply for this season and on a personal level I made some really good contacts on the night.”
The event was held in Harvey Nichols fabulous gold dining room, where ladies enjoyed a superb meal including options of seared squid, fillet of bream and a special chocolate mousse which went down a treat.
Sue Stones, General Manager at Harvey Nichols, Amanda Davey, Head of Events & Training at GWE Business West, and raffle winner Penny Tombs, Finance Director at Farpoint.
Delegates also had the chance to take part in a raffle to win £25 worth of Harvey Nichols vouchers, which was won by Penny Tombs, Finance Director at Farpoint, based in Bath.
Harvey Nichols run fashion shows twice yearly, with the next one in Bristol to be held in March. To receive information about the fashion shows, simply log onto www.harveynichols.com and go to the sign up page, enter your details and select your nearest store as Bristol.
GWE Business West’s next women’s networking evening will be held on Brunel’s ss Great Britain on 16th March, with guest speaker Tina Coulsting Carter, director at Mentor Consultancy. Tina is a renowned specialist in presentation and communication skills, as well as the author of Get the Presentation X-Factor. The evening will include a two course meal and a glass of wine. BOOK HERE
Guest Blogger: Member, James Geldart, Nuvola Ltd
We’ve having the worst snow in decades according to the statistics. We’ve been brought to a standstill. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), lost employee productivity could cost the UK £600m per day.
The good news for our clients is there are no excuses for an extended holiday since their custom-built business management systems can be accessed from anywhere there is an internet connection.
It might be a stretch to say we are making local businesses productive, but clients using our software have a much better chance of working undisrupted if staff can continue to access the systems they rely on during the current weather conditions.
Our web-based systems have business continuity built in – even if you can’t get to your office, you can still use the software. Grant Smith, Director of one of our long standing clients, AzteQ Solutions Ltd, found this out recently: “The snow has been particularly bad where we are, and many of my team have struggled to get into work. The fact that the system Nuvola developed is not tied to our office, though, has made it a lot easier for people to work from home. This has certainly saved us time, money and a lot of frustration in recent weeks.”
And of course, this technology makes businesses more robust at any time. If your office is flooded or you’re a victim of fire or theft, you can still access your data, and back-ups are taken care of without you having to think about it. As well as this built-in stability, the ability to work flexibly from anywhere, all year round, is clearly an advantage in today’s world.
For any businesses out there still using traditional software instead of cloud applications, this is a good time to talk to Nuvola. Until February 2010, you can receive 20% off your initial order quoting SNOW.
Contact: James Geldart
james@nuvola.co.uk
www.nuvola.co.uk
07968 210 725
GWE Business West is delighted to announce that Michael Bothamley, Regional Senior Partner at commercial law firm Beachcroft LLP, has been appointed President of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Initiative following its Annual General Meeting on 9 December 2009. He takes over from Guy Stobart.
As President of the Bristol Chamber, Michael will represent the interests of the West of England business community. He will also chair the West of England Initiative Advisory Board which drives strategic policy initiatives in the Bristol City region, often in partnership with the four local authorities.
In addition to being Regional Senior Partner of Beachcroft’s largest regional office, Michael is also one of seven members of the Beachcroft LLP Board, as well as chair of B2, the firm’s volume claims business in Newport. He has been actively involved in a number of local charity and voluntary organisations for many years, including The Prince’s Trust, the Tobacco Factory Arts Trust, Bristol Zoo and Clifton Rugby Club. He is also a Governor of Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School.
Guest Blogger: Member, James Geldart, MD at Nuvola Ltd.
James Geldart, Nuvola
Meet Joe the gardener. Joe worked in financial services until a couple of years ago. He was made redundant, but this gave him the chance to re-evaluate his life. He took his redundancy pay and set up Joe’s Gardens. A year later, his wife started helping with bookings and enquiries to meet growing demand.
Business is blooming. Joe’s finding juggling all the jobs stressful. Let’s look at Joe’s business systems. When he started, he set up a spreadsheet containing details of his customers. He made another spreadsheet with the one-off jobs, and another one containing regular maintenance contracts. Now his spreadsheets are massive. He’s got a big photo folder, sorted by customer name. When his wife talks to a customer from 2 years ago, she normally knows the person and finds their details easily. They want to employ someone to ease workload and are worried that this person will never find old customers’ details and their business will lose the personal touch. Also, scheduling jobs can be difficult. Recently they’ve double-booked themselves and found that they were paying a contractor for an afternoon of doing nothing. It’s difficult to predict their earnings and sales forecasting takes a while each month as Joe uses a calculator, totting up figures from his spreadsheets.
Joe is fictional. Many small business owners, especially those with rapid growth, find that their systems are in a similar state, and this is where software can help.
In Joe’s case, we’d look at putting in three key things:-
- a log of all past jobs with photos, linked to customers so that searching on customer name will bring up all the details of what’s been done
- a schedule to see at a glance who’s doing what, where and when, and slot new jobs in accordingly
- sales pipeline functions so that potential customers are followed up properly and they can see at a glance how much income is to be made in the future
The system would be available online at all times and will store this key business data securely off-site without any extra effort.
Does Joe’s story sound a little like your business? If so, please give us a call!
JAMES GELDART 0117 230 9510
www.nuvola.co.uk
james@nuvola.co.uk
For 2010 we have a new programme ahead for women’s networking. Our first two events take place in January and March:-
Women’s Networking Evening with Harvey Nichols
Sue Stones, Harvey Nichols
Thursday 21st January 2010 at 6.00pm.
Join us for a women’s networking evening event at the brand new International Luxury lifestyle store, Harvey Nichols, in Bristol. Includes a 3-course meal with a glass of wine.
General manager Sue Stones who originally trained in fashion design will provide you with style tips for spring/summer 2010
Sue Stones is General Manager for Harvey Nichols Bristol and has worked with Harvey Nichols for 7 years, firstly in Edinburgh as Womenswear sales manager and then as Finance and Operations manager before moving to Bristol in July 2008 to run Harvey Nichols newest store.
Originally trained in fashion design, Sue worked with Jaeger in product development after leaving college before moving to Edinburgh and embarking on a retail career with Jenner’s, at the time the oldest independent department store in the world.
After progressing through their management trainee scheme she became a Buyer/Manager on women’s designer and contemporary fashion at Jenner’s, before leaving to join Harvey Nichols at the opening of their first Scottish store.
Venue: 27 Philadelphia Street, Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BZ
Prices to attend: GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Full Members: £25 (+ VAT)
Subscribers / Non-Members: £30 (+ VAT)
Women’s Networking Evening with Tina Coulsting Carter
Tina Coulsting Carter
Tuesday 16th March 2010 at 6.00pm.
Join us for women’s networking evening with guest speaker Tina Coulsting Carter, director at Mentor Consultancy and a renowned specialist in presentation and communication skills, as well as the author of get the Presentation X-Factor. The evening includes a two course meal and a glass of wine.
TINA COULSTING CARTER is a director at Mentor Consultancy and a renowned specialist in presentation and communication skills.
Formerly a university teacher she has developed an approach, which builds confidence and enables speedy development of transferable communication and influencing skills.
Applying her expertise to management development programmes, Tina has, since 1999, worked with many corporate and public sector clients on pitch presentations, conference rehearsals and personal development for leadership.
She is the author of Get the Presentation X-Factor.
Venue: Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol, BS1 6TY
Prices to attend: GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Full Members: £14.50 (+ VAT) Subscribers / Non-Members: £28 (+ VAT)
The Bristol Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner 2010, which celebrates business across the region, will be held on Thursday 25th March at the Bristol Marriott City Centre Hotel.
Rt Hon David Davis MP
With Guest Speaker Rt Hon David Davis MP
We welcome the Rt Hon David Davis MP as guest speaker at the Bristol Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner 2010. This prestigious event, which celebrates business across the region and attracts over 400 guests, takes place at the Bristol Marriott City Centre Hotel on 25th March.
David Davis served as Conservative Party Chairman and shadow Deputy Prime Minister, but to many he is best known for resigning his seat and stepping down as shadow Home Secretary on a point of principle in 2008. He won the resulting by-election with a resounding 72% of the vote, and has since continued to campaign for civil liberties.
Before entering the Commons, David worked as a troubleshooter and strategist for Tate & Lyle, becoming a main board director. Apart from driving the recovery of loss-making subsidiaries he was central in major reconfigurations of the overall company. He also contributed pieces to the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times on subjects from industrial relations to management techniques – and wrote a book based on his experience. How to Turn Round a Company is as relevant today as it was when first published in 1989.
Soon after being elected to Parliament David was invited to join the Government. His first appointment was in the Cabinet Office, where he was given responsibility for policy delivery and public service performance, and some aspects of intelligence oversight. He then moved to the Foreign Office as Europe and Security Command Minister – overseeing most European and international negotiations including NATO enlargement, the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and the updated Geneva Convention. As befits a politician with a degree in molecular science, David also served as Science Minister.
When New Labour were elected David became Chairman of the all-powerful Public Accounts Committee – and stood for the leadership of the Conservative party.
£95.00 + VAT – GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Full Members
£120.00 + VAT – Subscribers & Non Members
Tables of 8, 10 or 12 are also available.
Sponsored by Continental Airlines and Lloyds.
