Latest news with #ApprenticeshipLevy
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cumbria Chamber urges Government to back business growth in spending review
Fresh calls have been made for the Government to prioritise business growth ahead. Cumbria Chamber of Commerce has joined the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and chambers across the UK to urge the Government to put business growth at the centre of its spending plans. The call comes ahead of Wednesday's Comprehensive Spending Review, which will set out the Government's budget priorities. Suzanne Caldwell, managing director of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: "Wednesday's Comprehensive Spending Review will impact the future shape of our economy for years. "So the Government can't afford to get this wrong. "At the end of the day it's businesses that create wealth and growth in our economy. "So fundamentally the Government needs to put more time, money and effort into supporting business. "That's a downpayment on our future prosperity." The chambers have outlined a series of recommendations under three themes: Get Britain Thriving, Get Britain Working, and Get Britain Trading. These calls focus on improved investment in infrastructure, people, and international trade. Recommendations include funding for transport and energy projects, better grid connectivity, long-term support for Project Gigabit, and practical help for SMEs to adopt artificial intelligence (AI). When it comes to getting Britain working, the chambers want more Apprenticeship Levy funding redirected to the Department for Education to boost training, and a broader Youth Guarantee for 18- to 24-year-olds. The chambers want more employers to be involved in skills planning by extending investment in Local Skills Improvement Plans and addressing gaps in training provision. On trade, the chambers are calling for investment in 'digital trade', better export support for SMEs, and a stronger pipeline of overseas investment. The recommendations were developed through consultation between the 51 chambers across the UK, the BCC, and the BCC's Business Council. They are also backed by research from the BCC's Insights Unit, which gathered feedback from more than 5,000 businesses on the biggest barriers to growth. Ms Caldwell said: "If the Government wants strong and consistent economic growth, it has to look at three key areas. "It must promote consistent investment in people, in infrastructure and in trade. "If it provides the support businesses need to thrive, in an increasingly competitive and protectionist global market, then the future can still be bright."
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apprenticeships event taking place today at Saltaire's Victoria Hall
As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (taking place this week), an apprenticeships event will take place today (Tuesday, February 11) at Victoria Hall, in Saltaire. The Apprenticeships Unlocked event will give people the opportunity to chat to employers about the apprenticeships they offer, and to find out more about what local colleges can offer in terms of apprenticeships. More information is available at Since the Apprenticeship Levy came into force in April 2017, Bradford Council has used apprenticeships to upskill staff and to employ new apprentices. More than 1,000 employees have received apprenticeship training in areas such as early years, health and social care, social work, digital marketing, project management, and business administration. The council's in-house training provider, Skills for Work, offers apprenticeships to the public; this service was most recently rated 'Good' by Ofsted, and the service claims to have a 100 per cent pass rate. Laura Liddon, who completed a level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager apprenticeship through Skills for Work, said: "The most rewarding part of my apprenticeship so far has been the chance to apply what I've learned in real-world situations and see the tangible impact of my work." Available apprenticeships can be viewed at
