Nationally, the development of Local Enterprise Partnerships is high on everyone's agenda.
Local Enterprise Partnerships are the new business/public sector partnerships that will supersede EEDA and they represent a golden opportunity for businesses to really influence local policy making.
The Chambers and other business organisations have been asked to work with local councils to put forward proposals for developing a LEP. I've been contacting some of you, inviting you to join in these discussions.
What areas do you think a LEP should cover?
What functions should it take on?
How will they promote enterprise?
If you haven't already done so, let me invite you to get involved in shaping the local partnership by contacting me with your ideas. In the meantime we await the publication of a government White Paper on the subject.
EMPLOYER SUPPORTED POLICING LAUNCHED
Locally, Cambridgeshire Constabulary has introduced the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) initiative.
This scheme brings together partners from local businesses, their staff and the police, supporting Special Constables and increasing public safety and confidence.
The initiative has been running successfully in other areas delivering:
benefits to employers
benefits to individual members of staff
and benefits to communities.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is inviting large and small businesses to get involved. Businesses can get involved at four different levels:
1. by supporting and promoting the recruitment of Special Constables
2. by releasing members of staff for training to become Special Constables
3. by granting staff 50 per cent of the time off for Special Constable training and paying them for four hours a month for Special Constable duties
4. by allowing staff 100 per cent of the time off for Special Constable training plus a minimum of eight hours a month paid time off for Special Constable duties.
All levels of engagement are welcome and if you want to find out more please contact Shahina Ahmed at Cambridgeshire Constabulary email: shahina.ahmed@cambs.pnn.police.uk
LEARNING AND SKILLS - DIPLOMA UPDATE
I attended the Chambers' recent Learning and Skills Sector meeting and found out about the new Diplomas for 14 -19 year olds.
The Diploma is a qualification offering young people a way of gaining the skills that businesses and universities want. Diplomas combine academic learning with practical hands-on skills. Students are based in schools or colleges and have the opportunity to gain an insight into the workplace as well.
Diplomas cover a number of different subject areas, not all of which are available in all geographical areas, covering subjects such as:
Business Administration and Finance
Construction and the Built Environment
Engineering
Hospitality
and Manufacturing and Product Design.
Students also continue to study English, maths and ICT and to develop other skills like team work, critical thinking and self-management.
Throughout the coming academic year we want to feature different members providing students with some of the work based experience they need for gaining a Diploma, so please let me know if you will be providing hands-on experience and if you would like your business to feature in a future article.
TRAVEL FOR WORK
I also met with Mark Webb from the Travel for Work partnership. I discovered that the partnership has been a member of the Chamber for many years and has been helping employers to benefit from more healthy and green commuting and travel on business for over 10 years. It works with an impressive network of over 87 employment sites (including many of the science and business parks) employing over 59.000 commuters.
I was impressed that in such straightened times membership of TfW is free and employers can access the support of three expert workplace travel plan advisers and that all commuting staff of TfW members can access train ticket discounts and discounts at many cycle shops.
The TfW partnership offers an online car and cycle journey matching service and carries out online travel surveys www.camshare.co.uk so that encouraging staff to lead healthier, wealthier and happier lives is made easy for businesses.
In addition, Mark told me that TfW employers generate good PR for themselves because travel initiatives are good news and provide businesses with good free, green publicity.
So, if you want an even more productive workforce or the car park is full to overflowing or you want to improve your company's green image, why not find out more about Travel for Work by visiting www.tfw.org.uk or email: info@tfw.org.uk
By Gill Prangnell
Policy Adviser, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce
If you have any policy issues or concerns that you would like the Chamber to investigate please call Gill on 07545 697798 or e-mail g.prangnell@cambscci.co.uk
