The UK’s fourth largest supermarket, WM Morrison Supermarkets plc, is in the process of welcoming 150 innovative and eye-catching Tiger trailers to its operations in a move that marks a fresh choice for its fleet and is anticipated to deliver efficiency gains of up to 70%.
Morrisons has historically utilised temperature-controlled box van trailers to undertake the majority of deliveries to its circa 500 stores throughout the UK, but the supermarket’s team, echoed by Tiger Trailers’ design engineers, identified that ambient moving double deck trailers would increase not only efficiency but versatility, too.

Capable of transporting 44 pallets as opposed to 26 previously, and also able to carry cages, Tiger Trailers’ ambient moving double deck solution for Morrisons is a prime example of innovative design and engineering resulting in ‘more products, fewer miles’ and translates into 50% more real-world scope for store deliveries.

Keith Boulton, Morrisons’ Head of Transport comments:
“We’re very pleased with our new ambient double deck trailers from Tiger, which are the result of our teams working closely together to achieve a new solution for our fleet. The trailers’ extra capacity and versatility signify an innovative step forwards and we’re delighted that they carry our new branding elements and messaging, 2020 having galvanised the customer relationship in an unprecedented way. Thanks again to Tiger Trailers’ team.”

Critical within the customer’s brief was the delivery of a trailer that would be closer to a tall curtainsider in height rather than a conventional double deck, in order to be able to operate within the more restricted environments of Morrisons’ urban and rural stores.
Tiger’s ambient moving double deck curtainsider trailers for Morrisons feature an internal gate rated to 10 tonnes, the manufacturer’s proven in-house 4-ram deck-lifting system, an aerodynamic roof design, EN 12642-XL rated components, plus Tiger’s innovative ‘Captive Rave’ load securing and restraint system that boosts both efficiency and operator safety and enables the dual cage and pallet capability.

Darren Holland, Tiger Trailers’ Sales Director says:
“Our team always embrace a challenge and it’s been a privilege to work alongside Morrisons’ people in designing and manufacturing a trailer that fulfils their very specific brief and ultimately helps keep supermarket shelves stocked and people fed. We’re proud of the effective and striking trailers we’ve introduced to Morrisons’ fleet and look forward to supporting them over the coming years.”

With a 7,300-strong logistics team based at seven regional and one national distribution centre, a vehicle fleet travelling 115 million kilometres a year, 3.5 million cases picked per day from its warehouses, 54,000 collections made from its manufacturing sites a year, and with 96% of the supermarket’s deliveries arriving on time, it’s essential that Morrisons’ trailers are designed for their challenging role.

Alongside Morrisons’ order of 125 Tiger Trailers tri-axle stepframe curtainsided double decks, it has also received 25 lightweight moving double deck trailers for Rathbones bakery, which is part of the supermarket’s group. The Rathbones trailers feature a highly distinctive livery in the form of a ‘naked’ loaf of bread and enable a 1,322 basket capacity, which is a significant 22.4% advancement over the operator’s previous bread trailers that transported 1,080 baskets.

Justine Manley, Morrisons’ Brand and Formats Design Director says:
“Thanks to the Tiger Trailers team for their co-operation on this project. These multi-deck trailers have also provided us with an opportunity to roll out our latest Morrisons branding that is being introduced across our logistics, fuel and home delivery fleet.”

Operating around 500 stores that serve close to a million customers each week, efficient logistics is vitally important to the retailer, heightened further by the Coronavirus pandemic and now Christmas. Tiger Trailers’ experience, insight and innovation in customer-led trailer design has delivered an effective solution that coincides with the introduction of Morrisons’ eye-catching and emotive new liveries.

The award celebrates firms that have really helped and stepped up to make a difference to clients and their businesses.

Manchester Based chartered accountants and tax advisors Alexander & Co has been recognised in the work it has undertook this year by being crowned the best tax advisory firm in the UK in the Accountancy Age Resilience Awards.

The national awards, which were open to all UK firms, aims to celebrate those organisations that have genuinely helped to make things easier for clients and businesses during 2020. It recognises those teams and individuals that have gone above and beyond to help with the many challenges clients and co-workers have faced.

Michael McCaw, Editor of Accountancy Age said:
“Given the difficulties faced by businesses and practices throughout the course of this year, new approaches and standards have been placed on accountancy. Leaders have been forced to show their true qualities while teams have needed to collaborate in the most strenuous circumstances.

“In judging the Resilience Awards, the Accountancy Age judging team looked for those individuals and teams that have really helped bring stability and clarity for those they work with in these uncertain times. This year’s awards were incredibly competitive, making the judging process arduous – and reflecting an industry that has raised the standards across the board.”

 John McCaffery, Tax Partner at Alexander & Co said:
“Naturally, we are delighted to win. 2020 has been a tough year for many businesses and this award recognises the lengths the team at Alexander & Co goes to in helping its clients. It is a result of all the hard work the entire team at Alexander & Co has put in this year.

“As we approach 2021, we look forward to assisting clients both new and existing, as Alexander & Co continues to steadily expand our teams across the board”

Over the past five decades, Alexander & Co has earned its reputation as one of the most trusted and dependable business advisors in the region. It provides a wide range of expert services in the fields of accountancy, taxation, corporate finance and business advisory, specialising in helping owner managed businesses.

Techbuyer, a sustainable IT solutions provider based on Hornbeam Park in Harrogate, has been listed in Buzzacott’s Organic Growth 25 (OG25). They are one of four Yorkshire companies to feature this year.

The list recognises the UK’s top 25 businesses in terms of fast and sustainable growth. It also demonstrates that it is possible to grow a business without investment or venture capital funding.

Techbuyer buys, refurbishes and sells servers, storage and networking equipment, laptops and desktops from over 150 brands. The company’s priority is to provide excellent performance and unrivalled customer service. They also extend the life cycle of IT equipment to maximise budgets and keep quality technology in use.

2020 has been a busy year for Techbuyer. Labelled as an essential business during the Covid-19 pandemic, the company has been keeping IT systems running across the world. 41 new employees have joined, totalling an increase of 26% since January 2020, and new customers have doubled from August 2019 to August 2020.
To help ease costs during a difficult climate, Techbuyer has also launched new services. This includes IT Rentals which avoid upfront payments, an online tool which configures HPE servers in minutes, and a Laptop Upgrade Service.

Helen Blakey, Techbuyer Marketing Director said:
“Reaching the Organic Growth 25 list is a great honour for us here in the UK.”

“Our success is thanks to our employees who always go above and beyond. We have a strong history of promoting from within, with many of our earliest colleagues growing alongside the business. We also invest heavily in staff training and development, including the Techbuyer Academy which trains people in the ever-changing IT market.”

“Being recognised for organic growth is also testament to the circular economy,” Helen continues. “Our business model is entirely circular, which reduces waste, makes use of the materials we already have, and maximises IT budgets. This approach can also contribute to our clients’ CSR goals.”

Based in Harrogate since 2005, Yorkshire remains Techbuyer’s largest HQ. The company has expanded in recent years with six more sites across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific. Techbuyer won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in April 2020 and has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry.

Following a testing few months for most businesses, South Yorkshire based Huthwaite International – a world leading global provider of sales, negotiation and communication skills development – has celebrated continued success across the globe through its virtual offering. Since March this year, Huthwaite International has delivered over 2000 SPIN Selling learning journeys including 450 virtual training sessions for participants. A total of 2,000 participants have taken part in the Huthwaite sales behaviour change programmes, across 17 different sectors.
The virtual offering has also positively impacted the environment with Huthwaite’s clients saving approximately 146 tonnes of aeroplane C02 emissions and over 21,500 travelling hours by choosing SPIN virtual. Despite the absence of travel, programmes have been delivered in 27 countries and in 15 different languages.

Tony Hughes, CEO at Huthwaite International, commented:
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the success of our virtual offering. Like many other training providers, the pandemic put a lot of our face to face classroom programmes on hold, but fortunately it gave us the opportunity to perfect the way we deliver our virtual learning journeys. We’ve now been able to fulfil the majority of our training commitments using virtual and digital delivery methods, offering learning experiences that incorporate purpose built mobile friendly digital modules, videos and resources and a new collaborative platform. Through these new learning journeys, clients have not only been able to train their teams, they have been able to build new Communities of Practice – sharing experiences and know how beyond Huthwaite’s learning interventions.

“This is a really exciting time for Huthwaite. The company is currently seeing real confidence and client praise building around the transformation of our delivery methods, which only adds to the continued success of SPIN Selling – the most researched, validated and successful sales methodology in the world. There are more exciting things in the pipeline, so it’s great to see our business can adapt well in truly challenging times.”

Huthwaite International has been providing sales and negotiations training across the globe for over 40 years. For more information on Huthwaite International, please visit https://huthwaiteinternational.com/

Tech innovators will tackle major education and healthcare challenges at the KCOM Innovation Hothouse, ran by local consultants, nordstar*.

A hackathon-style competition devising ground-breaking solutions to some of the UK’s most pressing problems is to take centre stage at Tech Week Humber next month.

Described as an ‘Innovation Hothouse’, teams of tech experts will take part in the virtual event which aims to create workable, tech driven answers to real world issues facing the education and healthcare sectors brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

KCOM Wholesale is the headline sponsor for Tech Week Humber which is returning for a second year after a successful launch event in 2019. The event will run from Monday, 9 November, to Friday, 13 November, and feature a wide range of online networking events, workshops and keynote speakers. The overarching theme of this year’s event is a Connected Humber.

Tim Shaw, managing director of KCOM wholesale and networks, said:
“We’re delighted to be a part of this year’s Tech Week Humber.

“Although it has to be a little different this year, the event continues to go from strength to strength and this year’s programme continues to be packed full of great events that will showcase the very best of the region’s business community.

“KCOM has been part of the fabric of this region since 1904 and continues to be dedicated to supporting its success, its flourishing digital economy and its evolving business landscape.”

Dan Wilkinson, managing partner of nordstar, said:
“We’re are thrilled to be involved in this year’s Humber Tech Week. Living and working in the region means we know first-hand about our thriving digital economy right here on our doorstep, and this event will help us showcase that to a wider audience.

“At nordstar we’ve been using our wealth of experience and expertise to transform and stimulate innovation within some of the world’s top brands, and we’re delighted to be supporting KCOM to do the same with local talent in the region.”

Mr Shaw said he was particularly keen to hear from more “tech savvy teams, industry disruptors and student blue sky thinkers” interested in taking part in the Innovation Hothouse, which is being run in conjunction with tech transformation and delivery experts nordstar.

Mr Shaw said:
“Having been at the heart of connecting people for decades, we’re delighted to be hosting the virtual KCOM Innovation Hothouse. I’m excited to see what the exceptional talent in this region can do to bring some innovative new ideas to the very real challenges facing our education and healthcare institutions.”

Antonio Tombanane, Founder of Tech Week Humber, said:
“It’s excellent news that KCOM Wholesale have come onboard as headline partners for Tech Week Humber 2020. This year, we’re working closely with their wholesale and networks team to uncover and showcase the exceptional technology talent we have in our region.”

Registration for the Innovation Hothouse is free and now open for teams who are currently in further education or industry and want to showcase their skills. Teams from Wilberforce Sixth Form College, Hull College and the University of Hull are among those already signed up to take part.

As an added incentive to get involved, the team presenting the best tech solutions to the various challenges will be able to pitch their ideas to real life investors with the potential to take them to the next stage of development.

Last year’s inaugural Tech Expo Humber event attracted 2,000 attendees over a two-day period and reached an audience of 1.5 million through PR and social media, showcasing the best of region’s thriving tech and digital sector to the world.

• For more information about taking part in the KCOM Innovation Hothouse visit kcom.com/humbertech. To find out more about Tech Week Humber visit www.techexpohumber.com or email [email protected]

Liverpool-based manufacturer, Ideal Modular Homes, is pleased to announce it has joined the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner (NPH) programme, reinforcing the company’s commitment to northern investment.

The NPH is the government’s vision to boost the impact and contribution of the North to the UK economy. The NPH’s partner programme is an essential part of the northern powerhouse agenda, bringing together and connecting innovative businesses who all believe in the strong economic potential of the north. The appointment is recognition of the contribution the business has made to the scheme.

Delivering the future of housing, Ideal has developed the UK’s most advanced and innovative modular home manufacturing facilities. Creating eco-friendly, accessible homes with unrivalled quality and desirability in a matter of days, all while making homes more cost-efficient than conventional construction methods.

Since inception, building on the region’s strength has been at the forefront of Ideals’ ethos. Job creation, training and apprenticeships, business and charity partnerships, affordable housing projects and community building are all ways in which Ideal actively plays a role in strengthening the northern economy and emboldening the north’s impact through community collaboration.

The coming year will see Ideal investing in a new generation of workers with its Learning to Work programme. An apprenticeship scheme designed to provide training and qualifications for young people struggling with employment, while also helping build the north’s off-site construction industry. The company is also working with students at the University of Liverpool applying a hands-on learning experience for students wanting to work in the industry. An advanced production process allows for around 30% of the workforce to be apprentices who can develop their skills on-the-job with training provided by industry experts.

With the potential to improve people’s living standards, Ideal’s modular homes are not only less expensive to buy and build, they are also much cheaper to run. Specialist materials and technology means that there are substantial cost savings on heating and energy usage.

Ideal’s OURhome initiative, created in collaboration with shedkm, is aimed at housing associations, local authorities and councils to deliver the affordable, sustainable homes that the region so desperately needs. A second northern-based factory, increasing job prospects in northern regions and ultimately improving local economies, will be opening in late 2020 taking the company’s total output to 2000 homes per year. Working with charitable organisations including Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Mersey Forest further solidifies Ideal’s commitment to the north.

Luke Barnes, CEO of Ideal Modular Homes, is delighted to be a part of the programme and said:

“We are committed to growing our business in partnership with the Northern Powerhouse initiative. Sharing an ambition to invest in the supply and quality of the North’s housing offer, while also supporting other members to create great places to live, we want the North to become a magnet for new business and talented people. This exciting new collaboration will help us to ensure housing plays an important role in the Northern Powerhouse agenda and help improve the lives, living standards, power and voice of the north and its residents.”

North West based digital agency, Ixis, is celebrating 16 years of building and supporting organisations and their digital platforms.

Established in 2004, the digital agency specialises in the development, hosting, and support and maintenance of websites on a short and long term basis with a roster of clients in the charity and membership organisation industries.

Ixis has several long term clients including Epilepsy Action who have been a client for 14 years with several projects and support contracts during the time and The British Council, a hosting and support client of 12 years.

Mike Carter, Managing Director at Ixis said:
“We launched in 2004 with the aim of making websites easy, people focussed and profitable. With the right team and partners behind us, we’ve been able to deliver this for our clients with their needs and customers at the heart of each project. By working this way, it has led to over 75% of clients staying with us for more than 3 years, where contracts allow them to, and over 50% for more than 5 years.”

Plans to invest over €12 million in Portugal’s tech market and create 150 jobs

BJSS, the British technology and engineering consultancy and Northern Powerhouse partner, has announced its expansion into Portugal. The initial investment in the region will exceed €12 million within 18 months and marks the company’s first international location outside of North America.

Based in Lisbon, BJSS’ new team is set to grow rapidly to support the company’s existing international and regional Iberian clients. The initial focus for the Portuguese operation is recruiting up to 150 first-class IT consultants to support BJSS’ technology, engineering, consulting, cloud, data and AI services. This will include dedicated strategic and account management leadership, with a focus on regional delivery.

André de Aragão Azevedo, Secretary of State for the Digital Transition, said:
“It was with great satisfaction that we welcomed BJSS’ decision to choose Portugal for its first office in continental Europe. Investment into the country remains resilient during the pandemic, so BJSS’ expansion will further strengthen our reputation as a European centre for innovation and support the path from a startup nation to a digital nation. Portugal isn’t just the leader in innovation among Southern Europe countries according to the European Commission, it is now part of the strong innovators group.

This new investment also shows our competitiveness to attract companies that generate highly skilled employment. This is an opportunity for a group of hundreds of IT talented people to realize its potential in our country, so I welcome BJSS to Portugal and look forward to watching them expand for many years.”

The operation will be led by Pedro Ferreira, a Portuguese national and three-year veteran of BJSS.

Amir Soufizadeh, Head of International Expansion, BJSS, commented:
“BJSS is renowned for its focus on services that promote wider digital transformation. Many Iberian organisations are currently tackling this problem, and we’re delighted to benefit from Pedro’s local insight.”

Stuart Bullock, Managing Director, BJSS, explained:
“International expansion continues to be a key growth strategy for BJSS and we believe that the potential to unlock further opportunity in the European market is huge.”

“The decision to expand to Lisbon as our first European base was a logical step in this strategy. It means that we can establish even closer ties with our European clients, while strengthening our service capabilities in the fast-growing Iberian markets. We’re truly thrilled to be here.”

The recruitment of highly skilled IT specialists will largely fall in Lisbon, including full-stack software engineers, user interface (UI) and website specialists, test engineers, mobile application developers, data engineers and scientists, and User Experience (UX) consultants.

Established in 1993 in Leeds, United Kingdom, BJSS is a Queen’s Award for Enterprise-winning technology and engineering consultancy of over 1,500 staff members. Lisbon is the company’s thirteenth location. BJSS is renowned for delivering high quality, world-class technology solutions to the world’s leading organisations. It does this by aligning a strong engineering heritage with advanced technology, user-focused design and its collaborative Enterprise Agile® delivery approach.

International energy logistics provider Peterson has joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, a government-led initiative aimed to boost the local economy through investment in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Peterson has recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and is a major employer supporting clients with integrated logistics services from key locations across England including West Cumbria, Heysham Port, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Port.Jason Hendry, Regional Director at Peterson, said:
“We’re delighted to announce our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse and join a network of more than 200 organisations working together to drive business growth in North of England.

“Peterson’s integrated logistics services and supporting technologies play a vital role in the supply chain and our focus remains on investing in the business, developing our workforce and supporting clients with their global logistics requirements.”

Peterson continues to expand its business in England and has recently announced two significant contract awards from Sellafield Limited and Shell.

A four-year contract with Sellafield Limited will see Peterson continue as the operator of the Control Tower and Security and Distribution Centre (S&DC) at Lillyhall, which includes managing inbound logistics, warehousing and secure distribution of goods.
The contract award from Shell includes quayside, warehousing and transport services from Peterson’s Lowestoft base and is set to continue until at least January 2022.

Peterson has also announced this month the completion of a new fuel bunkering facility at its supply base at Lowestoft Port to support clients operating in the UK Southern North Sea. The new fuel facility has the capability and capacity to service any vessel that comes into the port.

Welcoming Peterson to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, Mark Jenkinson, Member of Parliament for Workington, said:
“I am delighted that Peterson, a national business with a base in my constituency are demonstrating their support for the northern economy by becoming a Northern Powerhouse Partner.

“As the business enters its centenary year, I welcome their greater commitment to our area and look forward to working with them on future projects in West Cumbria and throughout the wider county.

“The energy sector is key to our local economy and I think it is excellent that a business that works in and supports this sector is now at the forefront of policy for businesses in the North.”

Yorkshire based web and software development company Askew Brook, a Northern Powerhouse partner,  have secured the contract to deliver a website and digital marketing services for AVTEL Global. Based in the UK but with offices across India, Japan, Korea, Australia and the United States, AVTEL specialise in electronic security systems for high tech, household name clients.

Askew Brook’s Managing Director, Richard Askew says:
“Working with innovative companies like AVTEL is what it’s all about. We have an opportunity to work across different sectors, languages and cultures; looking at leading brands we use in our work every day. It’s exciting, and one the whole team can’t wait to get their teeth into”.

The contract win caps off a productive lockdown for the Scarborough based company who have launched two products and seen a series of contract wins. Richard adds “It’s been an interesting time but the team have really pulled through, the future is exciting but projects like this are ones that give everyone a pick-me -up”.

AVTEL Group CEO, Myles Hick adds:
“We’ve grown quickly over the last few years and the quality of our workforce and supply chain is key. We’re very excited about the future and our online presence is going to be front and center.”

Founders of the York-created mobile phone app, Connected-York, are celebrating their first full year as a business despite the many knock-backs brought about by Covid-19..

The app, which helps businesses communicate and advertise with residents and visitors in real-time with adverts, promotions and exclusive offers, was launched in 2019 after many months of research and development – but Covid-19 threatened to curtail the app’s growth.

However, to continue to support the bricks and mortar businesses of York during the Covid restrictions, founders Andrew Stark and Melissa Magson evolved and adapted the app to better support the businesses and residents of York as their needs changed.
The app was developed to enable businesses to create better connections with residents – adding categories such as ‘home delivery’, ‘open for business’ and more recently, promoting those organisations taking part in the government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme.

With over 300 local businesses now on the app, user download numbers are continuing on an upward trajectory.

Andrew Stark, co-founder:
“Covid-19 knocked all businesses sideways, and we were no exception. Lockdown delivered a horrible reality for us and many other organisations too – we can only count ourselves as lucky as we were able to be quite dynamic and change our model quickly to continue to champion our local retailers.”

Melissa Magson added:
“Things slowed with Covid-19 initially, then the pace of app downloads began to increase dramatically as residents have looked for up to date and timely information, and retailers have looked for more ways to communicate. This form of real-time digital connection between retailers and residents and the high-street has resonated with many.”

The app was originally built on the concept that physical retail needs technology to help it evolve, and it can be used as an enabler to support physical retail, and not to detract and replace it. As York is the app’s hometown, it’s no surprise that the focus is on local, however in the longer-term there are plans for growth further afield.

To help with business growth and development, Melissa and Andrew both highlight the positive results from the support mechanisms they’ve used. With Make It York putting them in contact with the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to help with training, support and funding opportunities, they’ve also become Federation of Small Business (FSB) members and have recently begun to work with Ad:Venture – a European Regional Development organisation.

However, the icing on the cake came when they became a Northern Powerhouse Partner in July. The Northern Powerhouse is about boosting the local economy by investing in skills, innovation, transport and culture – with members being organisations such as KPMG, LNER, Yorkshire Building Society and Make It York.

Says Melissa;
“We’re possibly one of the smallest Northern Powerhouse members however our aspirations and passion for the North, particularly Yorkshire, remain just as strong. We’re thrilled to be part of this, and for us it also represents a great support and networking opportunity with some fantastic organisations we can learn so much from.”

With retail and city centres in general beginning to pick up in terms of footfall, and with Yorkshire Day approaching, Connected-York is optimistic – reporting increased activity not just in the food and drink sector, but in the arts and entertainment too.

Andrew concludes;
“We’ve taken a few knocks, but we’re made of strong Yorkshire stuff and we’ve got so much more to come. We’re proudly flying the flag for the small businesses, the independent retailers – and plenty of the larger, more characterful ones too – for York and the North of England!”

Connected-York will be celebrating Yorkshire Day with plenty of tea, locally made cake and perhaps a regional ale. Or two.

Scarborough based RecordCustomer.com has hit lockdown head-on and developed a platform in record-time to help businesses in the hospitality trade, picking up customers all across the UK.

The platform helps hospitality sector businesses comply with test and trace responsibilities; the team at parent company Askew Brook put together a prototype in a couple of days and got such positive feedback they decided to develop it into a subscription-based product in record time.

Lead Developer, Jack Spriggs, said:
“Coronavirus has been tough to all businesses and particularly difficult for our tourist and hospitality industry, we thought we could build something simple that would save them time and money they just don’t have. We needed to do it quickly, no one had much time to react to it”.

The team are based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire which is the second most visited area outside of London and they decided to give it away for free to local pubs.

Richard Askew Managing Director adds:
“Small businesses are a lifeline to towns like ours, they provide the majority of the jobs and the earnings; we need them to keep going. We’ve had breweries, museums, cafes and Local Authorities get in touch”.

The idea is gaining traction across the UK too, Richard continues:
“Askew Brook normally work on long term projects, we’ve been looking for a product for a while, and to wake up in a morning to find a bar in Brighton or a hotel in the Highlands finding what we’ve made is a brilliant feeling. I think the idea of ‘giving away’ to the local community is an interesting one and will hopefully be a positive outcome of the coronavirus epidemic ”.

Businesses across Yorkshire have been busy rebooting post-lockdown, according to Leeds-based agency and Northern Powerhouse partner, Creative Marketing Services.

In the past few months, the company has received a surge of enquiries from organisations anxious to put marketing campaigns in place and get back to full production in the shortest possible time. Months of business on hold has prompted firms to take stock of their strategy and many are viewing the second half of 2020 as a critical period of re-mobilisation.

Managing Director, Andrew Batty, commented:
“The hiatus caused by lockdown has given directors some time to reset and consider their next steps. Many have concluded that those organisations fastest off the block when the starting pistol fires are the ones which will pick up market share in the next twelve months. We have spoken to various existing and prospective clients eager to organise new marketing campaigns, particularly through digital channels such as social media which can be activated quickly for immediate impact. Many have already hit the ground running to their advantage. For example, when government announced on 13^th May that estate agents and housebuilders can reopen their doors and offer viewings, our clients in property and construction had new marketing campaigns ready to launch on the same day.”

Having been established for 38 years, Creative Marketing Services has experienced many recessions in that period. Mr Batty believes that the trajectory of the post-lockdown recovery will contrast with previous downturns.

He continued:
“I think this one is different,“it’s expected to be V-shaped, caused by the sudden nature of the close down. Every company is keen to get back to where they were, but some have been reluctant to resume their marketing activities at this stage. That’s an understandable response given the circumstances, but I believe it’s a mistake – it’s essential for an organisation to communicate with its clients and potential clients and tell them that not only are they back to business, but also able to meet client demands. Based on our discussions with Yorkshire businesses in the past few months, many companies agree with that thinking.”

Based at Hollinthorpe Hall, on the North East fringes of the city, Creative Marketing Services provide services for organisations across public, private and third sectors. The company’s extensive client list includes sections of the United Nations, governmental departments and brand leaders in tourism, scientific, construction, logistics and retail.

Creative Marketing Services is offering a free reboot report to any company who contacts Andrew at [email protected]

Darwen-headquartered Contract Manufacturing specialists WEC Group have recently announced that they have secured a multi-million pounds contract with Royal Mail. From July 1st 2020, the market leading Engineering & fabrication businesses will start manufacturing all the iconic red letterboxes and associated Royal Mail fabricated metal products which form part of the British heritage.

The 900 staff strong Group recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in business, and WEC now operates from 9 manufacturing sites across Lancashire, Yorkshire, Merseyside and the West Midlands.

WEC Group Commercial Director Wayne Wild said:
“The Royal Mail is one of the country’s best-known brands, and we are very proud of our new association with such a long-established business. The new contract is a major boost for our Group’s growth targets. Despite tough market conditions brought about by the recent pandemic, our ability to secure contracts of this scale is the proof that WEC is the “go to” contract manufacturing company for any OEMs looking to strengthen their supply chain and future-proof their business”.

Under the terms of the new contract, WEC will manufacture a wide array of Royal Mail’s fabricated products including (but not limited to) post boxes, parcel drop boxes, sorting stations, and trolleys to name but a few.

WEC Group’s Fabrication Operations Manager Adrian Radcliffe who played a key role in securing this new contract said:
“We won this contract based on our commitment to quality and strong track record of delivering similar contracts on time and on budget. This new work fits perfectly with our full in-house manufacturing capabilities which include laser cutting, fabrication, machining, and specialist coatings.

All our team in Darwen are very excited at the prospect to start fabricating such well known products and we will take great pride in turning this into another success for WEC Group.”

Other recent large contracts completed by WEC Group have included the manufacture of assembly jigs for Airbus A320 Assembly line in Hamburg, a multi-million-pound stainless steel bridge in the Lake District, and more recently some key sheet metal assemblies for the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium.

Darwen and Rossendale MP, Jake Berry said:
“WEC Group really are a first class company so it’s appropriate that they’ll be manufacturing the iconic red letterboxes right here in Darwen. Well done everyone at WEC on securing this new contract with the Royal Mail.”

WEC Group currently employs over 150 highly skilled welders and has made substantial investments in the latest robotic welding and steel profiling technology over the past few years, improving manufacturing speed, accuracy and repeatability.

The Group has made over £6m of investment throughout the company over the past 18 months. This includes investments in state-of-the-art fiber laser cutting machines, as well as new CNC Machining Centres.

Drax Group is delivering hundreds of laptops with internet access to schools and colleges local to its operations across Britain, to ensure students can continue with their studies during the Covid-19 crisis.

As the pandemic continues to have a major impact on families and communities across the UK, the energy company which owns the UK’s largest power station, is rolling out a package of measures to support people in its communities.

It has been working with headteachers at its partner schools to source and provide families with laptops and prepaid internet access so children without a computer at home can connect and continue with their studies during the lockdown.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:
“At Drax we’ve been working with headteachers during the Easter break to make sure that students have access to laptops as they start the summer term. This is crucial, as highlighted by the Government this weekend.

“We’re delivering nearly 700 laptops with internet access to the students who need them most. The pandemic continues to have a major impact on families, businesses and communities across the UK – our support for students means we’re helping to get them connected so they can keep learning during the lockdown.”

As part of its initiative to inspire more children to study STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) subjects, Drax has been working with partner schools local to its operations for some time, delivering a range of projects and careers events.

This latest project has seen the energy company invest £200,000 in the laptops with prepaid internet access, delivered for the summer term to partner schools in its local communities across England and Scotland.

The schools will distribute the technology to families to help ensure no child is left behind during lockdown.

Ian Clennan, Head Teacher of Selby Community Primary School in North Yorkshire, which will be receiving some of the equipment, said:
“This donation of laptops from Drax is going to make a huge difference to the lives of pupils currently without access to online educational resources – as well as our whole school community after the Coronavirus lockdown is over.

“Ensuring no-one gets left behind in their studies during the lockdown is a priority for us, but schools don’t just provide education – they’re a whole support system. Having computers and internet access means pupils can keep in touch with their teachers and classmates more easily too – which is also incredibly important at the moment.”

Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, a leading charity which aims to address disadvantages in education, added:
“Home schooling is difficult for any family, but for children with limited access to a laptop or the internet – the barriers to studying are even greater. This generous donation by Drax will help hundreds of children to continue to learn during the crisis and have a positive impact on their life chances, as well as the communities in which they live.”

As part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, Drax has taken unprecedented measures to protect its staff during the Covid-19 crisis and maintain a reliable and stable supply of electricity to millions of homes and businesses across the UK.

Just last week, engineers at Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire – the UK’s largest power station – installed blue lighting on one of the 114m tall cooling towers in appreciation of the NHS as part of the ‘Clap for Carers’ initiative.

Northern Powerhouse partner and professional services firm KPMG has announced today that Warren Middleton has been appointed to lead the firm’s Manchester office.

Warren was previously head of the firm’s Consulting business across the UK regions, working with a number of clients on technology and digital transformation projects. He joined the firm in 1997 and became partner in 2006. He is also the current Chair of Runshaw College in Leyland, and a Trustee at The Clink Café Charity based in Canada House, Manchester.

Warren succeeds Nicola Quayle who, after two years in post, stepped down from the office senior partner role in December. Warren has been acting as interim office senior partner since then.

Christine Hewson, KPMG’s North Region Chair, said:
“As technology and digital transformation becomes an ever-pressing issue for our clients, and as Manchester continues to cement its reputation as a fast-growing centre for the international tech economy, Warren’s wealth of experience in this field will ensure that we continue to make great strides in building out our capabilities in this area.”

Warren Middleton said:
“It’s a real privilege to take on the role of senior partner in the city where my family and friends live and work, at a time when its reputation as a dynamic, open, entrepreneurial and innovative place in which to do business is well-known around the globe.

“We have an incredibly talented 1,200-strong team in Manchester, with clear ambitions to match, and I’m really excited to be able to work with our audit, tax and advisory teams to ensure we continue to deliver best-in-class services to our clients across the region.”

Northern Powerhouse Partner, Moneypenny, launches a new campaign ‘Future of Business’ celebrating and exploring pioneering business innovation as part of its commitment to support improvements in business productivity across the UK. With close to 700,000 new start-ups launching in 2019 in the UK (12% rise in the last 5 years), starting a business has become easier and more accessible than ever before and this series will give SMEs advice on establishing and growing their business in a constantly-changing world.

The campaign will showcase how leading businesses, such as WeWork and PwC, as well as SMEs, are adapting and embracing both technological and cultural shifts in the workplace and entire business landscape. It will explore the trends over recent years, and aim to predict the shape of business innovation in 2020 and beyond.

Featuring industry leaders, futurists, and ground-breaking SMEs, Future of Business will encompass topics ranging from how to get your business AI-ready, the benefits of ‘going officeless’ and why workplace culture is changing.

As part of Moneypenny’s commitment to productivity and innovation it recently became a partner of Be the Business a government supported, business led not-for-profit movement that aims to drive up productivity and tech adoption amongst UK SMEs.

Kate Cox, Chief Marketing Officer at Moneypenny explains:
“We pride ourselves on constantly innovating the technology we offer our clients, so we thought we’d bring this innovation to life. Working styles are changing and we want to help our clients use these technologies to further improve business productivity and to transform how we live and work in the near future.”

More than 45 of the North’s most exciting and innovative exporting businesses have made the shortlist of this year’s PD Ports Northern Powerhouse Export Awards, powered by UMi. The awards attracted over 120 nominations, from Manchester to Middlesbrough and South Shields to Sheffield; and the export turnover from the 48 finalists alone was in excess of £300 million in 2019.

The event was created in 2016 by UMi to recognise the North’s top exporters and celebrate their achievements in international trade, while also giving inspiration to others to consider exporting as a realistic opportunity for growth.

Now in their fourth year, the Awards – run in association with HSBC, Teesside International Airport and the University of Teesside – celebrate the achievements and entrepreneurial flair of Northern exporters across nine categories.UMi Chief Executive, Nicki Clark, said:
“The level of nominees and calibre of businesses are clear evidence of the ambition and global competitiveness that already exist across the North.  But there’s much more to be done.  At UMi we are on a mission to make it easier to run a business by taking the hard work out of finding and using the best information, expertise and finance.  The Northern Powerhouse Export campaign does that by providing inspiration and easy access to the help that’s needed to expand your business’s horizons beyond the shores of the UK.”

Frans Calje, PD Ports’ CEO, said:
“As a maritime nation, the UK has a long and proud history of international trade. Our ports and maritime industries have been the backbone of our country’s position as a global trading power. Across the Northern Powerhouse we are seeing increasing levels of activity to ensure that trading power is equally balanced. In 2019 the UK’s export value was in excess of £645bn, with the North leading the way in terms of consistent net exports.

“The Northern Powerhouse Awards are a chance to celebrate the success stories of our great exporting businesses across the North. I am delighted to see a record number of entries this year as more businesses seek to increase exporting activity with global markets, building resilience, boosting economic growth and creating new jobs.”

Nick Missin, HSBC’s Head of Trade, Global Trade & Receivables Finance for the North, said:
“The North is home to some of the most innovative and intrepid exporters in the UK and we’re proud to support them as they take their goods and services to the world.

“I’d like to congratulate every business that has been recognised by being shortlisted for an award, they are all an inspiration to businesses across the region. At HSBC UK we have trade specialists on hand to help businesses take their first step into exporting or expand their operations to meet growing customer demand and find growth.”

Professor Jane Turner, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise & Business Engagement), from the University of Teesside, said:
“Teesside University is delighted to be sponsoring this year’s Northern Powerhouse Export Awards.  We make it our mission to work with innovative, ambitious companies to help them grow through R&D, skills development, being able to recruit the best talent and not least through networks and collaboration. Building export markets is a sure route to success. These awards are an excellent showcase for the many exporting businesses powering our economy, and for the drive, talent and business acumen that characterise our region.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:
“I’m delighted to be welcoming these fantastic shortlisted companies to Teesside International for the PD Ports Northern Powerhouse Export Awards, the first of what will be many events coming to our airport. These are all worthy businesses which are helping our economy by driving international trade, and I’m determined our airport will also play its part in doing so, as well as attracting inward investment to the region.”

The judging panel is made up of PD Ports, HSBC, DIT and the University of Teesside, and met recently to decide the winners of each category, to be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 19 March 2020 at Teesside International Airport.

Educational services charity, NCFE, has announced a new strategic partnership with The Northern Skills Network (NSN).

The not-for-profit organisation, which comprises the development and certification of technical qualifications, end-point assessment provision for apprenticeships, and a range of e-learning and assessment solutions, will be working collaboratively with NSN to help increase the productivity, prosperity and social mobility of the north by increasing the skill levels of both young people entering work for the first time, and existing employees within the workforce.The partnership, which was announced today at NSN’s official network launch event at the Crowne Plaza, Leeds, will also see senior members of staff from NCFE take up strategic roles on the NSN board, working together to help shape the future of the organisation as it continues to gather momentum.

Sian Wilson, Executive Director for Customer and Commercial Strategy at NCFE, commented:
“We are incredibly excited about our new strategic partnership with The Northern Skills Network.

“There is undeniable synergy between NCFE’s own Core Purpose to ‘Promote and Advance Learning’ and the work that The Northern Skills Network is planning to do to develop the hard to reach in order to support social mobility.

“By working together, we can harness each other’s resources to develop a shared understanding of the ever-changing skills landscape and become the ‘go to’ organisation for insights and advice on the skills and education issues affecting the north, representing the wants and needs of the education sector as a whole within a national context.”

NSN is a not-for-profit organisation which represents over 300 educational institutions and providers, including FE colleges, Universities, independent training providers, local authorities and third sector organisations.

Aligned with and supportive of the Northern Powerhouse agenda, NSN aims to provide a single voice for skills across the North of England and champion the importance of vocational and technical education, including apprenticeships, to employers, key stakeholders and government.

Mike Smith OBE, Chair of The Northern Skills Network, commented:
“The NSN Board is absolutely delighted to have NCFE as its first strategic partner. NCFE is a long established and highly regarded education services provider, based here in the north, which has worked for many years with NSN’s network members.

“Working together we aim to help promote the value of technical and vocational skills to employers and other stakeholders, as well as support learners of all ages to achieve the qualifications they need to advance their chosen careers and increase their social mobility.”

Across the North of England, the challenges and opportunities facing the FE and skills arena are significant. The strategic partnership between NSN and NCFE will enable the organisations to work together on collaborative and innovative projects, research, business development opportunities and policy implementation to support, enhance and improve the skills of the workforce which will in turn, impact on the region’s productivity and growth. The partnership will also strengthen both organisation’s individual vision and priorities, enabling a strong alliance across the North of England.

For more information about The Northern Skills Network, visit www.northernskillsnetwork.co.uk or for more information about NCFE, visit www.ncfe.org.uk

Halifax based international executive talent search firm, Stickfest Group, has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse is designed to drive economic growth in the north via investments in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Ian M. Franklin, Founder/Group CEO said:
“We are committed to supporting the development and economic growth of the North and proud and delighted to announce our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Programme.”

Ian continued:
“…because of the nature of the activities of my Company, we are in the fortunate position to represent and promote the Northern Powerhouse to our clients throughout the UK as well as overseas.”

Stickfest Group operates as a specialist executive mid-senior and C-Suite talent search consultancy, talent strategists and advisors in many sectors throughout the North, the UK and internationally. Stickfest Group are also specialists in talent sourcing for the high and ultra-high net worth, single and multi-Family Offices, Investment Banking, Legal and other disciplines associated to the fast growth Family Offices sector.Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am excited to welcome Stickfest Group as the newest member of our growing network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse partner organisations, who all strive to showcase the North as a great place to live, work and invest.

“They are committed to bringing the brightest and best talent into Northern businesses which complements our £3.4 billion Local Growth Fund investment to boost productivity, level up and unlock the full potential of communities across the Northern Powerhouse.”

Global law firm Kennedys has announced its partnership with the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

Kennedys is one of a growing number of organisations from across the north of England that is part of the network, which is working towards building a Northern Powerhouse across several main areas including: connectivity and transport; skills, science and innovation; quality of life and culture; and devolution.

The firm has advised on a number of significant projects in the north of England. In addition to acting on the acquisition of a shopping centre, which forms part of Bolton Council’s £1bn regeneration scheme, Kennedys is appointed to advise the joint venture responsible for delivering the ongoing £1bn Airport City Manchester development, as well as acting on a host of commercial deals that have secured long-term real estate leases in the North, (for example – PMP a Scottish based independent commercial property consultancy, Protector Insurance, a Norwegian insurer and Sheffield United’s new retail site at Meadowhall Shopping Centre).

Innovation is a key driver for the Northern Powerhouse and also for Kennedys. The firm has teamed up with the University of Manchester to develop next-generation fraud prevention software, after securing funding from the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership. With assistance from the University, the project will see Kennedys combine its existing fraud expertise and international data sets to develop machine learning techniques.

Sheffield-based Suzanne Liversidge, managing partner at Kennedys, says:
“We are committed to supporting the development and economic growth of the North and proud to announce our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. A priority of ours remains growth through attracting and recruiting the best legal talent, with our offices in the north of the UK central to this.”

Alison Loveday, who is a long-standing contributor to the North West business community, being a board director at Pro-Manchester and Chair of its Skills Committee, as well as being a member of the Northern Powerhouse Corporate Policy Board which launched earlier this year, adds:
“Kennedys’ global footprint means we have seen first-hand the scale of international investment in Manchester and across the North. A successful Northern Powerhouse will ensure Manchester remains an international business hub that drives an inclusive, growing and innovative economy that helps to attract and retain businesses, and the best talent.
“We are delighted to join the Northern Powerhouse as partner and remain committed to forming meaningful alliances with organisations who support this programme and ensuring businesses’ long-term success across the region.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I delighted to announce Kennedys as the newest addition to our growing network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse partner organisations.
“As a global law firm with offices across the North, Kennedys is helping pave the way for major infrastructure and regeneration projects, support businesses and drive innovation.
“The commitment of our partners combined with our £3.4 billion Local Growth Fund investment is helping communities throughout the Northern Powerhouse to level up and reach their full potential.”

Kennedys opened its Manchester and Sheffield offices in 2008 and 2010, respectively. These offices specialise in commercial dispute resolution, company and commercial law, corporate recovery, employment, real estate and construction, in addition to all lines of insurance defendant work, such as employers’, public and motor liability (including disease and fraud), professional indemnity and financial lines. The two offices comprise 250 people, 23 of whom are partners.

Kennedys merged with Manchester-headquartered law firm berg in 2017, followed shortly by a move into larger premises in the city to accommodate growth.

NEWCASTLE-headquartered college group NCG has joined the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

As England’s largest college group NCG will be part of the network of organisations that aims to build a more prosperous north.

The move coincides with the first cohort of students to start a new offshore renewables and sub-sea engineering course – a collaboration by Newcastle College, one of NCG’s seven colleges, and leading UK offshore energy support base, the Port of Blyth.

This month 25 students began the two-year course that covers engineering product design and manufacture, electrical power distribution and computer-aided design, and will provide a route into careers in the energy sector.

Liz Bromley, chief executive of NCG, pointed to the new course as evidence of the role further education providers can play in responding to the social and economic needs of local communities.

Liz said:
“We’re really excited to become a Northern Powerhouse partner organisation as NCG is uniquely placed to support the growth of regional economies by applying our nationally leading skills and expertise at a local level.

“Our organisational purpose is to unlock potential through learning. We do this by understanding what employers need and bridging the gap between education and business.

“We’ll bring this knowledge to the Northern Powerhouse table, and work with our fellow partners to make sure we’re creating the right skills that can stimulate economic growth.

“Realising the potential of the north through investment in skills is a huge opportunity – and NCG will lead the way.”

“The North deservedly has a reputation for high-quality further education institutions so it’s great to see NCG become the latest member of our expanding network of over 300 partners.

“They have an impressive footprint across the Northern Powerhouse with headquarters in Newcastle and colleges in Carlisle and West Lancashire so are in an enviable position to provide people with the skills and training they need to get good, well-paid jobs as we prepare to take advantage of the global opportunities available when we get Brexit done and take our country forward.

“Their contribution will build on over £750 million of Local Growth Fund investment in the North-East, Cumbria and Lancashire as we work together to level up the whole North and every place in the UK.”

NCG – a group of seven colleges including Newcastle, Carlisle and West Lancashire within the Northern Powerhouse area – helps thousands of people begin careers each year and works with businesses from FTSE100 giants to regional small businesses.

It delivers a broad range of industry-leading training programmes including apprenticeships, further and higher education courses.

All are designed in collaboration with businesses so that specific skills gaps are met and a sustainable workforce is created.

• New programme aims to match 180 mentors and mentees
• 25% of high growth businesses in the UK are founded by women
• Businesses of all sectors and sizes are encouraged to join the scheme

Northern Powerhouse Partner, Santander UK, has  launched its largest ever programme to bolster its support for businesswomen across the UK – the ‘Women Business Leaders’ mentoring programme.

Designed to support women in business across the UK, the mentoring programme pairs budding female entrepreneurs with established business leaders across all sectors, business sizes and geographies. The bank is calling on all businesswomen who feel they would benefit from mentoring – as well as both male and female business owners who think they can add value by becoming a mentor – to sign up quickly to the programme as spaces will fill up fast.

Following a successful smaller scale programme in 2019, this year the scale and ambition is even greater as the bank expects to pair 90 mentors with 90 female entrepreneurs and SME owners.

Recent data revealed that the proportion of investment in female-founded businesses declined to just nine per cent in 2019 – a drop from 15% four years earlier in 2015. Despite this, approximately 25% of high growth companies in the UK have a female founder. A separate report by Women Ahead and Moving Ahead, showed “effective mentoring is not only turning the gender dial, but is paving the way for a more inclusive, connected and diverse workforce and society”.

Louise Robinson, Head of Breakthrough, Santander said:
“There has been some headway on breaking the barriers for women in business, but there is still a long way to go before we see gender parity. It’s important that these budding female entrepreneurs have access to regular guidance from business professionals who have tried and tested methods of running an enterprise.”

Liz Dimmock, Founder and CEO, Women Ahead said:
“Women Ahead is delighted to be partnering with Santander to deliver this programme. As an entrepreneur myself, I understand just how exciting, yet also challenging it can be. It’s a massive yet rewarding step and one I am grateful to have made and never regretted. I’ve personally benefitted from mentoring at all stages; from start up to now in year six – and it was in fact a mentor that supported and challenged me to make this very step –to found Women Ahead, my social impact organisation six years ago. Mentoring enabled me to make this leap, embrace the (many!) challenges, and to always process and learn from the setbacks and acknowledge successes along the way.”

The programme will cover a wide range of challenges faced by SMEs and entrepreneurs – from finding the right work/life balance, to entering new growth phases and even exporting products or services internationally. As part of the initiative Santander UK will provide each of the partnerships with tailored business support, through facilitated peer to peer sessions in response to the participants requests.

Prospective mentors and mentees can apply online and the deadline for applications is close of business on Friday 31 January 2020. The programme itself will start in March, once the mentors and mentees have been matched, and will run throughout the year. More information can be found here.

Mortgage and protection consultancy firm, Yorkshire Financial Consultancy Limited (YFC), has become the latest partner of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. YFC is currently a member of leading UK distributor of mortgage and non-investment products, PRIMIS Mortgage Network, providing a wide range of mortgage and protection products to customers throughout the Yorkshire region. PRIMIS formed an integral part of YFC’s application to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme is a campaign specific to the North of England designed to boost the local economy through investment in skills, innovation, transport and culture. YFC joins over 300 businesses, civic bodies and charities based in the North of England who have partnered with the Government-led initiative over recent years, including Eddie Stobart, Ao.com and F S Legal.

Being a part of PRIMIS provides YFC with access to exclusive mortgage products for customers, bespoke adviser training and digital tools designed to enhance the advice process. Collectively, these support YFC with the recruitment and retention of advisers. This ensures that its advisers are equipped with the right content and tools to serve the firm’s growing customer base in the North, as well as drive its overall expansion plans with the new help of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Jonathan Needham, Operations Director at YFC, comments:
“We are incredibly proud of our northern roots so to have become a part of the Northern Powerhouse is a real honour. This would not have been possible, however, without being part of a progressive network like PRIMIS -the team offered us tremendous support throughout our application to become a member of the Northern Powerhouse. We have always been committed to supporting the development of the North and we strongly believe that our plans for future business growth run parallel with those of the Partner Programme.”

The partnership underpins YFC’s commitment to increasing its adviser headcount over the next 12 months. Being a part of the Northern Powerhouse will provide YFC with a more competitive offering, enabling it to employ and train more apprentices to become mortgage advisers therefore driving the company’s overall recruitment proposition.

Jonathan Needham continues:
“At YFC a priority for us is to expand through recruiting younger staff. We want to hire, invest in and mentor the next generation of brokers and The Northern Powerhouse Programme will allow us to do so. This will further ensure that we are able to reach a wider market and can serve more customers throughout the Yorkshire region.”

Toni Smith, Chief Operating Officer at PRIMIS, adds:
“At PRIMIS, we are committed to supporting all our businesses nationally and locally and helping them thrive. The long-held view that a broker supports their local community is still very much true today. This is why it is so important to equip them with the right tools and guidance to enable them to best serve their clients. We will continue to enhance our offering so that more advisers across the UK are able to strengthen their business and gain the recognition they deserve.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Yorkshire Financial Consultancy Limited are a welcome addition to our expanding network of over 300 Northern Power partner organisations, who are all committed and working together with the Government to support communities reaching their full potential.

“By providing good jobs to people across Yorkshire they are making an important contribution to the local economy as we build on our Local Growth Fund investment of more than £1 billion across the county.”

Leading educational awarding organisation, NCFE, has become the latest company to become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The North East-based charity, which provides of a range of nationally recognised technical qualifications and educational services has joined the Northern Powerhouse as a means of furthering its core purpose, to ‘promote and advance learning’.

Through its diverse range of nationally recognised NCFE and CACHE branded vocational qualifications and resources, NCFE has supported millions of UK learners into employment over the past 170 years. Becoming a part of the Northern Powerhouse gives the organisation the opportunity to build on this success by partnering with other leading employers and regional stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the region’s needs, its function and impact on a national scale.

David Gallagher, Chief Executive at NCFE said:
“The Northern Powerhouse has been gaining real traction and momentum in recent months, so to be joining the movement at such a pivotal time is really exciting for NCFE,”

“For over 170 years, NCFE has aimed to promote social mobility through learning to ensure that people from all walks of life have the means and opportunity to achieve their goals. Social mobility is a huge focus area for the Northern Powerhouse which aligns perfectly with our core purpose and provides us with a unique opportunity to extend the reach and impact of our work.

“Despite being a national and international company, we are proud of our northern roots and still house our headquarters in Newcastle. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are passionate about reinvesting in our services to provide skills for people in the North through our educational solutions, but also to be seen as a leading employer in the region, providing good, sustainable jobs for local people.”

The primary aim of The Northern Powerhouse is to boost the regional economy through investment in skills, innovation, transport and culture. Through its Partner Programme the Powerhouse encourages members to work together, supported by the government, to establish change and build expertise in these four key areas to help make the North a great place to live and work.

NCFE’s involvement in the Northern Powerhouse reflects the company’s commitment to its core purpose and its dedication to influencing real change to the delivery and impact of education in the North to help meet skills challenges in specific market sectors.

David Gallagher continued:
“We are constantly thinking about the future,”

“Our aspiration for the North is to drive up skills levels wherever we see a gap in the market and to influence change in skills strategy with a focus on innovation. As part of its five year Strategic Economic Plan, the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) highlighted four key growth industries for the North East – digital, advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences and energy.

“Our work with The Northern Powerhouse will not only help us to support our own region to achieve its economic goals, but it will also provide us with unprecedented access to the 10 other LEP’s so we can solidify our understanding of the needs of the North on a wider scale which will help us to shape our teaching and learning provision and innovate solutions to better meet these skills gaps.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“NCFE have been helping people across the North East get the skills they need for generations and I am thrilled to welcome them as the latest organisation to join our network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners working together to boost prosperity across the North.

“The impact of their work to provide learning opportunities for people of all abilities, combined with our investment in the North East of almost £380m from the Local Growth Fund, will contribute to improved productivity across the region and give more people the opportunity to get good jobs.”
NCFE is a registered charity which provides a range of nationally recognised technical qualifications and educational services to help ‘promote and advance learning’ for individuals, schools and colleges, employers and training providers.”

Urban regeneration and property management company announce the first Northern Powerhouse partnership of the new year. Creative Space Management embrace 2020 as the newest members of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse partnership programme.

The firm, which specialises in growing the northern economy through public and private sector placemaking and business growth interventions, joins a network of more than 300 organisations from across the North. With Headquarters in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and partnerships with cities across the North of England, Creative Space Management join other leading businesses, civic bodies and charities that aim to boost economic growth by investing in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Working closely with public and private sector stakeholders, Creative Space Management transform challenging locations into magnetic destinations. Their uniquely positioned business, boasting an extensive portfolio of economic development activity spanning more than a decade, has led on some of the North’s most successful place shaping initiatives. Key achievements include: pioneering work in Hull, redefining The Fruit Market, long before the city’s successful 2018 City of Culture bid; the animation of Ouseburn Valley in Newcastle, breathing life into the area through the iconic Toffee Factory redevelopment; and their game changing delivery of Sheffield’s Electric Works, supercharging investment in the city’s Digital Campus and beyond.

Established in 2006, Creative Space Management has grown from operating a single creative and digital media centre in Leeds city centre, to managing six business-cluster workspaces across Leeds, Sheffield, Rotherham and Newcastle. Their successful team of 33 creative, property management, urban regeneration and economic development professionals, deliver services to over 380 companies in the North of England.

The Northern Powerhouse partnership announcement comes at a significant time. Next week the UK will leave the European Union, and political and business leaders across the North will push ahead with newly formed economic development plans.

Creative Space Management’s Managing Director, Toby Hyam, explains: 
“We’re delighted to partner with the Northern Powerhouse and we believe that now, more than ever, we need to back the North and promote the fantastic opportunities for growth that can be delivered here.

“We work with ambitious Local Authorities who take bold steps to stimulate the economies of our towns and cities. Over the last decade we’ve championed the North through a number of pioneering place-making and urban regeneration initiatives, and we’ve seen how these investments in people, place and infrastructure have created jobs, attracted talent, trade and tourism to the North.

“There are a number of Government-backed high street and town centre regeneration funding schemes currently in play, which are providing new opportunities for growth in the North. Over the next few years we’ll see private and public sector leaders working together on brave new economic growth interventions, which should generate some exciting outcomes for our communities.”

As a champion of the North, committed to working with others to grow the visitor economy, improve the built environment, create jobs and attract investment, Creative Space Management welcomes the opportunity to join other great northern businesses and civic leaders by becoming the latest Northern Powerhouse partner.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Creative Space Management are a welcome addition to our growing network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse partner organisations, who are all working together with the Government to level up and help communities reach their full potential.

“Their work with almost 400 businesses across the North  is building on our £3.4 billion Local Growth Fund investment to create world-class places where people want to live, work, visit and invest in.”

Leading catering and food-service engineering company NWCE Foodservice Equipment, based in Bolton, have become one of the latest companies and one of the first in the catering equipment industry, to join The Northern Powerhouse.

The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a super connected, globally – competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly – skilled population, and world – renowned civic and business leadership.

The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse.

The Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am pleased to announce NWCE Foodservice Equipment as one of the latest members of the growing Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

“Based in Greater Manchester region, which has benefited from over £660 million support from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, NWCE is committed to supporting the catering industry to flourish and working alongside more than 300 other partners organisations to help the North reach its full economic potential.”

There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme. Prospective partners can email [email protected] for more information about the partner programme and how to apply.

NWCE are one of over 300 partners spread across the North of England who’s aim is to work together in the future to create an economic boost and help improve and increase investment in the area.

Ben Odling Managing director of NWCE added:
“From day one as a company we have recognised the strengths and opportunities that the region offers.  We recently relocated from Bury to our new site in Bolton, allowing us to expand our workforce and develop the team through training and apprenticeship programmes.

“The Northern Powerhouse enables us to join a huge network of businesses that recognise the areas growth potential and will enable us to develop our business further.  With further investment imminent in both our new premises and in training and recruitment, we will continue to tap into the best talent the north has to offer and continue to reap the benefits of strong relationships with local businesses. We are very proud to be part of the #NorthernPowerhouse Partner Programme!”

Chartered Quantity Surveying Practice, Solomons Europe, is pleased to announce that it has become part of the Northern Powerhouse Partner programme.

The Solomons Europe team have their roots exclusively in the north of England, providing integrated project and commercial services to major process, power and engineering projects across the UK. With dedicated staff offices located in Hartlepool, Newton le Willows and Cumbria, And many of the staff born and bred in these regions the company believes they can champion a true northern soul.

Managing Director, Dominic Doig stated:
“We are delighted to become Northern Powerhouse partners.  We are confident of our northern business’ ability to embrace the power of collective and collaborative approaches, championing growth and innovation in our regions. We hope that being part of this initiative will offer the opportunity to bring a strong SME voice, helping to shape sustainable regional futures for the longer term.”

Solomons have this year demonstrated their confidence in the future of the northern regions by investing both in new premises in West Cumbria and launching an innovative fast track career conversion programme, which aims to tackle the skills shortage head on.

The company believes that the SME community in the North can work collaboratively to positively influence local futures, and are doing their bit by taking on 4 new trainees to join their existing team of 50. In doing so the business hopes to create not just new jobs, but to build future skills and career opportunities.

Joint business founder, Kerry Doig commented:
“Despite the current undeniable economic uncertainty, we are extremely optimistic for the ability of our strong and resilient northern regions to rise to the challenge and to create positive disruptions. We are ready to embrace new and exciting opportunities, like those being sought out by industry cluster groups such as BECBC in Cumbria and NEPIC in the North East, who are strong champions for the continued presence of our powerful northern regions in pioneering economic, industrial and technological advances. It is vital we can pull together to represent a collective Northern voice, helping to promote the unique skills and talents the north has cultivated over the decades and to step up to the plate to actively stimulate new opportunities for career and business growth.”

As part of this commitment to growth, the business also has a strong focus on diversity and has this year been proud to see a sharp rise in female hires, representing 35% of new recruits, and which they believe is attributable to the strong focus placed on health and wellbeing and supportive cultures at the company. This is further augmented by robust representation at senior level in the business, with 50% of top management roles being undertaken by female staff members. This is an area where the company works hard to achieve continuous improvement and accessibility.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am delighted to announce Solomons Europe as the newest member of the ever-growing Northern Powerhouse Programme, made up of over 300 partner organisations, all committed to supporting the North to reach its full potential.

“Businesses like Solomons Europe, which are committed to developing their employees’ skills and creating new jobs, will play a vital role as we work together to level up and build on the Government’s £3.4 billion investment from the Local Growth Fund across the North.”

We’re excited to announce that Bargain Hardware have recently become a Northern Powerhouse partner, working alongside a huge network of over 300 businesses, including businesses across the North, celebrating and sharing key successes in five key areas; skills, innovation, trade, investment and culture. We’re committed to driving and delivering the possible combined economic potential of the north.

Ben Craig, Operations Director at Bargain Hardware said:
“We are proudly a British and European company, with a workforce drawn from 10 countries and a customer base spanning 5 continents and over 70 countries. Our growth is entirely self-funded, and we maintain a conservative financial outlook with a focus on developing our workplace community for the benefit of our employees and customers alike.

Bargain Hardware believes in fostering a positive culture where work-life balance is key to our team feeling motivated and productive. We embrace diversity, creativity and have a flair for innovation, we have introduced new technology to improve the workflow and we have implemented learning and development programs, so we are able to up-skill and retain our workforce.

We strongly believe in the economic potential of the North and with our company growing in team numbers, new expansion plans on the horizon we will continue to invest in new technologies, training and development to ensure we stay ahead of competition and remain proactive in promoting and supporting the Northern Powerhouse.”
Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“With headquarters in Ribble Valley serving their customers across the North, Bargain Hardware are a fantastic addition to our Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme which brings together over 300 organisations all committed to creating a thriving Northern economy.

The Government is backing the North with £3.4 billion from the Local Growth Fund and supported by businesses like Bargain Hardware, which are committed to developing their workforce, we can create even more opportunities for good jobs and ensure the Northern Powerhouse goes from strength to strength.”

The Northern Powerhouse is Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with good-paying jobs for hard-working people, better roads and railways, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities.

The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse.
Government is looking to build a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. There are currently over 300 businesses and organisations signed up to the Partner Programme.

Prospective partners can email [email protected] for more information about the Partners Programme and how to apply.

Workington-based testing specialist joins network of more than 300 partners aiming to boost economic growth in the region.

Responsive Ltd, parent company for the Workington-based non-destructive testing specialist, has joined the Northern Powerhouse Partnership as part its commitment to growth. This comes at a busy time for the business which has just completed a £300k investment in its mechanical testing subsidiary at the Haig Enterprise Park in Whitehaven and the creation of a Manchester office to reinforce its support to customers across the region.

Lee Grears, Group Managing Director said:
“We’ve grown a lot in the past couple of years with an increasing number of customers, a wider range of specialist non-destructive and mechanical testing services and a doubling of workforce from just six people initially to 14 today. We’ve also created the training business to meet a real need in the area for accredited specialist training.”

“Further growth is likely in 2020 as the new facilities get going and I’ve been looking for ways to increase our profile across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has business members of all sizes and I was keen to get involved as part of the network of SMEs and to play a part in the campaign to support manufacturing in the region.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am thrilled Responsive Ltd has joined our network of over 300 organisations working together and with the Government to level up communities across the North and unlock their full potential.

“As a growing business with a commitment to creating new jobs and offering accredited specialist training opportunities to boost the skills of young people, they are a fantastic addition to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme as we build on our Local Growth Fund investment of more than £60 million in Cumbria.”

Lee and Lisa established Responsive at Lillyhall near Workington in 2016 with a focus on non-destructive testing and a market in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sectors that are a big part of the Cumbrian (and Northern Powerhouse) economy. Since then, they have created the training centre and new mechanical testing facilities in Whitehaven as well as setting up the Manchester office.

Lisa Grears, Group Service Director said:
“It’s been really interesting to see the business grow and to create an opportunity to be able to train and develop both myself and our teams for the future of Responsive,”

“People and businesses in the local communities around our facilities are also seeing the benefits.”

As Lee summarises:
“We’re investing a lot of time and money here in Cumbria and we’re looking forward to playing a part in the wider region’s growth and success too.”

Cheshire-based CIRCLE Leadership has become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme. As part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme is a coalition of business that aim to promote economic growth across the region. It achieves this by bringing together a range of businesses and institutions which are intrinsically invested in the success of the north of England and Wales and share the ambitions of Government to develop the region’s cities, towns and rural communities to become a powerhouse for the UK economy.

Mark Bayley-Smyth, Managing Director of CIRCLE Leadership, said:
“I am delighted that CIRCLE Leadership has been approved as a Northern Powerhouse Partner. A key focus for us is to support regional business owners and leaders in improving their performance & productivity through skills development. The government’s industrial strategy and the scale of benefits that could be achieved from delivering a successful Northern Powerhouse are crucial to the success of the North.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am pleased to welcome CIRCLE Leadership as a member of our growing Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme which brings together a coalition of over 300 private and public sector organisations to proudly champion the strengths of our region.

“Based in Cheshire, which has benefited from over £200 million support from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, CIRCLE Leaderships is committed to enabling businesses to adapt to new technologies and equipping people with the skills they need to thrive in the global digital economy which are at the heart of this Government’s vision for a prosperous Northern Powerhouse.”

The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership. The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme. Prospective partners can email [email protected] for more information about the partner programme and how to apply.

A leading small business lender committed to bolstering growth in the North as part of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme

Boost Capital, a leading provider of small business financing, has become a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

As one of the few business lenders that provides funding to qualified business owners, under a range of circumstances, Boost Capital can help more businesses across the North unlock the capital they need to thrive. In the past 12 months, 25% of the businesses to receive Boost Capital funding are based in Northern England, including Kidzplay in Harrogate and Innovate Healthcare in Stockport.

Alex Littner, Boost Capital’s Managing Director, said:
“We’re extremely proud to have joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme and be part of the Government’s efforts to supercharge the northern economy. Our goal at Boost Capital is to ensure the lifeblood of the UK economy—small businesses— get the funding needed to grow. With this partnership, we pledge to support businesses in this dynamic region and anticipate at least one-quarter of our total UK financing will go to small businesses in the North over the next year.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Supporting SMEs is integral to this Government’s ambition to level up our regions so that everyone can prosper and reach their full potential, especially as we prepare to get Brexit done and take our country forward.

“I’m excited to welcome Boost Capital as the newest member of our Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. The provision of working capital for small businesses is essential for a flourishing Northern Powerhouse. I look forward to supporting their work in providing Northern SMEs with the tools, resources and investment they need to expand and compete in the global economy.”

About Boost Capital
Boost Capital champions the long-term growth and prosperity of small businesses by providing timely, flexible financing solutions. Boost Capital’s leading small business financing platform leverages customised underwriting and proprietary algorithms to fund businesses in the United Kingdom, and through its parent company BFS Capital in the United States and Canada. BFS Capital and Boost Capital have provided £1.6 billion in total financing to over 22,000 small businesses across more than 400 industries. For more information, please visit boostcapital.co.uk (UK) and www.bfscapital.com (US, Canada).

• Liverpool company Clarke Energy helps power plants across Africa move to cleaner forms of energy
• International Development Minister opens new engine repair workshop at Clarke Energy and announces extra UK aid to help develop innovative solar products
• Visit comes ahead of UK-Africa Investment Summit which will bring together UK and African leaders and businesses to create new partnerships

Northern Powerhouse Partner and Liverpool engineering company Clarke Energy is helping African businesses reduce carbon emissions thanks to innovative hybrid engines.

During a visit to Merseyside today (15th January), International Development Minister Andrew Murrison opened a new engine repair workshop at the company, which will make power plants across Africa more efficient and support Africa’s drive for clean energy.

Opening the workshop, Minister Murrison met the Overhaul and Repair Centre Manager, Dave Nicholls, to see first-hand how high efficiency gas engines are being repaired in Knowsley in Merseyside and sent back to African nations. Similar units being deployed across Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Cameroon improve the reliability of power to businesses and communities, helping to keep the lights on and power flowing in countries with unstable energy systems.

Dr Murrison also announced a new DFID-funded testing lab for solar products ensuring that solar panels and appliances meet global standards and households have access to good quality, reliable clean energy.

Following his visit, Minister Murrison said:
“From powering hospitals in London to a mosque in Algeria, Clarke Energy is just one great example of how UK businesses – including those from Liverpool – are already leading the way in investing in Africa.

“Clarke Energy’s investment in Africa shows how UK expertise, technology and innovation are improving access to cleaner forms of energy, which can be replicated by businesses across the UK and Africa.

“The UK-Africa Investment Summit will forge closer trading partnerships to deliver more investment, jobs and growth benefitting people and businesses across Africa and the UK.”

Touring the engineering company, Minister Murrison learned more about the business’s ambition to change the future of Africa’s energy supplies and the use of green energy across the continent. He heard how Clarke Energy’s new power generation projects in Kano, Northern Nigeria will provide energy to businesses, reduce emissions and benefit whole communities.Alex Marshall, Director for Marketing and Compliance at Clarke Energy said:
“The knowledge the UK Government has both locally in the North West of England and across Africa is outstanding and helped us to navigate what can be a tough market with political considerations, language and cultural differences.

“Being part of what’s set to be the world’s third largest mosque is a key milestone in our exporting journey and our work with the UK government has been core to that success. If a business from Knowsley can export on such a large scale, with the right support and hard work, anyone can make a success of trading overseas.”

The visit comes ahead of the UK-Africa Investment Summit, held in London on 20 January 2020, which will bring together UK and African leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs.

By 2050, more than 2 billion people will live in Africa and 1 in 4 global consumers will be African. Businesses like Clarke Energy are ensuring that the British economy is seizing this opportunity and are investing in the trading partners of the future today.

Membership body, the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) has become the latest member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership.

The NHC, a not-for-profit membership organisation works with its unique membership of 145 local authorities, ALMOs and housing associations to achieve housing policy that works for the North. Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison said:
“We are proud to become a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. We share an ambition to invest in the supply and quality of the North’s housing offer, supporting our members to create great places to live and en-abling the North to become a magnet for new business and talented people. This exciting new collaboration will help us to ensure housing plays an important role in the Northern Powerhouse agenda.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am excited to welcome the Northern Housing Consortium as a member of our ever-expanding network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partner organisations.
“The Consortium’s commitment to creating housing policy for the North by the North with an improved quality of life at its heart builds on our £3.4 billion of Local Growth Fund investment to spur regeneration and build new infrastructure throughout the Northern Powerhouse.”
The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential.

There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme. Prospective partners can email [email protected] for more information about the partner programme and how to apply.

Zeitgeist Communication Ltd. has been confirmed as an official Northern Powerhouse partner. The Keswick-based company offers business, PR and communications strategy consultancy and training. This week also sees the launch of its full-service conference and event management offering, Zeitgeist Event Management.Jutta Devenish, Managing Director of Zeitgeist Communication said:
“It is a great privilege to have been named a Northern Powerhouse partner. As independent communications and business strategy consultants we have the pleasure of working with some of the most innovative and forward-looking organisations in the North of England, and we are committed to working closely with our clients and partners on driving business success and increased collaboration in the North.”

The consultancy works with the likes of Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster, the University of Cumbria and the Carlisle-based World Health Innovation Summit, an integral part of the United Nations Global Sustainability Index Institute.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Through the Local Growth Fund, Government is investing over £3.4bn into making the Northern Powerhouse one of the most dynamic, business-friendly regions of the UK. Zeitgeist’s exceptional work creating thriving business environments and improved educational opportunities means that they are well placed to help us deliver on this ambition and ensure that the Northern Powerhouse reaches its full economic potential.”John Grainger, Executive Director, Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster said:
“We are delighted to see Zeitgeist Communication join the Northern Powerhouse. Their commitment to the region is built on international business know-how, a strong work-ethic and a unique ability to not only identify opportunities, but to draw partners together to work on these collaboratively – all of which is what the Northern Powerhouse is all about.”

“The Northern Powerhouse initiative is exactly what this region needs, as it brings together business and communities, drives know-how and pursues real opportunities which will see this region lead and inspire,” continued Jutta Devenish, Managing Director, Zeitgeist Communication.

Technology developer Netsells has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme in recognition of their contributions to the north’s growing technology sector.

Joining a network of over 300 partners, Netsells has pledged to continue investing in technology research and development, alongside creating and supporting high-wage, high-skills jobs in the region.

Specialising in the development of complex platforms and digital products, the company has seen turnover increase by more than 500 per cent in just two years and now employs over 50 full-time staff members in their York-based HQ.

This rapid expansion is a result of a number of high-profile client wins and ongoing partnerships with companies including Uber, Hiscox and Trainline.

Netsells has also recently launched a Ventures division which has resulted in successful partnerships with some of the UK’s most promising startups, including YourParkingSpace and Railguard.

Brannan Coady, CEO of Netsells, said:
“We are delighted to become a Northern Powerhouse Partner organisation and play our part in developing a resilient and high-growth local economy.

We’re also proud to demonstrate that the north can compete on a global scale with areas such as Silicon Valley in terms of attracting talent and investment.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“Netsells share our ambition for the North to compete on a global level so I am delighted to welcome them on board as our latest Northern Powerhouse Partner. They are creating good jobs in the north, supporting new businesses to be at the forefront of the digital economy and attracting investment from world-leading brands.

“We have invested £145.9 million across Yorkshire from the Local Growth Fund and by working with Netsells and our growing network of over 300 partners we’re levelling up the whole Northern Powerhouse as we look to a prosperous future where we get Brexit done and take our country forward.”

Mathematics charity, MathsWorldUK, has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The appointment is recognition of the contribution that mathematics makes to the economy in all sectors and is recognition that mathematics skills will play a vital role in the development of employment opportunities for people in the region.

MathsWorldUK aims to establish the UK’s first Mathematics Discovery Centre. With this centre MathsWorldUK seeks to improve the UK’s cultural attitude to maths showing the full joy, wonder and power of the subject.

Dr Chicot, CEO of MathsWorldUK, said:
“It is well known that we have a wide maths skills gap in this country and that a lack of maths confidence greatly restricts a person’s life choices. We are pleased to be investing in the regions mathematics skills alongside the Northern Powerhouse.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“I am delighted to welcome the charity MathsWorldUK to our Partner Programme of over 300 businesses across the Northern Powerhouse. Their ambitious plans to build the UK’s first Mathematics Discovery Centre in the North supports our vision to level up the region through £694 million of Local Growth Fund investment.”

The North East’s largest commercial property and investment company is the latest member to sign up to the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner programme.

UK Land Estates will be part of the network of organisations that will help promote the strengths and achievements of the North – showcasing why it is a great place to do business.

The company has 800 clients across its estates, from small local SMEs to multinationals and household names including Premier Inn, WH Smith and Greggs.

With a significant land bank of more than 180 acres, the organisation is also well placed to quickly build bespoke properties to meet business demands.

Keith Taylor, managing director at UK Land Estates, said:
“We have always been vocal about our commitment to growing the northern economy and support of the Northern Powerhouse initiative, so we are honoured to be announced as a Northern Powerhouse Partner.

“The partner programme champions talent in the region and is a great platform for like-minded businesses to network, connect and develop.

“We are sure that this initiative will help attract investment to the North and are looking forward to being a part of the driving force that helps our region prosper in the years to come.”

The partnership aligns with the UK Land Estates’ ambition to encourage local authorities to invest in established business parks in the region, in order to grow business clusters and boost the regional economy.

The Northern Powerhouse is Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with good-paying jobs for hard-working people, better roads and railways, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities. There are currently over 300 businesses and organisations signed up to the Partner Programme.

Business coaching giant, ActionCOACH, has joined the Northern Powerhouse to help boost the profile of the North as a leading location for UK business. ActionCOACH, the world’s largest business coaching firm, currently have 43 ActionCOACH franchise partners in the region and their large sales office in Sheffield.The Head of ActionCOACH’s Strategic Alliances, Ron Maycock said:
“Our franchise partners based in the Northern Powerhouse region were pleased to hear our partnership had been approved. It’s their record of success with clients that helped to secure the partnership for us. The Northern Powerhouse will now support our events, generating awareness and credibility for all Action Coaches in the area.”

The Northern Powerhouse forms part of a government initiative to highlight the scope of opportunity for northern businesses and hopes to improve the quality of life – but not just for businesses, for the economy and the general public too. The ethos aligns perfectly with ActionCOACH’s vision to create abundance through business re-education.

ActionCOACH franchise partner, Paul Limb, based in Egerton, was excited to bring the announcement of the partnership to his local community when he met with the Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP in November. Paul coaches business owners in the area to improve their profitability and efficiency, something which meets with the Northern Powerhouse’s goals for the growth of the economy.

Paul Limb said:
“By forming the partnership, we hope to increase awareness of life in the North and create momentum towards our objective of developing sustainable, high-performing businesses, which will in turn attract talent from all over the world to our region. The work our business coaches do, meets the Northern Powerhouse goals for the growth of the economy and we actively encourage business owners to get involved and make a difference.”

The Northern Powerhouse Minister, The Rt. Hon. Jake Berry MP said:
“I am delighted to welcome ActionCOACH to our rapidly-growing Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. With their commitment to supporting businesses and entrepreneurs across the Northern Powerhouse and throughout the UK to thrive, they are well placed to help us shine a spotlight on talent in the region and demonstrate what the North has to offer.”

ActionCOACH UK Co-founder, Ian Christelow said:
“Creating this partnership is a great opportunity for growth of the whole network,”

“It highlights our expertise and increases the exposure for franchise partners across the region. Through business re-education and creating abundance, we hope to pave the way for more businesses to get involved.”

“We want to create a truly cohesive partnership that will make way for the future for all businesses. There’s also a plan to join the Midlands Engine, which works in exactly the same way but supports those in the Midlands. That will allow us to have even more franchise partners benefitting and offer our support and services to more people,” added Ron.

Her Majesty the Queen’s representative, The Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mrs Jo Ropner, attended a special ceremony in November to present Northern Powerhouse Partner, Incremental Solutions, with their Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Announced in April of this year, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise was awarded to 200 organisations in the UK, with Incremental Solutions being recognised for their innovative work in the rail sector, where their technology is deployed across the UK rail network helping to prevent incidents and make the network operate more efficiently.

As The Queen’s formal representative, Mrs Ropner was joined by representatives from business-growth bodies InnovateUK and Make it York, the Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Janet Looker – as well as many of Incremental Solutions’ partners and clients – such as Network Rail and GWR.

Sean Bullick, Managing Director of Make It York, said:
“I’d like to congratulate Incremental Solutions on becoming a recipient of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Their innovative work in transport safety and vision for an efficient transport network fit for the 21st century is of great importance to both the industry, and the City of York. It’s great to see them receiving recognition for their achievements in this field.”

Daniel Lee-Bursnall, founder and Commercial Director at Incremental Solutions added;
“The amount of people we’ve invited to this award ceremony is representative of not only how many people have played their part in enabling our systems to benefit the rail network, but also to the importance of the future development and safety of our rail infrastructure. We’re so proud and feel it’s a fantastic achievement and honour to be representing not only the North, but also all innovators who are improving the things we often take for granted.”

The event took place in York where Incremental Solutions are based – and is also a city of rich rail-related heritage. Fittingly, the ceremony celebrating the future of the rail network was held at the Grand Hotel, which of course is part of its past.

About Incremental Solutions
Incremental Solutions provides award winning GPS data visualisation and analysis software tools, for the rail and automotive industries. We are focused on quality of service whilst delivering cutting edge features for clients to help make real world improvements in the performance of their smart transport networks.

The Queen’s Awards
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses. Since the Awards’ inception in 1965 over 7000 companies have won a Queen’s Award.
For more information, visit; www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise

BAM Nuttall is proud to announce a new partnership with UK government’s Northern Powerhouse Programme, joining hundreds of businesses, institutions and organisations sharing a passion for supporting growth in the North.

The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with better roads and railways, higher-performing schools, world-beating universities and well paid, sustainable jobs. The Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse, building a network of partners who all believe in the economic potential of the North, and support collaborations by government and business to realise that potential and enhance people’s quality of life.

BAM Nuttall has a long history of collaboration and infrastructure delivery in the region – constructing Smart motorways on the M62 and M1 to improve highway capacity and building the Ordsall Chord which connects Manchester’s stations for the first time and increases train capacity across the north of England.

BAM is continuing our involvement in delivering modern infrastructure and sustainable solutions that are strengthening the region through the Trans Pennine Upgrade, west of Leeds, to Manchester Victoria. Our teams, based in offices in Newcastle, Warrington and Leeds – and on customers’ sites across the region, puts us right at the heart of enhancing the North. BAM Nuttall is proud to be playing a key role in the delivery of some flagship schemes improving lives in Northern England, including:

• Leeds City Council’s Public Transport Investment Programme, creating a well-connected, healthy city through enhancing public transport with park and ride hubs, major highway improvements, cycling infrastructure, and cleaner buses
• Network Rail’s regional Renewals and Enhancement Framework connecting cities and towns across the region, increasing capacity and reliability of train services for passengers
• Environment Agency’s Collaborative Delivery Framework, protecting hundreds of thousands of homes from the risk of flooding in Hull, Leeds, Calderdale and the North East
• Refurbishment of the New Islington Marina for Manchester City Council
• Supporting Northumberland County Council with technical engineering advice for the refurbishment of the 200 year old Union Chain Bridge, across the River Tweed near Berwick, spanning the border between England and Scotland.

Gareth Farrier, Divisional Director for North England and Scotland said:
“I can speak on behalf of all our teams, when I say we’re most excited by the opportunity this partnership brings to offer local people opportunities across a wide range of careers, including construction, engineering and business support roles.

“From apprentices to industry experts, safety managers and digital modellers, we encourage BAM people to develop their skills and experience – harnessing the home-grown talent the region has to offer. As these projects grow, so do the opportunities to recruit new people to join our teams.”

Like myself, BAM people feel a huge amount of pride and satisfaction being involved in developing and delivering sustainable solutions that are enhancing the lives of people living and working in their own communities.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I am excited to announce that BAM Nuttall, one of Europe’s largest contractors, are joining our ever-growing network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners.

“BAM’s reputation for delivering modern infrastructure with exceptional engineering complements the Government’s £3.4 billion investment from the Local Growth Fund to create a rapidly connected modern transport network fit for the 21^st century.

“I look forward to working with BAM as they support our vision to level up Northern regions and prepare to seize all of the economic opportunities that come with the UK’s departure from the European Union.”

Planning and development stakeholder engagement consultancy SP Broadway has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

SP Broadway has helped with community consultation and public engagement for new homes and development projects across the Northern Powerhouse including within the Boroughs of Stockport, Wirral, West Lancashire, Harrogate, Redcar and Cleveland and the city of Newcastle.

Commenting today, David McFarlane, Director of SP Broadway said:
“We are delighted to become a partner of the Northern Powerhouse having recently opened a Manchester office at Spinningfields in August and welcomed Lord Goddard (former Leader of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council) as a consultant to assist with stakeholder engagement and community consultation.

“Given the Prime Minister’s recent announcement to deliver the Northern Powerhouse Rail, we are pleased that the government have reaffirmed their commitment to the Northern Powerhouse with backing for a Leeds-Manchester rail link.

“We look forward to playing our part in helping to deliver the Prime Minister’s pledge to give communities a greater say over changes to transport, housing and infrastructure that will genuinely benefit the area and help drive economic growth.”

Commenting today, Lord Goddard of Stockport, said:
“I am pleased that the Northern Powerhouse is at last attracting national quality players to assist our long-term plans for housing, transport and so much more. SP Broadway will really help deliver those objectives.”

In the past few years SP Broadway has helped with community consultation and public engagement for over 17,000 homes. SP Broadway’s advice and insight is bespoke, often featuring a form of political and community engagement and public consultation.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“Ensuring people in the North have access to good affordable homes, well-paying jobs and great transport infrastructure is at the very heart of our ambitions for the Northern Powerhouse as we leave the EU on 31 October so I’m delighted to welcome SP Broadway to our expanding network of Northern Powerhouse Partners.

“Their expertise has helped provide thousands of new homes across the North and they are investing in local talent with their new office in Manchester. I look forward to seeing how their continued contribution will build upon our already significant £663 million Local Growth Fund investment in Greater Manchester.”

Multi award-winning Rosh Engineering Ltd has become a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. The Tyneside based engineering business specialises in the repair, refurbishment, installation, enhancement, testing and commissioning of power transformers throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Rosh Engineering has framework contracts for Power Transformer repair and refurbishment with a number of UK electricity distribution companies. With recent growth in serving large scale solar generation the company has just purchased an adjoining factory to increase its shop floor capacity by an additional 600m² to compliment Rosh Engineering’s existing 1,200m² factory and its extensive on-site works throughout the country. Six distribution transformers a week are currently being refurbished but the purchase of the additional space will double the capacity available.

Rosh Engineering has a keen understanding of the advantages of partnership working taking this approach with its customer base. “we fully understand that if we can improve our customer’s efficiency and performance then there will be an increased use of Rosh Engineering’s services” says Ian Dormer, Rosh Engineering Managing Director.

The work for the solar industry involves the loss of generation while the equipment is being refurbished, but the combined efforts of the Rosh project team and the generation farm owners means this is now minimised maximising the production of the clean energy at the sites throughout the UK.

The Northern Power House and Rosh Engineering have the same philosophy:- wanting to make sure we use our individual strengths for a common success.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“The Northern Powerhouse is driving the green-collar jobs revolution so it’s fitting Rosh Engineering Ltd is the latest business to join our growing network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners.  It is clear they are keen to grow their business and support other organisations in the north-east to maximise their potential so they are able to compete on a global level as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October.

“I’m sure Rosh Engineering Ltd’s continued support for large scale solar generation in the region will build upon our £379.6 million Local Growth Fund investment across the north-east to create more jobs and further boost the region’s clean energy sector.”

Flexiform is a steel furniture manufacturing company with over 40 years of experience. Our manufacturing facility started off in Leeds. However, with growth, we moved to Bradford, ensuring we keep our northern roots.

We believe in the power of the North’s long history of manufacturing, and its ability to stimulate growth and innovation in the UK economy. With the recent changes in the Flexiform manufacturing facility, we’re incredibly proud to announce that we have joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership. The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme.

Nick Hewitt, Managing Director said:
“Our 118,000 sq. ft production facility is currently undergoing significant multi-million-pound investment to facilitate our growth plans. This year we have invested over £1m in Laser and Bender technologies with further investment to follow. As a result, Flexiform has been listed in the Business Desktop 50 fastest-growing companies across the Leeds City Region. Not only will this investment strategy increase local employment, it will also allow us to grow and build on our reputation as key Northern manufacturers”.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“The North is world-famous for its manufacturing and steel industries so it’s fitting that Flexiform have become the latest members of our Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

“Flexiform’s growth and increased investment in the Leeds City Region provides good, well-paid jobs and they are well placed to work with us to build on our significant £145 million Local Growth Fund investment across Yorkshire to ensure businesses can take full advantage of the global opportunities coming from our departure from the EU on 31 October.”

Tees Valley based brand agency, Better, has become an official partner of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme after being confirmed by Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry.

The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership. The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. The Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by the government and business to realise that potential.  The campaign now has more than 300 partners from across the North including companies such as Eddie Stobart, AO, Sellafield and Womble Bond Dickinson.

As an agency Better has grown from its Tees Valley roots into a national agency supporting ambitious, open minded and value driven, change-makers from across the UK. The agency works across a wide range of sectors including Maritime, Housing, Logistics, Manufacturing, Professional Services and FMCG. The agency has recently launched new brand projects for clients such as Trinity House, PD Ports, thyssenkrupp, Visualsoft, MTVH, The Guinness Partnership, Equinox Kombucha and Philippa Gregory.

Mark Easby, MD of Better, said:
“We strongly believe in the economic potential of our region and support the Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with more opportunities, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities.”

Better has a commitment to skills development and retention with the Tees Valley through its partnerships and collaboration projects with Teesside University and local schools/colleges to deliver work experience, internships, studio visits and career talks to help inspire the next generation, raise awareness of career opportunities and raise aspirations.

“As a passionate and active supporter and influencer within the Tees Valley creative, digital and media cluster we invest heavily in promoting the sector and its increasing awareness across the North East and wider Northern region.”

Better’s MD, Mark Easby, is also Chairman of High Tide Foundation, an independent charitable Foundation, funded by businesses on Tees Valley, which delivers life changing career experiences. High Tide opens young people’s eyes and minds to Tees Valley’s diverse career opportunities providing real life work experience which increases understanding, improves skills, raises confidence, and builds aspirations.

Minster for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“After meeting with Mark Easby – the MD of Better last week, I am thrilled to welcome them as the latest member of our growing Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. Teesside boasts a growing digital sector and Better is clearly passionate about developing skills and helping people achieve their career aspirations in the creative industries, building on our own £126 million Local Growth Fund investment in Tees Valley.

“I also look forward to their continued work helping a wide range of local businesses promote themselves across the UK and beyond so they can take advantage of global opportunities and reach their full potential when we leave the EU on 31 October.”

There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme. Prospective partners can email [email protected] for more information about the partner programme and how to apply.

Global infrastructure services firm AECOM has joined the UK Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme to support economic growth across the North.

With over 1,500 employees in the region, including more than 230 graduates and apprentices, AECOM is involved in many vital infrastructure projects in the north, including Mersey Gateway, Liverpool South Corridor and the development of Clean Air Zones in Manchester and Liverpool.

AECOM also holds strategic partnerships with universities in the region to foster innovation and research and development opportunities, as well as train the next generation of engineers with the skills that industry need.

The Northern Powerhouse is the UK Government’s vision to maximise economic growth across the north, to provide well-paid jobs, better local and cross-border transport and to support world-renowned universities.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“It is vital we have world-class infrastructure across the Northern Powerhouse to push forward our ambitions for more prosperous communities prepared to take full advantage of all the economic opportunities that come with our departure from the EU on 31 October.

“From my recent meeting with AECOM it’s clear their key role in major projects transforming the north, contribution to the growing green collar economy and commitment to investing in the next generation of Northern talent makes them an exciting addition to our growing network of Northern Powerhouse partners.

“Together we can build on the Government’s £3.4 billion Local Growth Fund investment to create jobs, boost economic growth and level up across the whole north.”

Andrew Jones, Cities Programme Lead, AECOM, said:
“The Northern Powerhouse is a vital programme that is facilitating the transformational change required to turn the north’s individual cities and towns into a connected economy. Successful delivery requires a focus on skills, innovation and infrastructure and AECOM is committed to supporting the programme through our project work and as a major employer in the region.”

AECOM Cities Programme Lead Andrew Jones recently met with Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP to discuss AECOM joining the Partner Programme.

TalkTalk has become a member of the UK Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, reinforcing its commitment to growing the economy in the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse initiative aims to boost the local economy by investing in skills, innovations, infrastructure and culture across the North of England and North Wales.

TalkTalk announced its plans to relocate roles from London to its Salford headquarters in November 2018 and it launched a major recruitment drive across the region. TalkTalk has focused on hiring the best talent spanning technology, finance and B2B roles with 350 new roles being created across the Group.

Since February 2019, TalkTalk has filled 591 roles within the business, recruiting 350 new hires, and has achieved 96% offer acceptance, including several senior leadership roles such as the appointment of a new Head of Data and Head of Customer Insights. These new starters being the total headcount in THE Soapworks site in Salford Quays to more than 1.800.

Tristia Harrison CEO of TalkTalk comments:
“Joining the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is another clear demonstration of our commitment to the North as we continue to build on our heritage in the region. The success of our Soapworks site in Salford has been tremendous, exceeded expectations, and has enabled us to attract and retain the very best talent as we establish our HQ.

“As a major employer in the North and an infrastructure provider across the region, we look forward to working with other partners and the local community. We are proud to be in a position to drive growth and create new opportunities in the region, strengthening the North’s position as a hub for talent, technology and business excellence.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“I’m delighted to welcome TalkTalk to our network of over 300 partners that work together to help the Northern Powerhouse realise its full economic potential. Our Northern Powerhouse Partner organisations are vital in boosting growth and levelling up all communities not only in the North, but across the UK, especially as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October.

“It’s great to see a global brand such as TalkTalk reaffirm its commitment to the region and, with their headquarters now in Salford, they are well placed to continue driving job creation and creating new economic opportunities for hard-working people.  Their recruitment drive and investment in the North of England builds upon £663 million worth of Local Growth Fund support we have provided to the Greater Manchester region.”

TalkTalk has been recognised as one of the UK’s best Large Workplaces by Great Place to Work as a result of its personal development and employee support initiatives. TalkTalk is committed to supporting the local community through its sponsorship of Salford City Football club. As well as this, graduates from Salford University have been placed at TalkTalk, alongside internships for MBA graduates from the University of Manchester.

As a major connectivity provider to millions of homes in the North, this latest news builds on TalkTalk’s work across the region, where it is rolling out and successfully piloting a full fibre network in York and recently announcing it will connect a further 60,000 homes and businesses in Dewsbury to next generation infrastructure.

Digital technology company Gemini Digital Technologies (GemDT) has secured a significant investment from NPIF – BFS & MSIF Microfinance, a product managed by GC Business Finance and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

GemDT, over the last 3 years, have been working with industry partners to establish a solution to enable the attainment of ‘The Digital Twin’ in manufacturing and through life.  Combining skills in inspection and metrology with IT they have developed a fast and accurate inspection solution, and a technology platform to manage that data through life.

The technology consists of three distinct sections, beginning with the initial conversion of 2D engineering drawings to 3D computer models. The technology then collects data using photogrammetry – a series of very accurate photographs of a manufactured part aiming at improved inspection efficiency and quality. Finally, the firm uses its ‘Engineering Hub’ app – a secure cloud-based repository – to inspect and interrogate the collected data.

This approach has significant cost and time-saving implications for a wide range of industries, including aviation, engineering, automotive and defence.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Thanks to the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, GemDT Ltd can expand its pioneering work in digital technology and the potential it has to revolutionise the aviation, engineering and automotive industries.

“I’m glad that this valued Northern Powerhouse Partner is being supported by the British Business Bank to drive their research and innovation while growing their business.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Manchester based accountants Alexander & Co, who specialise in working with entrepreneurial businesses, has today announced that it has become an official member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner programme.

The Northern Powerhouse is designed to drive economic growth in the north via investments in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Stephen Verber, Partner at Alexander & Co said:
“We are delighted to become an official Northern Powerhouse partner. Being headquartered in the North West for over 40 years, Alexander & Co remains committed to promoting the region as an excellent place to do business. Whilst working with companies nationally, we are proud of our heritage and the objectives of the Northern Powerhouse.

“As a company that works directly with many growing businesses, being a partner allows us to work closer with the Northern Powerhouse to help even more companies in the region to flourish.”

Pedro, a digital marketing agency based in Leeds who are part of the Elementary Digital Group is the latest member to join the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse was created to grow the North by investing in culture, transport, innovation and skills.

Pedro was set up in 2013, helping businesses maximise their potential online through SEO (search engine optimisation), paid search, conversion rate optimisation, user experience testing, content strategy, social media optimisation and digital PR.

Gyles Seward, Managing Director of Pedro and the Elementary Group said:
“We are delighted to support the ongoing development of the North and we hope Pedro can help to make a change for the better and inspire people to invest and work in the North.

Pedro wants to champion opportunities for graduates and young people in the region, believing you don’t need to move from the North to get the job and career you want. Yorkshire is ripe with career opportunities and Pedro hopes to bring awareness to this.

To help achieve this, Pedro regularly seeks out driven young people who are seeking internships and apprenticeships to help build their skills and career prospects. This opportunity allows students and graduates to benefit from a business local to them.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I’m delighted to welcome Pedro to our expanding network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse partners. Their work in helping businesses maximise their online potential and compete in the digital economy supports our vision for a global Northern Powerhouse ready to embrace all of the opportunities that come with our departure from the EU on 31 October.

“Investing in young people through apprenticeships and training so they can find high-skilled and well-paid jobs is also key to creating a prosperous Northern Powerhouse. I look forward to working with Pedro as they continue to promote the internships, apprenticeships and technical training available for young people not just in Yorkshire but across the Northern Powerhouse.”

GMLPN, have recently joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, underlining their commitment to directly contribute to the ambition and objectives of the Northern Powerhouse.

Established in 2001, the GMLPN is a network of over 100 members including, Independent Training Providers, FE College, Community Voluntary Organisations, Universities and key suppliers and other stakeholders. They work alongside key partners and local authorities to achieve an ever-closer alignment between the needs of employers, individuals, communities and the suppliers of skills. They are actively engaged in a range of provider development activities which improve the effectiveness of the work and skills training system in Greater Manchester and work closely with key stakeholders to achieve this and continue to lobby key issues on behalf of members and their employers.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Rt. Hon. Jake Berry MP said:
“I am delighted to welcome the Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network to our ever-expanding network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners.

“GMLPN’s commitment to supporting vocational qualifications, providing young people with the skills they need to reach their full potential, is fundamental to the bright future being built across the Northern Powerhouse as we prepare to leave the European Union on October 31st.”

Becoming part of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme offers further alignment for the great work GMLPN undertake including the further development of the Northern Skills Network (NSN). The NSN brings together 9 Provider Networks in the North and supports the Northern Powerhouse agenda and is resolute, through its members, to play its part in increasing the productivity and prosperity of the north through increasing the skill levels of both young people entering work for the first time and existing employees within the workforce.

Anne Gornall, Executive Director at the GMLPN said:
“GMLPN looks forward to playing its part in the development of the skills base in the North as a Northern Powerhouse Partner and to collaborating with other Partners to ensure businesses and individuals have every opportunity to achieve full productivity potential”

Mark Currie, Chair of the GMLPN adds:
“GMLPNs commitment to networking across the North to provide quality education and training is significantly enhanced going forward as a Northern Powerhouse Partner and we welcome the opportunity to contribute and represent the key skills shortage issues experienced by many of the 20,000 employers we work with.”

Clarke Energy has become one of the latest member of the UK Government’s Northern Powerhouse partnership programme joining a network of over 300 other northern companies. The programme is seen as an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse, designed to drive economic growth in the north via investments in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Clarke Energy are a Northern Powerhouse-based success story as a multi-national specialist in the sectors of engineering, power and renewable energy. Clarke Energy supplies, engineers and maintains high efficiency, renewable and flexible power generation systems. In 2018, Clarke Energy was named as a one of a select group of companies chosen by the Department for International Trade to act as an Export Champion for the Northern Powerhouse. This scheme gives Clarke Energy the opportunity to share their success stories for export and international trade along with providing advice to other local exporters. Earlier this year Clarke Energy were named Large Exporter of the Year at the Northern Powerhouse Export Awards 2019, which recognised the most entrepreneurial exporters from across the North East, North West and Yorkshire.

In addition to their successful international trading strategy, Clarke Energy continues to invest heavily in their onsite facilities at their northern headquarters, based in Knowsley near Liverpool. The business is announcing it has conducted a full refurbishment the onsite gas engine Overhaul and Repair Centre. The refurbishment was planned in order to optimise the efficiency and processes of the centre, which in turn increased the number of Jenbacher gas engine overhauls that can be completed by the service team throughout the year.

In support of Clarke Energy’s in house training schemes and apprenticeships scheme, Clarke Energy’s service department have just completed the installation of a fully operational onsite training engine, to be used by both trainee customers and Clarke Energy staff. This supports the existing gas engine simulator and international training centre at the Knowsley headquarters.

Having an engine on premises allows trainee engineers to test new skills under expert supervision in the real world without fear of causing customer engine downtime. Clarke Energy’s own field service apprentices were involved in the stripping down and rebuilding the engine as part of their training to become the Clarke Energy engineers of the future.

Alex Marshall, Group Marketing and Compliance Director and Department for International Trade Northern Powerhouse Export Champion said:
“Clarke Energy is based in Knowsley near Liverpool, part of a core region of the Northern Powerhouse. We are pleased to have been selected to participate in the Northern Powerhouse Partners scheme. Demonstrating our commitment to the North we are pleased to announce in parallel significant investment in our headquarters to support our service and maintenance capabilities.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I’m delighted to welcome Clarke Energy as the latest member of our ever-growing network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners, all working together to realise the North’s economic potential as we prepare to leave the European Union on October 31st.

“As an international specialist in high efficiency, low carbon and renewable energy power plants, Clarke Energy are well placed to support our vision for a thriving, prosperous and green economy in the North West – backed by over £332.9 million of investment in the Liverpool City Region from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.”

Alternative finance consultancy business, Snowball Alternative Finance is delighted to announce its inclusion in the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The programme now has over 300 partners who are working together to showcase the North as a great place to do business.

Speaking about their involvement, Peter Black, managing director of Snowball Alternative finance said:
 “We are excited about the opportunity to work with other ambitious businesses who share our vision of creating prosperity in the North and promoting why it’s such a great place to do business.”

Snowball Alternative Finance provides a specialist end-to-end service for businesses who are looking to grow and need advice on business planning, their funding strategy and the sourcing of finance. They work right across the funding spectrum from debt and equity as well as the myriad alternative finance options.”

Continuing, Black said:
“Our business is all about working alongside business owners to allow them to realise the full potential of their businesses, so the Partner programme is a great fit for us as we are helping to create the success stories of the future.”

Based in Cheshire, Snowball Alternative Finance was launched last year by Black, a former senior banker, and North West entrepreneur, Alwin Thompson, having secured FCA approval. Fully independent, the company has access to over 300 funders in the marketplace.

Snowball is currently working on over 30 deals for SMEs in the North worth in excess of £100 million and these are spread across the property development, transport infrastructure, information technology, engineering, energy, retail and food & drink sectors.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
 “I’m very pleased to welcome Snowball Finance as the latest business to join our network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners. Supporting people and businesses to realise their full potential is at the very heart of the Government’s vision for the Northern Powerhouse, especially as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October. Snowball Finance’s provision of expert financial advice complements the support we’re providing to local businesses throughout Cheshire and Warrington with £201 million of Local Growth Fund investment.”

BECG, the UK’s leading communications consultancy for the built environment, has become the latest partner of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme – a network of over 300 companies who are driving forward the biggest investment in the North for a generation.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
 “It’s great to welcome BECG as the newest member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. Our partners represent a network of over 300 businesses who share our vision for the Northern Powerhouse and continue to work together to help the North reach its full economic potential as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October.

“I’m excited to see the contribution BECG will make to the Northern Powerhouse as they support businesses to attract investment into the region and build upon our £120 million Local Growth Fund investment across the Leeds and Greater Manchester regions.”

With regional offices in Manchester and Leeds, BECG champions better understanding and acceptance of built environment projects and the value that comes from investment in the sector. The Northern team has provided expert counsel on some of the most challenging and prestigious built environment projects across the region, including the expansion of MediaCityUK in Salford, the UK’s first ‘net zero’ carbon cluster in the Humber, thousands of new homes across the North, plus new retail and leisure spaces.

Kevin Whitmore, Director for BECG North said:
“I am delighted to be able to announce BECG’s partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Programme.

“Our team has worked in every local planning authority across the North, helping to deliver investment into the region’s built environment and create social value for local communities – the foundation of a more prosperous northern economy.

“We look forward to collaborating with other partners throughout 2019 and beyond to showcase the North as a great place to do business.”

Award winning regeneration company Urban Splash has been announced as a Northern Powerhouse Partner. The business has created thousands of homes as well as workspaces for hundreds of companies incubating tens of thousands of jobs across the country over the past 26 years, it has now been invited to join the Government-led network which is made up of leading businesses, civic bodies and charities from throughout the North of England.

The aim of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is to boost the regional economy, by providing the infrastructure to support continued growth and increase investment.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt. Hon. Jake Berry, MP said:
“As a fantastic example of a business with a national presence based in the heart of the North, I am delighted to welcome Urban Splash to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

“Their work in creating thousands of homes, workspaces and green spaces across the Northern Powerhouse and beyond builds on our investment of £663.4 million from the Local Growth Fund into the wider Greater Manchester region. We’re levelling up this key Northern Powerhouse region as we prepare to leave the EU on October 31st.”

Added Urban Splash Chairman and co-founder Tom Bloxham MBE:
“We are a proudly northern business and have always been a passionate advocate for the role of our great cities in the economic prosperity of the UK as a whole.

“Our work regenerating major strategic sites such as New Islington in Manchester, Wirral Waters in Merseyside, Park Hill in Sheffield and Smith’s Dock in North Shields is transforming once deprived and neglected urban areas across the North of England into thriving destinations where people love to live, work and play. Additionally, the creation of these large scale developments have provided continuous employment for local people, from apprentice tradespeople to senior director roles.

“Through our work we have been fortunate to work with communities in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, North Shields and more, communities who are committed to building on the region’s international reputation to attract more people and businesses, therefore securing a sustainable future.

“In addition, my past roles as founding chair of Centre for cities, chair of North West Arts, Chancellor of Manchester University and Trustee of Tate – as well as my current role as Chair of MIF and Urban Splash – I have seen first hand how a joined up regional policy and a proper voice for the North can make a real difference to the prosperity and quality of life for all its citizens.

“I am delighted that Urban Splash can play its part as a Northern Powerhouse Partner”

The Northern Affinity launched in September and has officially partnered with The Northern Powerhouse, joining the Government’s exciting partner programme supporting businesses in the North.

Founded by Michael Edwards, The Northern Affinity is a collaboration of dynamic businesses from varying industries and sizes, including charities, based in the North. The focus is well aligned with The Northern Powerhouse; working together to promote business growth and development.

Michael Edwards, Founder of The Northern Affinity said:
“In my experience as a business owner, there are many things a business can do to promote itself and facilitate growth; face to face networking and social media are great examples. In practise it’s actually pretty difficult – you not only need the expertise, but you need the time and processes in place to really get the best out of your efforts, regardless of the size of your business.
I started The Northern Affinity to help these businesses enhance their current activity and to support them having more of a strategy and focus, particularly when it comes to meeting other businesses that could be potential clients, collaborators and problem-solvers for them.”

He continued:
“It’s not about your industry, job title or business size; we’re focussing on the person, and not the business. It doesn’t matter if you’re the owner of a lifestyle business or if you want to build a multi-national company, the values of The Northern Affinity are what make us stand out, and we want them to really connect with the people that become a part of it. We want to welcome people who want to be a part of something where they can make a difference – we’ve all got something to offer, so we can all support each other in some way.”

There are already exciting plans in the pipeline for a space for co-working and events, Michael is keen to make sure that the growth of The Northern Affinity ensures everyone gets the best out of being a part of the community.

“It’s important to make sure that we grow with the right people and at the right time. I want to get this right for the people within it and make sure we continue to grow with the flexibility that is a key part of how we’re making this work – it’s very much about making this work for the individual. There’s no obligation to turn up for meetings or events, but we still hold events to give people the opportunity to meet; it’s just encouraging people to be as involved in the community as they want to be and that suits their business and their life.”

The Northern Affinity has already filled its initial partnerships, with a growing waiting list for the next partnership release.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“I am excited to welcome The Northern Affinity as the latest member of our ever-expanding network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partner organisations.

“Their provision of support for businesses across the North builds upon on our record of £694.5 million Local Growth Fund investment into the Leeds City Region. I look forward to working with them as we boost economic growth and level up the whole of the region ahead of our departure from the European Union on October 31st.”

A major Doncaster fashion event could help drive the design industry in the borough, believes Northern Powerhouse partner Leah McMullen.

Leah, who made her name in the Doncaster business community while working at the Queens Road Design Centre, believes a major show is key to bringing designers to the borough and would like to see the borough as an alternative to London.

She has arranged a Doncaster Fashion Week show at the National College for High Speed Rail at Lakeside next month, and wants the show to lead to more opportunities for designers in Doncaster.

At present, 25 up-and-coming designers are due to take part in the show, with up to 900 people set to attend.

Railwayman’s daughter Leah, aged 28, attended Marbella Design Academy after leaving school, before taking a degree in Essex. She was accepted for a place on a masters course in knitwear at the prestigious Royal College of London, but felt lonely in the capital and missed the community spirit of her home town.

While working at the Queens Road Design Centre she become aware of the number of designers living in Doncaster, but working in other cities, and decided it was time to do something to make it easier for creative people to work in the borough.

In March, she set up Doncaster Fashion Week Ltd, to set up what she hopes will be an annual fashion week. This year there will only be one day of fashion events, but from next year, she is planning a full week, with other events running around the main show. She had previously worked on Doncaster Design Week in 2017, which was attended by Wayne Hemmingway.

She said:
“I become very vocal about what Doncaster needed going forward for the next generation. There are 304,000 people in Doncaster, but we don’t have the design degrees. We are bigger than York, so why don’t we have the opportunity? I’m passionately driven, and I’ve built the fashion show through collaborations. I want to encourage good design and feel seeing the best would show what’s available.”

Leah has involved a number of other local businesses in the scheme. Jamie Pratt, from The Hairstylists salon, is organising a team of 13 volunteer stylists for the show. Local make-up artist Charlotte French is organising a team of 13 volunteers to do the make up.

A total of 80 applied to be models, although only 30 will be used on the night.

She has visited designers who took part in Graduate Fashion Week in London to bring them on board.

The list will include two Doncaster designers, Briar McQue and Emma Rigby, who is known for her sustainable designs. One of the designers is coming from Rome. Leah expects the designs to be on show to be ‘daring’.

Leah said:
“I want to help regenerate Doncaster through design,”

“I want to do something that will be exciting for the next generation. My background was fashion, An event like this showcases set design, photography, video as well as fashion design. This brings it all together and showcases it in Doncaster.

“I didn’t originally expect it to be this big, but we were able to get the rail college building. I love the building, the way it represents our heritage like the Mallard and Flying Scotsman. I think there is a lack of confidence in Doncaster and I want to lead by example.

“This year is the launch. We don’t have a week of events, so we are running this as a pilot event with a view to having a week of events next year. We have enough supporters now to do a week of events next year. We’d be looking at things like workshops and courses next year. But it is about design, not labels or retail.

“But I see Doncaster as being a potential creative hub of the north because of where it is. It is cheap to live, people can get here easily, and there is an international airport.

“There are lot of designers who don’t want to go to London.“It would be great to see Doncaster as a St Martin’s College of the North. Design could help regenerate the town. I want to see more investment in the design industries in Doncaster.

The Doncaster Fashion Week show will be on September 28. Find out more by visiting www.doncasterfashionweek.co.uk/ 

Materials Processing Institute, the leading UK steel and materials research and innovation centre, has become a partner of the Northern Powerhouse.

Joining the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme reflects the Institute’s commitment to the North and the contribution it makes to the commercial growth and well-being of the region.

The aim of the Partner Programme is to help improve collaboration, infrastructure and investment across the North of England.

Joining the partner programme means Materials Processing Institute now is part of a strong alliance of leading businesses committed to delivering a solid economic future for the North of England.

The Institute, based in Middlesbrough, is globally recognised for the innovation, research and development, and commercialisation of new material, processes and technologies.

Chris McDonald, Materials Processing Institute Chief Executive, said:
“Joining as a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership programme is testament to our excellent track record in working collaboratively with industrial partners for the greater good of the North and beyond.

“We pride ourselves on helping promote the industrial capabilities of the Tees Valley and the wider Northern region through our work with companies throughout the world.

“Being a Northern Powerhouse Partner will add weight to our commitment to the region.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“I am delighted to welcome the Material Processing Institute as our latest member of our Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

“Their work to enable UK industry to adapt to new technologies builds upon our £126m of Local Growth Investment across Middlesbrough while supporting businesses to prepare for leaving the EU on 31st October.”

Leeds College of Building is the latest organisation to become a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

As the UK’s only specialist further education construction college, the appointment is recognition of the contribution the education institution has made to the scheme.

The Leeds-based college joins a network of more than 300 partners – made up of leading businesses, civic bodies and charities – across the North of England aiming to boost economic growth with better transport links and increase investment.

Leeds College of Building currently has over 6,000 students and offers a comprehensive range of more than 200 courses related to construction and the built environment, including apprenticeships, further and higher education, and business training.

In 2018 the College was awarded BTEC Apprenticeship Provider of the Year and, more recently, expanded their estates portfolio to officially open phase two of their South Bank Campus, a £13-million development.

Derek Whitehead, CEO & Principal at Leeds College of Building, said:
“We are delighted to announce that Leeds College of Building has become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. We wholeheartedly support the development and economic growth of the North through specialist construction training and business partnerships across the region and the UK. This partnership allows us to widen our reach even further and get more people into careers across vital skill-shortage areas.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry, MP said:
“Ensuring we have state-of the-art infrastructure across the Northern Powerhouse is a vital component of our vision for boosting economic growth and driving prosperity so that the North takes full advantage of all the economic opportunities that come with our departure from the EU on 31 October.”

“That is why I’m thrilled to welcome the award-winning Leeds College of Building as our latest Northern Powerhouse Partner and excited to see how their contribution will build upon our significant £694 million Local Growth Fund investment in the Leeds City Region”

The Northern Powerhouse is designed to drive economic growth in the North via investments in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Northern Powerhouse partner University Academy 92 (UA92) has opened its new campus, with Manchester United legend calling the project the “potentially the biggest thing we’ve ever done”.

The launch marks a culmination of years of work, with the initiative having been announced in September 2017.

It will offer degrees with character development at the core, inspired by the winning mentality of the Class of 92 and underpinned by another of our Northern Powerhouse partners, Lancaster University’s, academic standards.

The curriculum – delivered in fixed morning or afternoon slots for the duration of an individual’s degree – is designed to allow students from a range of educational and socio-economic backgrounds to access high quality, higher education.

The UA92 campus site – a joint venture between Trafford Council and developer Bruntwood – houses a range of specialist facilities, developed specifically for modern university learning and teaching. This includes a media suite, human performance hub, IT spaces and modern workrooms.

More broadly, UA92 is part of Trafford Council’s Civic Quarter Masterplan covering a 120-acre site taking in the Town Hall, Lancashire Cricket Club, and the former Kellogg’s development.

Gary Neville said:
“Looking at our experience in coaching, our upbringings at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, we’d been prepared to play for the first team and we were taught to be resilient.

“We felt that could potentially be pushed into an academic offering – something that was very different from the current market.

“The fact that it’s a half a mile away from Old Trafford made it even better for us. The idea that we’d be helping regenerate somewhere that had been so good to us for so long was fantastic.

“This will get stronger and stronger. This is day one – but we know in ten to 15 to 25 years’ time this being an established university is what really drives us forward.

“It’s potentially the biggest thing we’ve ever done.”

Lancaster University vice-chancellor Mark E Smith added:
“There’s no reason that the model we run at Lancaster should be appealing and relevant to everyone who wants to undertake higher education. A model that was different and would complement our traditional offering was something we should consider very seriously.

“This project fit very well with our aim of being able to reach a broader range of individuals.”

Manchester law firm Kuits advised the Class of 92 on the project.

Efficient Frontiers International Ltd (EFI), the managed services and operations provider, today announced the further expansion of their service centre in Leeds City Centre and a new partnership with the Northern Powerhouse.

EFI, which partners with large corporate and retail banking clients across the UK and Europe to deliver financial crime prevention and efficient operational support, has been accepted as a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme. Demonstrating its commitment to promoting the strengths of the North and supporting the Northern economy and Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Since launching in 2017, EFI has grown substantially, with a presence in both the UK and mainland Europe, the majority of EFI’s team will now be based in Leeds. EFI is planning to invest in growth further, recruiting up to 50 additional staff, in order to fulfil its ambition of becoming an industry leader in the Managed Services Operations sector, and a robust Northern Powerhouse Partner.

Neil Tansley, EFI’s CEO, comments:
“We were delighted to choose Leeds as the location of our service centre. Providing high value jobs amongst the wealth of expertise in the Northern region. With both a fantastic network of highly skilled companies and access to huge pool of talented people, at every level, Leeds was an obvious choice.

“The North is an ideal location to attract and develop real talent. EFI has developed a structured graduate scheme, which allows our talent to develop their professional and soft skills at every step of the way, as they become future leaders of our organisation.”

With so many Fintech companies setting up across Leeds and Manchester, in addition to traditional banks, EFI will be joined by a strong network of partners, who all recognise the enormous potential that the region can bring to the UK’s economy. EFI will continue to add value to the powerhouse by supporting the talent and organisations across the North and beyond.

Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“I’m thrilled to welcome the EFI team to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. As they increase their commitment to the North with their new Leeds Service Centre, they are well placed to support our shared vision of creating a thriving and prosperous Northern Powerhouse economy.

“As experts in complex regulatory and business environments, I’m also looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in furthering the global connections of the Northern Powerhouse as we prepare to leave the EU on the 31st October.”

Leading credit management firm Veritas Commercial Services has been announced as a Northern Powerhouse Partner.

The firm, which was set up 18 years ago, is a UK-wide credit management solutions firm.
Veritas is a female-led business whose employees work remotely across the country, with 80% of the team based in the North. Veritas provide virtual credit control and bespoke credit management consultancy services to its clients.

Veritas work with established and growing businesses and their financiers to deliver significant working capital improvement and, in 2015, Veritas was among the first credit management specialists to obtain an FCA license.
The Northern Powerhouse works specifically to support development of the North in four key areas: connectivity and transport; skills, science and innovation; quality of life and culture; and devolution.

Jenny Oldfield, CEO of Veritas:
“I think I speak for everyone at Veritas when I say that we’re privileged to be announced as a Northern Powerhouse Partner. We are all advocates of connecting talent in the North, and we’ve embraced the concept of ‘North Shoring’ – tapping into the wealth of talent in the region.

“Technology has allowed our business to thrive across the country, and a large majority of our team now work remotely from the North.

“The Northern Powerhouse is championing talent in the region and offers opportunities for like-minded, forward thinking business to benefit from its extensive network.We look forward to being an active part of the Partnership, and working towards a future which looks bright for the North”.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, the Rt. Hon. Jake Berry MP, said:
“I’d like to welcome Veritas Commercial Services to our expanding network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partner organisations.
“Veritas is a highly-impressive firm which has embraced modern technology allowing for flexible, remote working. The team behind the company’s success clearly embody the dynamic and diverse nature of our partner network.

“I look forward to working with them to further boost our Northern Powerhouse economy as we prepare to seize all of the opportunities that come with our departure from the EU on the 31st October.”

Leading business support organisation, the Forum of Private Business, has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Organisation.

As the latest Quarterly Regional Trade Data issued by Government showed Northern businesses lagging other regions in their contribution the UK’s economic success, Ian Cass, Chief Executive of the Forum highlighted the importance of local influencers working together in the drive to realise their true potential. Ian Cass, Chief Executive of the Forum said:
“The Northern Powerhouse initiative brings together partners who, working with common aims, are already realising the opportunities for growth in the North. This is not a North versus South competition, but rather a very clear focus on creating the environment where all our businesses can prosper and grow, in this instance in the North.

With a national membership of over 20,000 SME businesses we are committed to supporting businesses in all regions of the UK, and through our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Programme we will be collaborating with other partner organisations in the area to build on the current momentum.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, MP said:
“I’m delighted to welcome the Forum of Private Business onto the Northern Powerhouse Programme. With its commitment to the business community, the Forum is a partner which is well placed to be an important contributor in creating a positive environment in which the businesss sector can boost jobs and generate economic growth in the north as we rebalance the economy and build a Britain for the future.”

Assystem, the world’s third largest nuclear engineering firm with UK headquarters in Blackburn, Lancashire has become an official partner in the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The announcement, which coincides with the inaugural Northern Powerhouse summit in Rotherham on Friday 13th September, means that Assystem will join many high-profile businesses in promoting the strategic and economic value of the north with continued investment in the region and a particular focus on education and skills development, enterprise and innovation.

Assystem is at the forefront of a number of opportunities in the nuclear industry that will boost the northern economy, in particular the small modular reactor programme (UK SMR), led by Rolls-Royce that Assystem is a partner in. If progressed, this new generation of innovative reactors will bring considerable economic benefits to the north through job creation and skills development required at a number of ex-nuclear sites where SMRs have been proposed across the north.

Globally Assystem has 5,700 employees and UK sites in Blackburn, Sunderland, Westlakes, Bristol and Derby. It is involved in the development of nuclear programmes abroad as well as in the UK at Hinkley Point C, that whilst in Somerset, is also bringing jobs to Blackburn.

Assystem’s engineers are also at the forefront of developments in nuclear fusion, with a team of scientists based in Sunderland that are currently supporting the creation of the world’s largest fusion prototype, ITER, in France as well as UK experiments run by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in Oxfordshire.

In addition to this, in Blackburn Assystem has an expert team of digital engineers who are leading the way in their development and use of industry 4.0 technology that will revolutionise the safety and efficiency of maintenance at our nuclear sites.

Tom Jones, Vice President International Business Development, Assystem said:
“Much of our workforce is based in the North of England as well as our UK headquarters, so we have a major interest in helping the economy of the north to grow. As the UK now looks to nuclear power to help it meet its net zero carbon emissions targets by 2050, the industry needs young people to embark on STEM subjects and careers in nuclear engineering to fill the skills gap.”

“Partnering with Northern Powerhouse will give us the opportunity to raise awareness of the opportunities that the nuclear industry offers, in reducing carbon emissions and providing jobs to the North of England.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“Assystem is firmly established at the forefront of innovation in the global nuclear industry and it’s wonderful to see them join our ever expanding network of over 300 partners and build on our record £320.9 million Local Growth Fund investment across Lancashire.

“This pioneering nuclear engineering firm is well placed to support our commitment to level up our regions and ensure the Northern Powerhouse can take advantage of the global opportunities that come with our departure from the EU on 31 October; I welcome their addition to the partner programme.”

Provident Financial today announces that it has joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, underlining the company’s commitment to working with partners to increase economic growth in the North of England by creating skills and employment opportunities, improving its transport infrastructure and addressing key social mobility challenges.

The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is a network of partner organisations working collaboratively to represent the voice of major business and civic leaders and develop consensus about how the North can be more successful.

Malcolm Le May Chief Executive Officer of Provident Financial commented:
“As a major employer in Bradford and business with strong links to the city and the north, Provident Financial has a long history of supporting the local economy by creating jobs and using suppliers and contractors. We also have a long history of community investment in Bradford and other northern towns and cities where we support a number of partners and initiatives which seek to address key barriers to social inclusion and help people overcome them. This has seen us work in partnership over the past 18 months to help raise education standards and promote social mobility for children and young people in Bradford. We are therefore delighted to become a Northern Powerhouse Partner today as it further underlines our commitment to improving the success and prosperity of Bradford and the north.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Provident Financial plc, a listed member of the London Stock Exchange and part of the FTSE 250, to our expanding network of over 300 Northern Powerhouse Partners.

“Building upon the record £694.5 million of Local Growth Fund investment we’re making available to level up the whole of Leeds City Region, we’re working with businesses like Provident Financial in Bradford to grow the Northern economy and create a wealth of employment opportunities. This is an integral part of our vision to drive prosperity throughout the Northern Powerhouse as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October.”

International law firm CMS is pleased to announce that it has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse partner programme, reinforcing its commitment to the North.

The Northern Powerhouse is Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with good-paying jobs for hard-working people, better roads and railways, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities.The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is looking to build a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. There are currently over 300 businesses and organisations signed up to the Partner Programme.

CMS partner and Head of North, Mark Haywood, says:
“With a strong foothold across Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool, CMS is deeply invested in, and committed to, the North – a region with enormous energy, enterprise and potential. We believe strongly that the future of the Northern Powerhouse relies as much upon encouraging and nurturing our excellent companies, as it does on government support. We are excited to connect with like-minded businesses, organisations and institutions who share our vision and enthusiasm for the region – and work alongside government to promote its success and drive forward this important initiative.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“CMS is firmly rooted in the Northern Powerhouse with offices in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. It’s great to see them join our expanding network of over 300 partners as a demonstration of their commitment to continue investing in the region.”

“As one of the most prestigious international law firms in the North of England, CMS are well placed to support us in placing the Northern Powerhouse at the forefront of the global stage as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October.”

CMS has doubled down on its commitment to its Northern offering over the last 12 months, appointing a string of new partners including Corporate partner Matthew Davies in Manchester and Real Estate partner Abigail Dry in Liverpool and acting for clients on many of the region’s landmark developments. These include the Mayfield Development Project, Circle Square and Manchester’s most ambitious housing-led regeneration project – the Northern Gateway – which is expected to generate more than £1bn of investment over the next decade.

Education consultancy Alps has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme.

The Huddersfield-based company becomes the latest to join the network of partners building a Northern Powerhouse that invests in skills, innovation, transport and culture. Mary Ahern, Chief Executive at Alps said:
“As a company whose philosophy is all about unlocking the potential of our young people and investing in their skills, we recognise the values of the Northern Powerhouse and are proud to support them in their development of the North.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“Investing in young people so they can develop their skills and unlock their full potential is at the heart of our vision for a prosperous Northern Powerhouse, so I’m delighted to welcome the education consultancy Alps to our expanding network of Northern Powerhouse Partners.

“I look forward to their contribution as we work together to level up our regions and ensure people have the opportunity to secure high-quality jobs.”

The Northern Powerhouse is government’s vision for a super-connected, globally competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership.

The Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme is an important part of creating the Northern Powerhouse.

Government is building a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. Over 300 businesses and organisations have signed up to the partner programme.

We are pleased to announce that Cutting Edge, Chorley, have joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. The programme shares many of the same key principles that have driven Cutting Edge’s success over the last 25 years, with an ambition to promote innovation and talent in northern businesses through the strength of partnerships.

This news arrives on the back of several other exciting announcements as Cutting Edge recently forged global partnerships with German manufacturer, Nock GMBH and world-leading automation and robotics experts, ABB. By pooling their strengths together with the Northern Powerhouse programme, Cutting Edge aims to champion innovation in the North and continue to develop market-leading services to their customers across the country.

To watch the full Youtube video on their partner announcement by Managing Director Sam Tinsley, click here.

Managing Director at Cutting Edge, Sam Tinsley, said this about the announcement:
“As a company with deep roots in the North, we are very proud to be a partner with the Northern Powerhouse programme. The goals of the Northern Powerhouse are a natural fit with Cutting Edge, advocating innovation, investing in apprentices and creating exciting job opportunities in the North. We truly believe in the value and power of investing in people and creating long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships. By working in collaboration with the Northern Powerhouse we aim to develop the talent within Cutting Edge and build new relationships that will allow us to champion business in the North and further improve our world-class services in the UK and Ireland’s food industry.”

Cutting Edge’s partnership with the Northern Powerhouse programme represents the latest in a series of exciting new collaborations for the company and promises to be a long-lasting and positive relationship.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“The North has long been at the forefront of science and innovation so it’s great to see Cutting Edge become the latest members of our expanding network of partners, especially as they begin working with experts in the automation and robotics industry.

“I look forward to the continued contribution of Cutting Edge as they boost the local economy by creating jobs, improving people’s skills through apprenticeships and training and helping fulfil our ambition to ensure the Northern Powerhouse reaches its full potential.”

Manchester-based global education provider, NCUK, are delighted to announce they have become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme.

NCUK, the University Consortium, is one of a growing number of businesses from across the north that is part of the network who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the north and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential

In 2017/18, NCUK generated £22 million of tuition fees to predominantly northern universities and a similar amount directly into the economy through student living expenses. NCUK has a global network of over 60 Study Centres in more than 30 countries delivering its quality-assured qualifications to thousands of international students each year. It also coordinates more than 100 events worldwide, promoting the opportunities of studying in the UK and the benefits this offers.Georgina Jones, Market Development Director at NCUK said:
“NCUK is committed to promoting the benefits of studying and living in the north of England.
“We share in The Northern Powerhouse government’s vision for a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy and actively promote the area throughout the world each year. We are proud to announce our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Programme alongside many of our founding member universities.”

Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, said:
“I am delighted to welcome NCUK to our fast-growing Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme.

“It’s brilliant to see a Northern business placing a spotlight on our prestigious universities for an international audience and contributing to the economic strengths of our region. I am looking forward to working with them on promoting the world-beating universities of the Northern Powerhouse to the best and brightest students from across the globe.”

About NCUK
NCUK is a consortium of leading UK universities dedicated to giving international students guaranteed access to universities worldwide and helping students succeed when they get there. Our qualifications are recognised by our own universities as well as by universities internationally. Since 1987, NCUK has placed over 30,000 international students on to a wide range of university degree courses.

NCUK recruits students from over 100+ nationalities each year:
90% of NCUK students get into their first choice university
80% of NCUK students achieve a first or second class degree at university

Open Forum Events is proud to announce their new partner-status with the Northern Powerhouse ahead of the Northern Economic Summit on Thursday, November 28th in central Manchester.

Colin Cram, Chairman of Open Forum Events, said:
“Open Forum Events is proud to be a Northern business and delighted to be appointed a Northern Powerhouse Partner. All our employees live in the North. Our high quality conferences, which focus on supporting the delivery of improved public services, are held mainly in the North. Delegates come from all over the country and increasingly from overseas. This means that we are a net income generator for the region, and this will increase through our ambitious plans for expansion overseas. We are excited about the future for Open Forum Events and the Northern Powerhouse.”

Jake Berry MP, Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse welcomed Open Forum Events as partners of the Northern Powerhouse, saying:
“I’m excited to welcome Open Forum Events to our expanding network of Northern Powerhouse Partners. Their achievements in attracting people from all over the UK and overseas into the flourishing Northern Powerhouse stand them in good stead to work hand-in-hand with Government on boosting growth and investment throughout the North.

“I’m looking forward to hearing the fresh ideas and initiatives that will come out of their Northern Economic Summit in November and how these will support our bold ambitions for the Northern Powerhouse.”

Open Forum Events produces the annual Northern Economic Summit, a one-day conference showcasing ambitious domestic economic models, regional growth initiatives and global investment partnerships. The NES attracts delegates, speakers and sponsors from across the North and internationally, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham; N8 Research Partnership Director Dr Annette Bramley, local parliamentarians Debbie Abrahams MP and Lisa Nandy MP, Chief Executive of the Crown Commercial Service Simon Tse and Minister Ma Hui from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.

The Summit encourages practical, collective cross-sector solution-building to challenges fettering economic growth, skills development and international investment in the region; with keynote speeches and panel discussions dedicated to:

• Establishing Greater Manchester as a top-5 European city region digital economy with full-fibre broadband and 5G network coverage; with internationally-significant media and cyber-security clusters.
• The benefits that decentralised finance can bring to the Northern economy based on global case studies.
• Exploring how the region’s approach to climate/environmental sustainability influences and determines international investor appetite as well as maximising local economic and health benefits.
• Attracting international investment in the region’s growth sectors; infrastructure and regeneration, advanced manufacturing, visitor economy and football.

Government’s prestigious Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme hits 302 members.

Northern Powerhouse Minister welcomes major milestone for expanding network of businesses.

Global brands including Santander Group, Vodafone, New Balance and Rolls Royce, invited as key delegates to joint Northern Powerhouse Convention of the North/NP11 summit on 13 September in Rotherham.

The greatest coalition of Northern businesses ever seen has reached more than 300 members, Northern Powerhouse Minister Rt Hon Jake Berry MP announced today.

The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme brings together firms who back the Government’s ambitious vision for prosperity across the North and showcase why it is a great place to do business.

The milestone comes ahead of the landmark summit organised by the Convention of the North and NP11 – supported by the Government – which will see political, business, community and academic leaders discuss plans to level up the North and build on the progress made across the Northern Powerhouse since it was launched five years ago.

The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme’s 302 members include major international firms with a strong presence in the North like Rolls Royce and Santander to growing small businesses.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said: “This is an important milestone with over 300 businesses squarely behind our vision for a prosperous North which is the front door to a global-facing UK when we leave the EU on 31 October. Our Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme includes businesses of all sizes across a variety of key sectors, clearly showing the strength in depth of this incredible region.

“They are all helping the North to thrive by creating jobs, boosting local economic growth and providing opportunities for people to reach their full potential.

“I look forward to discussing with them and many others how we can do even more to level up the North at next month’s summit.”

David Orr, Executive Vice President, Small Modular Reactors, Rolls-Royce said: “Rolls-Royce is committed to working with the Government on the Northern Powerhouse, in particular using our consortium’s small nuclear power station design to boost growth and jobs in the North and North Wales.”

Susan Davies, Managing Director Santander Business said: “Santander is committed to supporting businesses in the Northern Powerhouse on all stages of their growth journey, from start-ups to fast-growing businesses with ambitions to expand overseas.”

John Grainger, Executive Director of Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster said: “BECBC is proud to be a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. Representing a supply chain that covers all forms of energy production, we believe that Cumbria is genuinely the power behind the Northern Powerhouse. Together we look forward to playing a full and active role in developing all aspects of both the nuclear fuel cycle and wider energy opportunities over the next decade and beyond.”

Barry Leahey of Playdale said: “With the help of strong advice and a supply chain in the Northern Powerhouse we have taken Playdale products manufactured in Cumbria to 50 countries around the globe.”

Andy Okolowicz, Factory Manager, New Balance said: “We are delighted to be a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. As a manufacturer, exporter, and contributor to the regional Cumbrian economy, we see the enormous potential in being a part of this collaborative effort by the Government. It is a grand initiative which stands to link the great communities of the North, boost economic growth, and, together, make the Northern Powerhouse a reality.”

The Convention of the North and NP11, in partnership with Government, has announced broadcaster Steph McGovern and the full programme for the one-day Northern event at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham on 13 September.

At this major event the North’s political, business, community and academic leaders along with young people’s groups, together to drive forward the ambitions of the Northern Powerhouse.

Broadcaster and proud Northerner Steph McGovern has been confirmed as the host of the event. Northern leaders speaking at the event will include Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis, Chair of the NP11 and of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the Convention Cllr Nick Forbes, and Northern Powerhouse Minister, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP.

More speakers will be announced over the coming days.

This nationally significant event will be a working convention to debate policy across a number of key themes: skills and education, housing, transport, innovation, trade and investment, and clean growth. The event will also bring together influential bodies such as the N8 research partnership, the People’s Powerhouse, Northern Power Women, and leading think-tanks such as IPPR North and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and young people from across the North will set out their vision for the North’s future, and how current leaders can work together to achieve it.

More information can be found at: conventionwithnp11.co.uk

Commercial property specialist Vantage Building Consultancy are proud to have become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Programme.

Vantage are one of a number of businesses across the North working towards building a Northern Powerhouse in four main areas; connectivity and transport, skills, science and innovation, quality of life and culture, and devolution.

Paul Wood Senior Director and Founder of Vantage says:
“We are committed to assimilating the North’s growth with that of Vantage and see the Powerhouse scheme as a perfect partner for our organisation”.

“Having been in business since 2015 we have learnt that collaboration with like-minded companies and clients is the key to success. We will be applying the same approach to our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse program to encourage growth plus devolution in the region”

“Our focus is upon bettering the high workmanship standards which have taken us to where we are today. In partnership with the Northern Powerhouse we are aiming to develop our services further and recruit like-minded staff to help make this happen.”
Vantage has recently completed its’ 4th year of trading and it’s 450th client instruction which are drawn from the institutional property investment sector, blue-chip tenants, as well as investment and asset managers.

The company has recently reevaluated its company culture with the help of the Business Growth Hub to streamline its focus and better relate to both staff as well as clients. The Vantage Super 8 has been born and is the basis for how future working relationships are to be established and managed.

Vantage are investing in their staff and recently took a student from Liverpool John Moore’s University. After a successful placement, he’s now returned to finish his studies, with a view to re-joining the company in 2020. Further such support to northern Universities is being investigated and hoped that the process can be repeated.

The company has grown year on year with offices established in Bristol and Newcastle during 2019, with more growth on the way for its’ head office in Manchester. The future at Vantage is bright.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“It’s clear Vantage Building Consultancy is passionate about investing in the Northern property sector and also encouraging young people develop rewarding careers so I’m delighted to welcome them to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

“This network of businesses has a pivotal role in realising the Government’s vision for the Northern Powerhouse and I believe Vantage’s membership will make a great contribution to our shared ambition to create jobs, level up our regions and boost prosperity everywhere.”

Leading IoT solutions distributor, Alliot Technologies has today announced its membership of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. An initiative established to drive economic growth, the Northern Powerhouse is dedicated to the development of science and innovation, culture, housing and improving the overall quality of life in the North.

Having launched in early 2019, Alliot has quickly become the UK’s market leader in the distribution of IoT hardware, and has secured a number of agreements to supply products on behalf of leading manufacturers including Netvox, LORIX One, Kerlink and Tektelic.Paul Hayes, Product Development Director at Alliot said:
“Alliot’s aim is to ensure that IoT hardware and products are made easily accessible to all. As new and emerging technologies evolve, we are equipped to supply solutions of any size from proof of concept to large scale commercial deployments. Through our support and technical expertise we enable companies not just in the North, but across the UK and the rest of the world to be innovative and competitive in what is an incredibly exciting area of technology.

“The projects that are supported by IoT technologies will benefit the entire UK economy by improving productivity and services, together with other partners we will begin to move the UK forward to create world class IoT solutions in areas such as Smart Cities and Agriculture.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“I’m delighted to welcome Alliot Technologies into our network of Northern Powerhouse Partners. Their technical know-how will be a vital tool in enabling businesses adapt to new technology and equipping people with the skills they need to thrive in the global digital economy.

“I look forward to their contribution to developing innovative technologies and boosting productivity, not only in the North but across all regions of the UK.”

Queen’s Award Winner and leading language services provider, Language Insight have announced that they are now partners with the Northern Powerhouse.

The Northern Powerhouse is Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with good-paying jobs for hard-working people, better roads and railways, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities.

With their Head Office located in Lancashire, Language Insight are one of the growing number of UK businesses in the North to join the Northern Powerhouse network. As a partner, Language Insight will work towards building a Northern Powerhouse in one or more of the five key areas; Connectivity and transport, Education and skills, Enterprise and innovation, Trade and investment, and Quality of life.Language Insight’s Managing Director, Donna Twose states:
“We are pleased to announce our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse. As we are a business based in the North, this partnership is something that we are committed to. We hope to work alongside the other Northern Powerhouse partners to promote the North as a hub for international trade, and we are aiming to continue our investment in the North as we carry on growing our teams in Preston.”

Trade and investment is the area in which Language Insight hopes to contribute the most towards as a Northern Powerhouse partner, as 49% of Language Insight’s turnover now comes from international trade. The company has achieved an overseas growth rate of 230% over the past 3 years which emphasises how the North is a great place to do business, both in the UK and internationally. This international growth has meant that Language Insight is one of the 29 northern businesses to be honoured with The Queen’s Award For Enterprise For International trade 2019.

Language Insight have also invested heavily in the set-up of their head office within the North of England which currently provides numerous job opportunities for local talent within the North West, and global talent all over the world from the likes of Germany, Japan, and China. The language services provider also works alongside local universities, such as Lancaster University, to provide placements for language students who are looking for work experience and graduate jobs.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“The addition of Language Insight to our ever-growing network of Northern Powerhouse Partners is great news and I’m looking forward to the contribution this organisation will make in delivering on the Government’s ambition for a global-facing North which attracts foreign trade and investment to the region.
“As a Queen’s Award winner, Language Insight has already made great contributions to job creation and economic growth in the North and with their head office located in Lancashire I’m certain that they will continue to benefit the local community.”

• Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram tour Wirral Waters – part of the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone

• Minister meets Northern Powerhouse Partner, the Peel Group, to discuss calls for a ‘Free Port’ for Liverpool and their plans for a Maritime Knowledge Hub

• Liverpool heralded for being one of the ‘most forward-thinking cities’ in the Northern Powerhouse
Northern Powerhouse Minister, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, has endorsed ambitious economic regenerations plans for Liverpool on his first official visit to the North since his promotion to Cabinet.

On a tour of the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone with Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, the Minister saw first-hand the Wirral Waters regeneration scheme which is transforming the 500 acre Birkenhead docklands into a pioneering, mixed use waterside city extension.

Delivery of this masterplan is already well underway, with one major development – the Wirral Metropolitan College moving into their new £10.5m RIBA campus – thanks to £2.7m investment from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

The Minister also met senior executives from the Peel Group – a member of the Government’s official Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme – who are researching the potential for a ‘Free Port’ for Liverpool.

Freeports are hubs for business and enterprise for both manufacturing and services trade. These could be free of unnecessary checks and paperwork, and include customs and tax benefits. These zones reduce costs and bureaucracy, encouraging manufacturing businesses to set up or re-shore. The most successful Freeports globally attract businesses and create jobs for local people through liberalised planning laws.

Earlier this month, the Government announced a new Freeports Advisory Panel to advise on establishing up to 10 Freeports after the UK leaves the European Union on 31st October.

Peel L&P, part of the Peel Group are also drafting exciting plans for the development of a Maritime Knowledge Hub within the Wirral Waters priority regeneration area – creating a centre of excellence and a platform for maritime businesses to grow within the Liverpool City Region.Northern Powerhouse Minister, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“As a proud Scouser born and bred on Merseyside, Liverpool is the obvious place to make the first visit in my new role, see how the Northern Powerhouse is already making a massive difference to people’s lives and set out the Government’s plan to level up our regions.

“So far we have committed a game-changing £1.3billion across the Liverpool City Region and established a powerful Metro Mayor with a war chest of responsibilities to drive jobs and growth. The Northern Powerhouse agenda is delivering for Liverpool, but there is so much more to do.

“Liverpool is one of the most forward-thinking cities in the UK thanks to the Government’s devolution agenda and major investments being made by companies like the Peel Group. They embody the dynamism and character of the area and its people.”

Deputy Chairman of the Peel Group, Neil Lees said:
“As part of our ambitious £50bn Ocean Gateway strategy, through its investments, Peel Group has already seen more than £750 million invested in facilities and infrastructure at the Port of Liverpool and along the Manchester Ship Canal including schemes such as Liverpool and Wirral Waters – which is one of the most significant regeneration projects in the UK.

“In addition to this, we believe the Ocean Gateway strategic corridor creates new

The next generation of cyber experts are being nurtured in a unique training course, getting a unique glimpse inside the world of digital security, during a five-day programme designed to encourage young people into the industry.

Around 130 students, aged 13 to17, from across Cumbria and as far as Manchester have enrolled in the CyberFirst scheme, a government recognised programme, developed by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre and run by Energus in West Cumbria.

Based at Energus’ state of the art Cyber Lab, tutors Brad Cleaver and Drew Cranmer are leading the way.

Mr Cleaver said around 35,000 people are employed in the industry in Europe and about 10,000 in the United Kingdom.

Brad Cleaver said:
“It is a growing industry. We are so interconnected that, while we might not face another millennium bug scenario, there are always going to be new issues to tackle.
“Twenty years ago we didn’t have the internet in our homes. Now we have it on our computers, smart phones, smart TVs and even appliances such as washing machines.
“We are more connected in so many more ways than we have ever been and this increases the need for cyber security.
“This money is being invested to make the UK a safe place to live.”

The course includes sessions on security devices, understanding and securing business networks, dealing with insecure devices, computer forensics and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) techniques. The STEM-related course underpins the skills and knowledge needed to prepare young people for the complex field of cyber security.

The drive to encourage more people into a career in the field is part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) goal to close the skills gap in cyber security.

It forms part of an NDA cyber programme that is designed to grow capability and capacity for the NDA and its businesses, bolstered by an £80 million investment over the next 5 years in cyber safety.

Frank Rainford, the NDA’s Group Director of Security and Corporate Services, said:
“Cyber security and resilience is vital to the NDA and its businesses, and encouraging young people into cyber-related careers will go a long way in helping to keep us, and the wider nuclear industry, safe from future cyber threats.”
The industry’s growing need for cyber professionals was realised with the launch of the NDA-funded Cyber Lab, based at Energus. It is one of the first of its kind in the UK for training cyber apprentices to deal with future cyber security threats.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Skills and Growth, said:
“The NCSC is committed to training a new and diverse generation of cyber security experts, making the nation more resilient to the ever-evolving cyber threat.”
“We’re delighted to see Energus play a part in increasing the talent pipeline and would encourage more industry partners to help us address the cyber security skills gap.”

Ryan, 23, is a Skilled Assembly Technician at Tiger Trailers in Winsford, having joined the company in 2015 as a Manufacturing Engineering apprentice. During college, when working part time in a fish and chip shop, Ryan decided he wanted to do an apprenticeship in manufacturing and engineering. His motivation was the possibility of gaining a qualification whilst being ‘hands-on’ within the industry and being able to earn at the same time.

Ryan began his apprenticeship with another manufacturing company in Winsford which unfortunately went bankrupt. He decided that Tiger Trailers would be a good fit as it was a new, local company, that was experiencing very quick growth. During his apprenticeship, he had the opportunity to carry out a variety of tasks including piping & wiring, coach building, working on hydraulics and fitting tail lifts, his favourite of which was working with hydraulic systems.

“My day to day work was monitored by my mentor, which was really useful as he could provide me with one-to-one feedback and push me out of my comfort zone. I gained skills I can transfer to other parts of the job, which is really valuable”

A particularly enjoyable part of Ryan’s apprenticeship was the rotational aspect of the structure, as he was able to gain so much more than he would in a more stationary position. Additionally, Ryan is proud to have won the Tiger Apprentice of the Year award.

“I think the apprenticeship made me so much more versatile and adaptable, giving me the confidence to try new things”.

Ryan has learnt the role through his apprenticeship to the point where he is now given the responsibility of training new members of the team, giving him further opportunity to develop his leadership and teamwork skills.

“As an apprentice, you have to learn every part of the workshop. It’s made me so much more knowledgeable about the company and the wider industry, and I find it easier to remember and learn all the new information as it’s right in front of me and very hands-on, rather than being in a book or online”.

In the future, he would like to progress within Tiger Trailers and become a team leader, supervising the hydraulics sector of the workshop. His interest in hydraulics stemmed from the experiences he had as an apprentice, to which he attributes his ambitions within the industry.

“I didn’t know what I’d want to specialise in before I began the apprenticeship. The wide range of sectors I was exposed to enabled me to work out what really interested me”.

In February this year, official Northern Powerhouse Partner, Cognitive Publishing, delivered EvoNorth 2019. The two day event was designed to amplify and highlight future developments the region has to offer – uniting leaders responsible for fuelling the Northern Powerhouse agenda, including Dr Nicola Headlam, Head of the Northern Powerhouse for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).EvoNorth 2019 not only showcased what talent and opportunity the North has to offer but the willingness to discuss, debate, and collaborate on key issues that inspire the people of the North in pursuing change for the better, as well as provide an opportunity for leaders to unite and create a platform to amplify key messages for change.

Speaking about the 2019 event, Tracy Fishwick, Managing Director of the Transform Lives Company said:
‘Events like EvoNorth are vital, we do need more opportunities to come together across different sectors.’
EvoNorth is back, taking place on 4-5th March 2020. The two-day conference and networking dinner is filled with lively panel discussions, debates and exclusive updates from Northern Powerhouse leaders such as Martin McTague, Policy & Advocacy Chairman at FSB and Cllr Andrew Western, Leader of Trafford Council and Green City Region lead for the GMCA. The event will be connecting organisations looking to supply the Northern Powerhouse with buyers and key influencers from across the region.
EvoNorth will explore a wide variety of areas of investment including; Devolution, Transport and Connectivity, Business, Innovation and Investment, Health, Social Care and Wellbeing, Housing, Placemaking and Social Value, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment, Science and Technology, Education, Skills and Employment.

Roy Rowlands, Business Development Director and Event Organiser at EvoNorth said:
“It’s important that the North speaks with one voice on key issues – We are delighted to provide exactly that opportunity at EvoNorth again in 2020” To find out more and register for the event click here.

Doris Discovers, Develops and Delivers IT, Business and Digital Talent. Since 2012 they have been employing graduates and other new entrants to the Tech Industry. Through upskilling and training ‘Next Generation UK’ to be the workforce of the future, they are building sustainable careers, delivering projects and services at a cost in line with today’s economic challenges. Working with Doris is simple: whether you’re a customer or an employee you are part of the team. Their way of working is specifically designed to keep everybody moving in the right direction, together.

Tell us about your graduate programme:
We ARE different. Our programme, culture and strategy is shaped by the whole workforce, working as one team, connected personally, digitally and socially. As employers we teach but we also listen. Doris employees work through a development programme including funded professional qualifications but it’s the team work and collaboration that make us different including reverse -mentoring which is key as the millennial generation move fast and we have to keep up.
We hire graduates on a full-time, salaried basis and place them on assignment with our customers across the UK, primarily across the North-West. We are committed to finding ambitious, capable individuals and through a tried and tested assessment process we ensure we really get to know the candidates, allowing us to select passionate employees with a strong work ethic and a desire to learn.
By matching grads with the right role and customer environment, they make a difference and add value from day 1. Over the last five years we have saved our customers over £14 million benchmarked against UK published rates.

Are there issues you have had to overcome?
Director Chris McHugh – ‘For the first two years my sales pitch was ‘trust me, you can take an apprentice, graduate or other new entrant and with the right training and mentoring in technology or business from us, they will very quickly be productive and delivering both innovation and cost savings. Now we have a strong delivery track record and all our customers are referenceable. We set out to give sustainable employment to 20 new entrants and we’ve now employed over 150. We’re delivering amazing results, more dynamically and that requires people with skills AND attitude. They’re exceeding all our expectations.’Quotes from Doris Employees:

Matt, Recruitment Manager:
‘I want to grow with our business which is what Doris was set up to do. Graduates are actively involved in the planning and strategy of the business and are helping it move forward everyday. We are a community at Doris and we succeed together.’

Jess, Service and Data Management:
‘When I finished University, I was finding it difficult to both stand out and understand what the role I was applying for actually entailed. It was at this point that I came across Doris IT. Doris focuses heavily on getting young people into the world of IT, to help them get a start in both their career and skill development which was exactly what I needed.’

Emma, Cyber Security Analyst:
‘Building my experience within IT through Doris opens up a wealth of opportunity and I look to use this opportunity to embark on a variety of challenges. I’ve become more open minded with regards to my career progression because my skills are transferrable, I am confident it will continue to be data based. I am now working towards gaining more of a technical understanding to work within Market Research to conduct statistical assessments based on data. I never thought I’d be able to say that 1 year after graduating and that is thanks to Doris.’ Advice from Doris’ers:

Amy, Digital Marketing:
‘With the industry development on-going in the north-west, opportunities for progression are vastly increasing, especially in Tech and on top of the mass of opportunities that already exist, Doris is helping our next generation find roles that no grad would turn down!’

Pink Link, the Blackpool-based female networking organisation has become an official partner of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse is a network of leading organisations who are committed to the economic potential of the North. The Government’s initiative aims to boost the region’s economy through investment in skills, innovation, connectivity, quality of life, transport and culture. Coral Horn, Director of Pink Link said:
“We are proud to join the Northern Powerhouse and are looking forward to developing alliances with organisations that will help women to achieve their goals.
Women want to feel empowered, valued and successful in their business. We understand the challenges that female entrepreneurs face and are keen to help them access support, knowledge and investment. This partnership will help us to showcase their talent to a wider business community across the region and beyond.”

Pink Link is celebrating its 10th Anniversary of connecting and promoting women in business. They provide a variety of platforms that directly impact on the business growth of female entrepreneurship in the region. The female-centric organisation flies the flag for women in business through their networking groups, conferences, workshops, social events, the LIFE Expo and the Enterprise Vision Awards.

The EVAS are the largest female-specific business awards outside London. They recognise the successes and achievements of businesswomen from the North West. On Friday 27 September, the ninth annual Enterprise Vision Awards will be held at the iconic Empress Ballroom in The Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Pink Link embodies the dynamism, drive and entrepreneurship that defines the Northern Powerhouse so I’m delighted to welcome them to our rapidly growing Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. I am looking forward to working with them as they promote and support the powerful and inspiring female business leaders from across our region.”

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The CIOB, the professional body for construction management, joins an ever-growing network of partner organisations across the Northern Powerhouse. With over 6,000 accredited members based in the north, the CIOB is helping to provide the skills and expertise to transform the built environment across the region. This includes the development of high-profile healthcare facilities, transportation systems and educational establishments.

Eddie Tuttle, the CIOB’s Director of Policy, Research and Public Affairs, said:
“The importance of construction in developing the Northern Powerhouse cannot be ignored. And the quality of our buildings has a lasting impact on the well-being of individuals and communities across the region.

“Construction activity in the north is booming and jobs in the sector are also in high demand with around 5,500 new recruits being needed each year, many of which fall on the professional side.

“The Northern Powerhouse brings together many of the companies and organisations with the expertise to continue developing the region and driving forward not just growth but improvements in quality, sustainability and career prospects in the construction sector and the wider economy.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Building and developing modern infrastructure fit for the 21st century is a vital component of our vision for boosting economic growth and driving prosperity throughout the Northern Powerhouse.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the Chartered Institute of Building as our latest Northern Powerhouse Partner and I’m excited to see what we can achieve together”

Barbara Entwistle FCIOB, Chair of the CIOB’s Lancashire and Cumbria Hub, said:
“We have great opportunities within the construction industry; you only have to observe the number of tower cranes in the region to know that investment is taking place in both the private sector and the public sector. We need to make the most of the skills we have in construction, utilise our knowledge and help drive improvements in transportation, investments in science and a push towards economic growth. In any plan to grow the region’s economy, construction is a huge contributor and I’m looking forward to being involved in the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.”

This year marks Open Data Institute Leeds 5th birthday. Five years of innovating in the open in Leeds (and beyond) at their innovation space in Munro House. Five years of engaging with the open data community and watching it grow into a vibrant ecosystem of individuals and organisations alike, with no barriers to communication. Five years of addressing complex problems across private and public sector organisations by utilising a ‘radically open’ approach, which invites radical thinking from external sources and rejects the traditionally slow and closed ways of working that are so entrenched in large organisations.

ODI Leeds have taken some time to reflect on those past five years, looking at the work they have accomplished or enabled so far, and what they still want to achieve in the next five years. Their main driving force is the creation of accessible value through innovation with data, which builds an environment that is rich with potential for others to continue innovating. They recognise that they are no longer the little fish or the new guy on the scene – they have established themselves as a reliable, consistent, and innovative organisation that can help others realise the potential from data.

Data and innovation will remain at the heart of everything ODI Leeds do but we will have more direction on their projects. Launching #OpenGovTech is an example of this, where they have evaluated the tools and resources they have already made and can see their application for improving government services with input from citizens.

With these forward-thinking decisions in mind, we are delighted to announce that ODI Leeds has become a Northern Powerhouse partner.

ODI Leeds believe that more open data and more conversations about collaboration will be the key to success in the future. Data enables better understanding and possible solutions, but only if it is available. They are already supported by 16 organisations – both public and private sector – who have benefited from open data and can see further potential. ODI Leeds want to continue championing the benefits of open data by demonstrating the innovation that is already present across the North, and by helping others realise the huge potential to create value if they are only brave enough to be ‘radically open.’

Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Open data has an important role to play in our vision for a super-connected and globally-competitive Northern Powerhouse. I am delighted to welcome ODI Leeds as the latest member of our Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.
With ODI Leeds’ proven track record in helping others realise the potential of open data, they are well placed to work with us on promoting the strong levels of innovation which characterise the Northern Powerhouse economy.”

Darwen based commercial interior design practice, APM Design Ltd., are the latest business to have become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.The appointment recognises the contribution APM have made to the creative industry in the north, for over the last 30 years.The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by Government and business to realise that potential. There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme.

APM design continue to develop a substantial portfolio of UK & international clients, specialising in design solutions to the hospitality, leisure, retail & commercial sectors. The announcement comes at a time when APM have been commissioned to create design proposals for a £7 million new build, high end members club & spa on the outskirts of Warrington (due to open late 2019). Design Director of APM, Andy McCluskey said:
“APM are proud of their northern roots & excited to represent the creative industry in the north west. we believe that the northern powerhouse is a great opportunity to spotlight the amount of creative talent the north has to offer.”

Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“It’s fantastic to be able to welcome APM Design to our rapidly growing coalition of Northern Powerhouse Partners.

“As award winning architectural designers at the forefront of their field, they are well placed to help represent the creative industries of the North and drive forward the Northern Powerhouse economy.”

Following the successful launch of the Phase One start-up business incubator, York Science Park has been named as the newest members of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The Science Park offers flexible office and laboratory spaces to innovative companies working in sectors including science, creative media and tech. The new Phase One incubator programme offers start-ups and spin-outs the chance to benefit from free office space, mentoring and business support from a range of experts.

Having joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner programme, the Science Park is now part of a network of more than 200 businesses across the North excelling in areas including innovation, trade, investment and culture.

The Northern Powerhouse is Government’s vision for a more prosperous North with good-paying jobs for hard-working people, better roads and railways, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities. Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is growing a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. There are businesses and organisations from across the North from a variety of sectors signed up to the partner programme. Prospective partners can email [email protected] for more information about the partner programme and how to apply.

Claire Bennett, General Manager of York Science Park, said:
“Being invited to become a Northern Powerhouse Partner is recognition of the incredible work we do here supporting the most innovative and creative startups. York is an amazing city and the Science Park is home to an entrepreneurial ecosystem at the heart of the University of York’s incredible campus. We’re very proud to be recognised as key partners in supporting innovation in the North.”

“We are sure that our resident businesses will go on to play major roles in developing the economy of the north, working on the very cutting edge of incredible fields like medtech, insuretech, software, app development and much much more. Our role is to support them with the challenges they face and to build and support an environment that fosters innovation.”

Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, Minister for Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth said:
“Providing an environment to support businesses and start-ups grow and flourish is essential to boosting economic growth across the North.

“That is why I am delighted to welcome York Science Park to our expanding network of Northern Powerhouse Partners. Currently home to 130 companies, in the heart of York University Campus, they are best placed to placed to help us realise the economic potential of the North and promote the success of the region throughout the rest of the UK.”

West Yorkshire Learning Providers (WYLP) are delighted to receive ministerial approval to become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

WYLP is a membership based non-for-profit regional network of training organisations, whose key focus is supporting skills providers, colleges, schools and universities in the promotion and development of high quality apprenticeship and skills programmes across Yorkshire. WYLPs Managing Director, Alex Miles said:
“At WYLP our vision and passion is to develop a high quality apprenticeship & skills system across Yorkshire and the North so the partnership with the NPH enhances our capacity and demonstrates our commitment to developing education and skills – We strongly believe that apprenticeships are the key to social mobility, improved productivity and enhancing the quality of lives for young people and adults and we look forward to promoting and celebrating achievements by WYLP and the other NPH partners across the North.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, said:
“Giving young people the skills they need to seize opportunities, get good jobs and reach their full potential is vital to boosting prosperity across the North.
“I want the Northern Powerhouse to lead the way on high-quality, high-level vocational qualifications so I am delighted to welcome West Yorkshire Learning Providers to the ever-growing Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme and look forward to their contribution towards our shared ambitions.”

The announcement of WYLP joining the partnership comes at a great time for Education & skills across the North, with the development of the Northern Skills Network – a partnership of 9 local provider networks coming together for a single agenda of enhancing and developing the skills system across the North of England, in which WYLP is a board director, a heightened focus on developing the North transport and skills gaps as stated by the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, plus the discussions around devolution in Yorkshire and WYLPs MD Alex Miles joining the Leeds City Region Employment & Skills Board.

How Sensor City is driving forward the North’s economy

Maximising potential
Sensor City is a real-life example of how universities and businesses are working together to maximise the potential of the Northern Powerhouse. By creating a place-based cluster for sensor and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in Liverpool City Region, is it putting the North and the UK as a whole on the global map for sensor innovation. Sensor City joined the Northern Powerhouse partner programme in early 2018 and is already playing a key role in driving forward the aims of the initiative, with a particular focus on innovation and education.

Riding the wave of innovation
Maximising the potential of emerging technologies in the UK’s great Northern cities means creating the conditions where the businesses riding this wave of technological innovation can collaborate and thrive. At Sensor City, this means providing a space where innovators can design, build, test and develop their novel concepts into prototypes with speed and accuracy under one roof. It also means providing access to highly specialised equipment that supports the design, development and testing of cutting-edge IoT products, while offering the world-class expertise that can help to propel a great idea through to commercialisation.

Liverpool 5G Consortium
Sensor City is proud to be leading innovation in the health and social care sector, having won one of six Innovate UK grants for the roll out of the latest 5G technology. The aim of the project, which Sensor City is delivering as part of a consortium comprising public health suppliers, the NHS, university researchers, local SMEs and a leading UK 5G technology vendor, is to support health and social care in Liverpool. The project will see high-value technologies deployed to benefit deprived communities across the city affected by the digital divide.

Role of Education
Lack of resources, funding and education are just some of the barriers for companies embracing IoT technologies. Sensor City is therefore helping universities and businesses in the Liverpool City Region to up-skill the future workforce and work together to produce students who have the right skills and who are work ready. Retention of this talent within the North’s economy is also a key priority.
Additionally, Sensor City provides business support and space for graduate start-ups within its building, runs student focussed workshops and offers entrepreneurship programmes and technical internship placements.

Dr Joanne Phoenix, Interim Executive Director at Sensor City said:
“We are pleased to be a contributing factor in driving forward the North’s economy through sensor and IoT innovation. We are fostering collaborations between SMEs, larger corporates, academic institutions and other tech clusters, enabling companies throughout the North to more easily embrace the latest digital technologies, which will strengthen and ultimately future-proof their operations.”

Northern Powerhouse Partner, Simply Jobs Boards – a group of niche job sites – has partnered with Bayt.com, the largest job site in the Middle East and North Africa, to enhance the recruitment process for industries including aviation, law and the motor trade.

Bayt.com is the leading job site in the MENA region, connecting jobseekers with employers looking to hire. It has typically outperformed job boards in its arena, providing local candidates to businesses of all sizes and industries.

The partnership with Simply Jobs Boards will allow businesses in the Middle East to access an even larger database of worldwide candidates who can fill niche roles that can be harder to recruit for. The job board currently holds more than 36 million CV’s on its database, and over 40,000 employers advertise their jobs on the site, access the CV Search tool, or utilise Bayt.com’s Applicant Tracking Software (ATS).Omar Tahboub, General Manager at Bayt.com, said:
“In line with our mission to expand our presence regionally and globally as well as connect more employers with the right type of talent, we’ve partnered with Simply Jobs Boards to empower employers in the MENA with global access to top talent across all niche roles. We want to ensure that access to talent is continuously made easier and more effective, and we are proud to forge such partnerships that help us enhance recruitment and career building across the region and the world.”

Bayt.com has been in operation for 19 years, and is celebrating two decades in business in 2020, similar to Simply Jobs Boards, who celebrated their 20th anniversary this year.

CEO of Simply Jobs Boards Ian Partington said:
“We’re very excited to partner with Bayt.com. This is the right move to connect more employers with highly skilled professionals in multiple industries in the Middle East, something both we and Bayt.com are equally devoted to. This partnership, we’re sure will have a very positive effect on the job market in this area.”

Manvers Engineering specialise in the design and manufacture of environmentally friendly spill control products for the construction industry. These include the award-winning Plant Nappy, and the recently launched PlantMat.

Manvers Engineering are very proud of their South Yorkshire roots. All their products are manufactured at their premises in Barnsley, sourcing local materials wherever possible, so becoming a Northern Powerhouse partner seemed like the next logical step in the company’s successful journey.

Being a Northern Powerhouse partner will allow Manvers Engineering to engage with other similar businesses, sharing their success stories, and helping to realise the economic potential of the North.

It is over 10 years since Manvers Engineering founder, Colin Ibbotson, launched Plant Nappy to the construction industry. It was born from a conversation with a colleague about the hazards of traditional metal drip trays on construction sites. These would capture any fuel spill, but any subsequent rainfall would mix with the spillage, and potentially overflow into the environment. Colin set about trying to find an environmentally friendly, low maintenance alternative.

The solution was Plant Nappy, a fabric drip tray which would contain any fuel spill within it’s base, whilst allowing any rainwater to pass through its side wall, removing any pollutants and releasing it safely back into the environment. Ready to use ‘straight out of the bag’, Plant Nappy would require no assembly and very little maintenance, making it ideal for use on busy construction projects.

A patent was granted, and Plant Nappy went into production in 2007, causing excitement amongst environmental managers up and down the country.

Plant Nappy’s reputation grew over the years, and it is now the first choice spill control solution of many major construction companies when undertaking new projects. Its innovation was rewarded last year when Plant Nappy received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation).

With environmental laws becoming ever tighter, Manvers Engineering continue to develop Plant Nappy to meet ever changing regulations, and ensure it offers complete peace of mind for the end user.

Following on from the success of Plant Nappy, Manvers Engineering last year launched PlantMat, a revolutionary spill control product which turns fuel spills into a solid mass. Like Plant Nappy, it is ready to use ‘straight out of the bag’, and designed to work as a stand-alone product, or fit inside Plant Nappy for ultimate protection.

Manvers Engineering reputation goes from strength to strength, and they continue to research and develop new products to help the construction industry meet their environmental goals and corporate responsibility.

1st August is Yorkshire Day, so we’re celebrating the work of some of our Yorkshire partners and wishing a Happy Yorkshire Day to all!

BJSS

Leeds-based BJSS are leading the way in digital skills. Their Graduates, Apprentices and Placement Year students contribute towards delivering live client projects and they become increasingly ‘hands-on’ as they develop their skills. Also, unlike some other programmes, Graduates are full-time, permanent BJSS employees, so they don’t need to reapply for a role after completing the programme.

Over the year, they complete dedicated Graduate modules in our internal BJSS:Academy programme and they also deliver a graduate technology project, which in 2017 won Pro-bono company of the year category in the Better Society awards.

Find out more about their work by watching their videos on graduates and apprentices.

York Cocoa House and York Cocoa Works

York-based York Cocoa House and York Cocoa Works have big plans to drive forward chocolate manufacturing in York. Sophie Jewett, Managing Director of York Cocoa House explains:

“We’re continually inspired by the chocolate heritage, industry and innovation that York was once famous for. With the opening of York Cocoa Works we’re proud to now be manufacturing British Chocolate back in York. Through collaboration across the industry our chocolate manufacturing, education and innovation centre based in the centre of York is now tackling sustainable sourcing, flavour quality and sugar reduction challenges for the chocolate sector.

“Our innovations are allowing us to develop market leading products and services to better offer quality, flavour, impact and sustainability from cocoa sourcing to chocolate making.

“York’s chocolate heritage, outstanding regional expertise and unique location has been critical to our journey, we are now excited to be sharing our chocolate more widely and are looking forward to becoming more involved in the Northern Powerhouse activity through the partner programme.”

Manvers Engineering

Barnsley-based Manvers Engineering were awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation for their innovative Plant Nappy product.

You can read about their innovative work in their guest Northern Powerhouse partner spotlight feature on our partner page.

Creating Inclusive Cultures was delighted to partner with Leeds based businesses; Mercer, Pinsent Masons, Hays and the Bank of England to deliver this year’s Junior Board with students from Cockburn Secondary School.

The Junior Board is designed to give young people from diverse backgrounds direct experience with business leaders and employees within local organisations. The programme has two main purposes; for future diverse talent to share their perspectives with senior leaders whilst increasing their workplace awareness and for employers to meet future employees to gain insight on how their culture, practices and processes need to be developed to attract and retain talent.

Charlotte Sweeney, OBE, CIC Founder commented:
“Junior Board gives companies the opportunity to hear young peoples’ perspectives on their organisations and how they are recruiting, as well as a sense of what young people might want from the world of work in the future.”

Feedback from this year’s students highlighted the importance of local business and schools working together to provide young people with constructive work experience. The students commented how it helped them to see what a real workplace looked like and to see that are many different jobs inside one building. They also took away some practical learning points about the job application process, how salaries varied for different roles and how much tax gets taken away!

The sessions also gave students some valuable life skills, such as working in a team, budgeting and organisational skills as well as increasing their overall confidence. They heard how work could be flexible, the value of working with diverse groups of people and importantly, that there are opportunities for everyone.

During the sessions, the students worked with volunteer employees in a series of workshops about the future of work and what makes a dream employer. In the final session, the students presented their findings and provided feedback to senior leaders from the organisations involved.

Fiona Triller, CIC Programme Director said:
“Junior Board started after a discussion around social mobility and why young people from certain areas of the city were not accessing the job market. Several CIC partners then collaborated to provide a unique opportunity for students from schools located in deprived areas.”

Moneypenny, one of the world’s leading outsourced communications provider based in Wrexham, North Wales, has become a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. The appointment is another addition to the ever growing network of over 200 businesses that are working alongside government to contribute positively to economic growth across the North of England and Wales.

Moneypenny delivers telephone answering, live chat, switchboard and multichannel customer services to businesses of all shapes and sizes, from sole traders right up to multinational corporations.

The Partner Programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse and works to build a network of partner organisations who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. The Northern Powerhouse enables individual cities and towns of the North to pool their strengths. It means investing in better transport to connect up the North; backing strengths in science and innovation; investing in culture, housing and improving the quality of life to make the North a magnet for new businesses and talented people. It also involves devolving powers and budgets, and creating powerful new elected mayors to give people in Northern cities and towns a strong voice.

Joanna Swash comments:
“We are delighted to announce our membership of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme and honoured to be supporting diverse business growth right across the North. Our continued business success and ambitious business growth in the UK and US means we are employing over 10 new team members every month and we receive over 3,000 unsolicited CVs every year. We will be continuing to support the local economy through investing and innovating in technology and our amazing people, as well as bringing new people into our industry”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, MP said:
“I’m very pleased to welcome Moneypenny as they become the latest business to join our expanding network of Northern Powerhouse Partners. Moneypenny share our vision for a thriving Northern Powerhouse and I look forward to seeing their contribution to boosting jobs and economic growth as their growing team continues to provide communication services and support to organisations across the North and beyond.”

Optima Recruitment Solutions is the latest business to be selected as a partner to the Northern Powerhouse. The specialist engineering and manufacturing consultancy joins a high-profile network of leading businesses, collectively aiming to drive prosperity and maximise the economic potential of the North.

Optima aims to become the leading provider of interim and permanent staffing solutions in the Northern region. Its team of industry experts works closely with local businesses and candidates; identifying skills gaps, attaining a deep understanding of their aspirations and exploring what makes them unique, before delivering a tailored solution to match high calibre candidates with forward thinking employers.

Kyle Davies, Optima’s founder, said: “I’m delighted that Optima has been selected as an official Northern Powerhouse recruitment partner and I’m looking forward to working alongside like-minded organisations to help realise the potential of the region. I’ve always believed that collaboration is key to success and view this as an important step for Optima because it will position us perfectly to support other Northern Powerhouse partners in achieving their goals.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Jake Berry, MP said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome another business to our fast-growing Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. Ensuring we have a workforce able to drive forward the North’s potential is vital and Optima’s work to find solutions to skills gaps within businesses makes an important contribution.”

TROLEX has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Their Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Trolex receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.00 in the UK (£10.55 in London.) Both rates are significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £7.83 per hour. Trolex has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 160,000 people and put over £800m extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Glyn Pierce-Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Trolex Group who championed the push for accreditation said:
“Paying the real Living Wage is the right thing to do; for your employees, your business and for society in general, and until every business in the UK is paying it, we’ll continue to support the Living Wage Foundation in the great work they are doing.”

Tess Lanning, Director, Living Wage Foundation said:
“We’re delighted that Trolex has joined the movement of over 4,700 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as IKEA, Heathrow Airport, Barclays, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Trolex, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

Thousands of SMEs in the North of England, from start-up to international exporters, will be supported by Santander over the next five years

The commitment comes as Santander opens its first ever Work Café in the UK in Leeds

As part of the partnership, Santander will be placing 5,000 interns with businesses in the North over the next five years through its Santander Universities programme

Santander is pledging to support thousands of SMEs in the North of England over the next five years, as part of its new partnership with the Northern Powerhouse. The SMEs, from start-up size to international exporters, will be supported with a wide range of solutions tailored to their needs.

As part of its partnership, Santander will also place up to 5,000 interns over the next five years with local businesses. This forms part of the Santander Universities internship programme which matches and partly funds internship schemes for graduates from partner Universities with local SMEs.

Susan Davies, Managing Director Santander Business said: “The Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme is doing a fantastic job of working with a range of partners to connect business, transport, education and skills and ultimately improve the economy for all who live and work in the region. We are delighted to be working with the Northern Powerhouse and are committed to Northern SMEs of all size, from start-ups needing space in our incubator for developing their idea, to fast-growing businesses with ambitions to expand overseas.

“We are well placed to support SMEs in the region through access to interns, our masterclass events and trade missions to a number of different countries as part of our International programme.”
Yesterday, Santander announced a further commitment to the North with the opening of a Work Café in Leeds, a city with a growing reputation for innovation and attracting strong digital talent as the busiest financial hub outside of London, [ranked number two for co-working and number four for business start-ups]. The Work Café aims to create a vibrant hub for nurturing new business ideas and fostering collaboration in a relaxed atmosphere.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “The major economic and social contribution that Santander makes to the Northern Powerhouse has been further strengthened today with their pledge to support SMEs from coast to coast across the North. The opening of their high-tech Work Café in Leeds with ultra-fast digital connectivity and free co-working spaces is just another example of how they’re helping to support SMEs and businesses on the high street adapt and flourish. I’m very proud to be working with Santander, through our Partner Programme, to boost the economy of the Northern Powerhouse together.”

In 2014, Santander launched a business incubator in Liverpool which provides space for budding new ventures and start-ups, with access to state-of-the-art systems and on a rent-free basis for the first 12 months. Since launching, the incubation hub has successfully supported 63 early stage businesses including RentalStep, a platform helping tenants to boost their credit score. As part of its Northern Powerhouse partnership, Santander is anticipating it will reach an additional 110 start-up businesses in the region purely through the incubator.

Mike Georgeson, CEO, RentalStep, said: “The space and support were invaluable. We were given access to Santander’s innovation team who gave us their time and expertise and the bank also co funded an intern for us. Our service is already helping tenants boost their credit score by securing a record of their rental payments and we are confident that our business will only continue to grow.”

The Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme aims to support the creation of the Northern Powerhouse. Government is building a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential. There are currently over 230 businesses and organisations signed up to the Partner Programme.

Newton-Le-Willows based executive Search firm, Mercury Hampton Ltd, has become the most recent business to join the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Program.
The Northern Powerhouse has set out with the ambition to bring together the great cities, towns and regions of the north to become a powerhouse for our economy. In order to make this a reality relationship must be forged with local businesses, institutions and organisations who are passionate about the North.

Established in November 2017, Mercury Hampton deals solely in high end and, executive level recruitment, re-structuring and hiring for companies across the globe. Their primary focus is on placing Sales, Marketing, Operations and Engineering professionals throughout Technology, Manufacturing and Business service sectors.

Committed to investing in the region, they are well positioned to promote the NPH through their increasingly wide UK and Global recruitment projects.

Chris Hickey, Managing Director said:
“We are excited to become official members of the Northern Powerhouse, we believe that a collective effort from businesses can help to shape the North as a better place to live and work. Our growth plans support this ethos and enable us to provide employment opportunities to local people within Mercury Hampton and also through our core activities as a recruitment company and the promotion of northern based employers to candidates globally.”

Since incorporation the company has seen impressive growth, from two Directors to a team of 10 people. Over the coming years Mercury Hampton plan to invest heavily in growth, namely their apprenticeship scheme and increasing trading with local clients and suppliers. Developing young talent and investing in innovation will undoubtedly be key for their plans to becoming reality.Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, MP, said:
“It’s great to welcome Mercury Hampton Ltd as the newest member of the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. Our partners represent an ever growing network of businesses who share our vision for the Northern Powerhouse and continue to work together to help the North reach its full economic potential.

I’m excited to see the contribution Mercury Hampton Ltd will make as they support businesses to recruit the best talent in the Technology, Manufacturing and Business Service sectors and provide apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the Northern Powerhouse.

Tamarind Tree Consulting Ltd is delighted to announce that it has joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme. As a provider of training and productivity improvement support, Tamarind Tree Consulting Ltd is dedicated to supporting Northwest businesses to compete effectively. Deploying world class improvement and quality techniques, Tamarind tree Consulting Ltd can work in both service and manufacturing industries to improve output, capacity and quality.

Managing Director Tim Akerman said:
“The Northern Powerhouse initiative set out to support increasing productivity of northern manufacturing businesses. Tamarind Tree Consulting was set up with the same aim, so joining the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme was a natural step forward. We are delighted to support this initiative and look forward to helping northern businesses improve productivity to become more competitive.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP said:
“I’m delighted to see another great northern business join our growing network of Northern Powerhouse Partners. Rebalancing the economy so it works for everyone is at the heart of our vision for the Northern Powerhouse so I’m excited to see the contribution Tamarind Tree Consulting will make as they support other growing businesses in the North to thrive and boost local economic growth.”

Business development agency, Blueberry Marketing Solutions, are proud to announce they have become a Northern Powerhouse partner. This will see them strengthen their involvement in promoting the North of England as a global competitor for securing investment, businesses and talent.

The Northern Powerhouse is a government initiative aimed at establishing the northern economy as global leader with a flourishing private sector and a highly skilled population. As a northern based company, Blueberry Marketing are championing the role small businesses play in building the regional economy.

Faresh Maisuria, Managing Director, commented:
“With 71.5% of businesses across the North of England being an SME, it is crucial that they are represented in driving growth and shaping our region as we move forward. By becoming a Northern Powerhouse partner, we are proud to be one of the many voices for small businesses and are passionate about doing the role justice. We believe it is crucial that SMEs play a key role in securing the North as a leader for the creative and digital sector. Our commitment to representing small businesses includes being members of the Small Business Charter which will see us attend their Summer Reception at the House of Lords in June. They aim to strengthen the role business schools play in supporting small businesses, local economies and student entrepreneurship. As we are partners of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Programme, this will see us continue to strive to lay the path for success and support other growing businesses.”

Blueberry Marketing is a business development agency based with offices in Leeds and Manchester, helping clients from the public and private sector reach their business development objectives through B2B direct marketing. Blueberry are enhancing the way telemarketing is delivered by integrating digital processes to engage B2B audiences effectively. Working across the public and private sector they deliver across three core services; B2B marketing data, business engagement and market research. Some of their clients include Department for International Trade, London South Bank University and First Group. Blueberry Marketing’s team has grown by 50% over the last three years following a move to grow their expertise in the public sector and expanding their client projects into marketing automation, content and creative.

Our partner Metalysis, the Yorkshire headquartered, UK technology company hosted a delegation led by MP Richard Harrington – Business and Industry Minister – as it celebrated becoming a Northern Powerhouse Partner.

The Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme is a network of leading companies who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential.

Skills, science and innovation are among its focus areas and Metalysis’ inclusion in the programme is well timed. The Company recently scaled up to commercial operation, announced in September. This marked the technology’s ascension from a Cambridge University breakthrough, through more than a decade of development, to offering industrial scale production of demand driven, high value powder alloys for international aerospace, automotive, additive and advanced manufacturing applications.

More broadly, the Partners Programme’s ethos encapsulates Metalysis’ clear and continued commitment to growing the business in the North of the UK, and using its technology to provide a nationally significant capability for global metal powder supply chain activity.

MP Richard Harrington visited Metalysis at its Materials Discovery Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire; part of a £10million expansion project opened by a delegation from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (“BEIS”) in March 2017.

Mr. Harrington met with Metalysis’ leadership team to discuss the Company’s progress since that time, including completing its ‘Generation 4’ industrial-scale expansion at its nearby Materials Manufacturing Centre in Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, the wide range of advanced materials projects and partners the Company has brought to the region, and its ambitions for future expansion.

Dr. Dion Vaughan, Metalysis CEO, said:
“Metalysis is proud to mark our commitment to the region by joining the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. During our time with MP Richard Harrington and his colleagues, we have enjoyed discussing Company ambitions for our technology as part of the national agenda set forth in the Industrial Strategy. We look forward to working with the Northern Powerhouse, its networks and BEIS to strengthen international interest and investment in the overwhelming potential of the Northern economy.”

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry, said:
“Supporting research and innovation is at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy so I’m pleased to welcome Metalysis as our latest Northern Powerhouse partner. As an ambitious Yorkshire-based company with a commitment to boosting skills, technological development and growing production, they share our vision for a strong Northern Powerhouse economy.”

Business and Industry Minister, Richard Harrington said:
“From a Cambridge University breakthrough to a growing commercial operation that is supporting production on an international scale, Metalysis is a prime example of the strength and economic potential of the north. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are harnessing our research, innovation and manufacturing strengths to help even more businesses realise their economic potential and apply them on an industrial scale – solidifying our position as a world-leader in advanced manufacturing.”

Held at a glittering awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on Thursday, 20th June 2019, and hosted by Katherine Ryan, the Comms Business Awards is now in its 15th year. Bringing together 100’s of Channel businesses, the Awards celebrate and reward progressive and forward-thinking businesses within the Channel industry.

Our partner Vaioni won the Channel Supplier Connectivity 2019 award, battling off strong competition from Virtual1, Spitfire Network Services Ltd and Entanet.

The Channel Suppliers Connectivity 2019 Award recognises Channel Suppliers who have significantly opened up and developed markets through a combination of activities including innovation, imaginative marketing programs, effective sales and technical support programs and sales incentives, helping resellers grow their businesses.

This award reinforces the Network Operator’s commitment to drive its ambitious growth plans to become a market leading Digital Transformation Provider, delivering its Customers the best choice and excellence in connectivity.

Sachin Vaish, Managing Director at Vaioni states:
“I am so incredibly proud of the team for winning this award, it is a great achievement and it is our people and our partners that make successes like these happen!”

This latest success follows a succession of awards won across the industry over the last few years ensuring that Vaioni continues to disrupt the industry in its journey to become the market leading Digital Transformation Provider.

The world’s only manufacturer of vinyl playing jukeboxes has celebrated International Women in Engineering Day on June 23 with the announcement of two females to its senior management team.  In contrast to the predominately male industry in which it operates, partner Sound Leisure is keen to encourage further female personnel to its team of innovative manufactures and senior leaders to help drive the company forward.

Working with the company directors at the family-run firm, two of the three people at senior management level are women. Catherine Black has been promoted to business improvement manager following nine years at the firm with Joanne Waterland joining as demand and forecasting manager following 30 years of service at the 41-year-old manufacturer. Joanne began in 1989 as an office junior, progressing into sales before joining the management team this year. In addition, another five females take up management positions at Sound Leisure and the company is looking to employ a further three apprentices for the busy factory wood shop, keen to engage more females into manufacturing.

With an impressive an 80,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Crossgates, Leeds, Sound Leisure is one of only two classic jukebox manufacturers in the world with further sub-groups of the business including SLKids, suppliers of children distraction areas. Established in 1978, family-run business, Sound Leisure has sold more than 100,000 jukeboxes around the world.

Chris Black, managing director at Sound Leisure commented:
“Manufacturing is an industry traditionally dominated by men, but at Sound Leisure, women employees are intrinsic to the company and its development. With 41 sound years under our belt, we’re keen to ensure we continue to operate as a fair and ethical company and encourage more women into roles with us and help them to progress their careers. We strive to be leaders of British manufacturing across the globe, and, with many females now entering into STEM careers it is important to us to do as much as we can to facilitate the growth and development of young professionals into the industry.”

Commenting on her role at Sound Leisure, Joanne Waterland said:
“I’m thrilled to have been promoted having enjoyed my 30-year long career here. I’m excited to support the company with its strategic direction and ensure that further females enjoy a long and fruitful career alongside me and our talented manufacturers.”

Elland-headquartered voice, video, networks and storage specialist Vapour Cloud, has been announced as an official partner of the Northern Powerhouse.

Her Majesty’s Government has been vocal about its quest to build a super-connected, globally competitive northern economy, and the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme is considered a key part of that quest.
Employing a wealth of the North’s brightest talent and with renowned clients throughout the region and beyond, Vapour applied for official partner status earlier this year. The firm has secured 10 strategic partners in the North, which contributed to 50% turnover growth during 2018, plus more than £5m of revenue generated for the partner organisations themselves.

These factors – as well as a strong track record for holding business and tech events that fuel innovation, digital transformation and collaboration – contributed to Vapour securing its place on the programme. Committed to the economic growth of the North, Vapour has plans to grow headcount by 20%, secure a further 10 partners and roll out a new programme of events for the next 12 months. With 50% growth forecast for 2019-20, Vapour’s product roadmap also remains strong, which could aid the digital transformation of more than 5,000 businesses in our partners’ bases over the coming year.

The Northern Powerhouse has been established to help build thriving connectivity and transport; skills, science and innovation; quality of life and culture; and devolution throughout the North of England and North Wales.
Commenting on the partnership success.

Vapour’s chief operating officer Andy Nash said: “We are proud of our roots and genuinely believe the integrity, vibrancy and passion of our Northern team are three of the key reasons why clients, partners and technology giants want to work with us. The North has a fantastic brand at present and we really want to help build on that.” Andy concluded: “Our secure cloud solutions help businesses grow, adapt and become more robust. We’re passionate about supporting organisations to thrive and we are working hard to not just create jobs for our own people – but to inspire others to explore careers in the Northern tech sector too. If I’m being honest, I think it’s a very unique space.”

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP said: “I am delighted to welcome Vapour Cloud to our growing Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. As experts in the field of cloud technology, a vocal commentator in the tech, business and leadership arena with a passion for putting the Northern tech space firmly on the map, they are well placed to help Government realise its ambition in creating a thriving Northern economy across the whole of the Northern Powerhouse and beyond.”

Earlier this year, Vapour Cloud was positioned 23rd in G.P. Bullhound’s Northern Tech 100 list.

Organisations to have signed up to the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, include Ao.com, Sellafield and Eddie Stobart.

Northern Powerhouse partner, Energus, celebrated it’s 10th anniversary in April 2019.

The award-winning Energus in West Cumbria was set up as a conferencing and training centre. Over the last decade, the £21.5 million centre has grown into a centre of excellence for education and training, winning several awards for its nuclear graduates scheme.

The scheme was initially set up to address skills shortages in the nuclear industry, but was so successful, has been developed to include other sectors. More than 350 people have been trained by the scheme, which sees them take placements at firms across the world.

Energus recently joined our Northern Powerhouse partner programme and have also opened a futuristic cyberlab at its Lillyhall site to help train the next generation to fight cybercrime.

A celebration event was held at Energus and guest speakers were David Peattie, and Jackie Arnold, of the University of Cumbria.

Mr Peattie chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said: “A 10-year anniversary is a massive achievement and this is a source of huge pride that we have this in Cumbria, helping to develop young people. They are working all over the world, making a huge contribution. I visited the workshop here, and it was inspiring to see these young people – we’re going to need these skills and capabilities in the future.”

On Monday 1st April Northern Powerhouse partner Manchester Airport celebrated the completion of the first major phase of its £1bn transformation programme.

Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport were this morning welcomed onto a giant new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time. The 216m pier – longer than Manchester’s Beetham Tower is tall – provides extensive panoramic views of the airfield and will be used by all airlines currently operating out of T2. The first flights to depart were both operated by TUI Airways and went to Funchal, Madeira, and Naples, Italy.

Andrew Cowan, Manchester Airport chief executive, said: “Today is a significant milestone for Manchester Airport as we deliver the first phase of the biggest investment we have made in our 80-year history. We are delighted to wave off the first handful of flights from the new pier, as we build up to bringing it into full operation in the days ahead. What that means is our customers can start to enjoy the new facilities, at the same time as getting a taste of what to expect from the next stages of our £1bn transformation programme.”

He added: “Today is just the start. Over the coming years we will transform the airport for all of our customers, giving the North the world class airport it deserves. The investment we are making and the range of destinations we connect to, in all corners of the world, underlines the vital role Manchester Airport plays in creating jobs and driving growth across the North of England. Having first put a spade in the ground in July 2017, a huge amount of work has gone into getting our new pier and multi-storey car park ready to open today and I would like to thank all of our colleagues and delivery partners for their efforts.”

The new pier was opened at around 4.30am today, with passengers treated to entertainment by the NoTTwins, who featured on Britain’s Got Talent, the Loose Change Buskers, who are raising money for Cancer Research, guitarist Jack O’Malley and Christian Marshall a caricaturist, to mark the occasion.

Also attending the celebrations was TUI Airways crew member Caroline Cox from Bolton. She operated on the first flight out of Terminal 2 to Alicante when it opened back in 1993. Having worked for the company for 33 years, her elder son is now following in her foot steps and is a first officer for the airline.

The pier has been built with more than 300 individual panes of glass and is equipped with 11 gates and airbridges, more than 1,400 seats and stylish wayfinding throughout. The opening marks the next phase of the airport’s transformation programme that will see Terminal 2 become the focal point of its operations. More than 1,750 people are currently working on the project which recently welcomed its 100th apprentice as work gathers pace.

Over the coming weeks more and more flights will gradually move over to the new pier as it becomes fully operational. The next phase of the £1bn transformation is the extension to the existing Terminal 2. Work is well under way and will see the terminal more than double in size. The extension will open in Summer 2020 with 40-plus new food and beverage outlets and shops, followed by a further 40 when the existing building is fully refurbished.

The £1bn investment in Manchester Airport will provide major improvements to the customer experience with new security halls and the latest technological advancements. Once the Terminal Two extension opens for Summer 2020, the existing building will close for refurbishment with it due to reopen in 2022. Further piers will open in 2022 and 2024.

The opening comes as the airport continues to see passenger numbers continue to grow as it attracts further long-haul routes to the likes of Addis Ababa and Seattle. The transformation will ensure the Northern hub can continue to play its role as a global gateway and economic and employment generator, as it plugs the region into key global destinations and widens UK connectivity.

Northern Powerhouse Partners Cocogreen founded by Dr. Sudesh Fernando & Thomas Ogden, were recently honoured by the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise; International Trade. The Award acceptance ceremony took place in their office building, Lowry House in Manchester city centre. Cocogreen is a green tech organic substrate manufacturer and innovator.

Thomas Ogden, Co-Founder said on the day: “It all started with one mission – how we can best utilise waste materials from the coconut industry and add value to it by utilising it as a renewable potting substrate. By 2050, the world population is set to double; yet the resources and increase in agricultural production is not increasing at the same rate. With limited land availability, and increased value of land globally, growers face the challenge to produce more with less. By growing in a semi – protected or protected environment; users of Cocogreen substrates can potentially treble yield. Our product provides a major assistance to overcome this key human challenge, particularly in regions where resources and land are limited. Potential water shortages are another key human challenge, it’s estimated that by next year the world will need 17% more water than is available now, Cocogreen can play a key role to help farmers reduce water use and maximise productivity. It’s incredible to think that we’re helping address these problems, to know the impact we’re having is unbelievable. Today, as a result of our advancements in international trade, we have over 700 members of the Cocogreen team all around the world. We’re not just creating high skilled jobs in Manchester, the North of England, the UK; but globally. This is something we’re excited to continue, Sudesh, I, and our team are committed to continue driving the growth of the Cocogreen brand all around the world.”

Lord mayor of Manchester City, June Hitchen added: “Being here today gives me hope for the future, gives me hope for my grandchildren, gives me hope that Manchester can grow, that we are innovative at the heart of Manchester. I’m very proud to have a company in Manchester receiving such a prestigious award, its amazing. The ecosystem which you’re trying to develop across the world, will not just help people in the Manchester region and in the UK but around the world also. That ethos is fundamental and ingrained within your company”

The Vice Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester gave some background about the award and its significance: “It’s the most prestigious award given for business performance, the award recognises and rewards outstanding achievement by United Kingdom organisations. The awards are made each year by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister who’s assisted by an advisory committee that includes representatives of Government, industry, commerce and trade unions. These awards are not easily earned. In 2018 152 Awards for International Trade were made nationally, 15 in the North West and 1 of 5 in your county. On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen I have the honour to present Cocogreen UK Ltd with this, The Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2018 in the category of International Trade.

Co-founder Dr. Sudesh Fernando also gave some insight into how they’ve helped shape the Berry growing market in the UK: “we are a key player in extended the berry growing season here in the UK, which has extended from 2-3 months to 8 months and is now valued at over £1 billion.” He discussed how they pride themselves on working within a fully operational SQS system which means they cover sustainable, quality, and social standards to the highest levels. “We believe in social mobility. We don’t just nurture crops, we nurture communities. Since our foundation, our charitable works helped bring 37 families out of poverty. For example, we use our coconut plantations to grow vegetables and fruits in between the coconut trees, otherwise this space goes unused. Since last August we have produced over 34 MT of Papaya and over 6 MT of vegetables. 25% of the profit generation, will go back to these families. Another 25% is used to expand the intercropping operation. By doing this, now families who were in poverty are taking part to help other people in poverty, ensuring that the number of families being helped is increasing every year. The rest of the profit generation will be kept to use in difficulty times for the families within the community.”

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

Simply Jobs Boards has become the latest member of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. The network of partner organisations all believe in the economic potential of the North and work collaboratively with the Government to realise that potential.

The Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme also aims to promote and celebrate major projects and initiatives in the North that showcase the tangible growth of the Northern economy and has membership made up of institutions and businesses across a wide variety of sectors. As a whole, the Northern Powerhouse enables individual cities and towns of the north to pool their strengths, in order to thrive.

CEO of Simply Jobs Boards Ian Partington said: “This is an exciting prospect for us and I relish any opportunity to further promote and develop business and economic growth in the North. This is a chance to help develop both skills and education within the region and I believe our career development expertise will provide a major contribution to the Northern economy and help it continue to thrive.

“Five of Simply Jobs Boards’ job sites were recently nominated for an Onrec award this year, for The Niche Job Board Award. Recognition like this will only amplify the Northern region’s economic presence, particularly in conjunction with the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP said: “I am delighted Simply Jobs Boards has decided to become a member of our Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme.

“I look forward to the contribution they will make in the region, especially in the skills and education sectors which both have a major role in furthering socio-economic growth not only across the Northern Powerhouse, but throughout the UK.”

InTec Business Solutions are the most recent business to join the ever-growing Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme.

This programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse and works to build a network of partner organisations who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North, and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential.

The Northern Powerhouse enables individual cities and towns of the North to pool their strengths. It means investing in better transport to connect up the North; backing strengths in science and innovation; investing in culture, housing and the quality of life to make the North a magnet for new businesses and talented people; and devolving powers and budgets, and creating powerful new elected mayors to give people in Northern cities and towns a strong voice.

inTec Business Solutions is a leading North West based digital technology transformation business. We help companies understand and see real value from their technology systems and investments.

We provide a range of world class technology-related consultancy services and solutions to business clients, including start-ups, fast growth businesses and established corporate organisations.

They aim to work with partners and clients to bring together organisation design, processes and technology, in order to achieve business goals and deliver a stand out customer experience.

In 2018, inTec Business Solutions secured a £500,000 investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund to support their business. They have recruited personnel from the North West in key areas including sales, business development, marketing and account management. In addition, they have moved and upgraded their business premises.

Simon Peck, Managing Director of inTec Business Solutions said: “We are excited to be a part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative and be able to demonstrate the strength of the businesses in the North of England. This collaboration will allow us keep helping other businesses make the best use of technology and aid on their digital transformation journeys.”

Via technology, innovation and connectivity we are committed to enhancing the ethos of the Northern Powerhouse and look forward to collaborating with them and other like-minded partners in the future.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP said: “The addition of inTec to our growing network of Northern Powerhouse Partners is great news and I’m looking forward to the contribution they will make in delivering the Government’s ambition to drive continued economic growth not only across the North but throughout the UK.

“Having benefitted from the support of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, inTec are re-investing in the region by creating high value jobs and showing exactly what our vision for the Northern Powerhouse is all about”.

Worldwide Leader In IT And Networking, Cisco has announced that it has joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

The Northern Powerhouse brings together the great cities, towns and rural communities of the North of England and Wales to create a powerhouse for the UK economy. It forms part of the government’s Industrial Strategy to help businesses up and down the country prosper. The partnership programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse, building a network of partners who believe in the economic potential of the North.

Cisco has a long-established presence in the North, with customers, partners and employees across the region. In the last two years, the company has led a number of collaborative initiatives to help solve challenges and opportunities facing the region. From the opening of its Mi-IDEA Innovation Centre at Manchester Science Park in 2017 in partnership with MSP at the heart of Manchester’s innovation district, which is designed to support the growth of digital tech start-ups in the North of England, to CityVerve, the UK’s smart city demonstrator created in Manchester, and the Great Exhibition of North in Newcastle where Cisco led an initiative to create the UK’s ‘smartest’ street.

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP said: “I’m delighted to welcome Cisco as the latest member of our ever-growing network of partner businesses that work together to help the Northern Powerhouse realise its economic potential. Our Northern Powerhouse Partner organisations are vital in enhancing economic growth not only in the North, but across the UK, especially as we prepare for Brexit.

“It’s great to see a global technology company such as Cisco reaffirm its commitment to the region by joining our partnership programme. With the work they’ve already done to spearhead smart city initiatives and programmes to support digital tech start-ups, I’m excited to see the contributions they will continue to make in the North and beyond.”

Scot Gardner, Chief Executive, Cisco UK & Ireland, said: “The Northern Powerhouse has an essential role to play in creating a prosperous nation that works for everyone. We are excited to be officially joining forces with the Northern Powerhouse. The partnership is a fantastic example of the collaboration needed between government and business for the UK to cement itself as a global digital leader.”

The announcement today is the latest example of Cisco’s commitment to support digitisation in the UK and an addition to its core innovation programme. Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) strategy is a long-term partnership with government, industry and academia to deliver real outcomes faster and more effectively for the country.

CGI, one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firm in the world, has joined the UK government-backed Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme to strengthen its links in the North of England. Joining the ever growing network of almost 200 Northern Powerhouse businesses in the region will lead to working collaboratively with local leaders and Central Government to promote business, technology and community growth in the North.

The Northern Powerhouse strategy is about boosting the local economy by investing in skills, innovation, transport and culture, as well as devolving significant powers and budgets to directly elected mayors to ensure decisions in the North are made by the North.

Tara McGeehan, President, CGI UK. said: “The North of England is host to a vibrant digital sector. As an organisation, CGI is proud of the work we have already delivered in collaboration with our clients and partners in the North. Becoming a Northern Powerhouse partner forms part of our larger strategy of continued meaningful investment in the region,”

“This region is home to a wealth of talent, and we look forward to the drive for greater employment opportunities and economic success in this part of the UK.”

Last week the partnership was strengthened by the opening of CGI’s new Northern office in The Soapworks, Salford, Manchester, at an official opening ceremony attended by The Mayor of Salford. The new office is now home to around 200 CGI professionals and will provide an innovation hub in the North to help CGI clients drive growth through advanced digital technologies.

CGI is also committed to supporting local initiatives for young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to building a diverse workforce. As part of this, CGI will be providing the local social inclusion organisation, Salford Foundation, with volunteers for their Business Education Programme which provides a wide range of career support and will also work with the organisation to deliver a series of one-day STEM events.

Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford said: “It gives me great pleasure to open CGI’s newest office in Salford. Our city is fast becoming one of the UK’s leading cities for digital and tech,”

“In addition to our incredible culture, the city region possesses an abundance of strong tech talent and welcomes companies moving and expanding here to drive business growth and economic success in the North West of England.”

One of CGI’s key clients in the north is telecoms provider TalkTalk.

Gary Steen, MD Technology, Change and Security at TalkTalk said: “TalkTalk is pleased to be part of CGI’s growth story and investment in the North of England. We are very proud of our northern roots and CGI’s partnership with the Northern Powerhouse initiative demonstrates its commitment to the larger economic success of the region and our valued communities,”

“With TalkTalk also moving its HQ from London to Salford over the next year, we look forward for opportunities to work closely with CGI at their new office, which is in close proximity to our own, to tap into local talent and prompt more businesses to invest in this dynamic region.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, MP said: “I am delighted to welcome CGI into our network of Northern Powerhouse partners. Their technical know-how and experience is essential in realising our ambition to invest in local talent and boost jobs and local socio- economic growth across the region.

“With the opening of their new offices in the thriving commercial and technical hub of Soapworks, Salford, Manchester, CGI is ideally located to continue its great contribution to the local economy and help the region realise its full potential.”

EveryCloud Security, a leading cybersecurity consultancy, has become a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme following the launch of their new offices in Manchester. The company will join a growing network of northern businesses with a shared ambition to work collaboratively with local leaders and Central Government in order to realise the economic potential of the region.

Digital transformation is a key factor in boosting productivity in the North. EveryCloud supports businesses across multiple sectors, from financial services clients such as Armstrong Watson to professional sports organisations such as Everton Football Club and helps them securely deliver their transformation programmes while protecting them from ever-increasing cyber threats such as phishing, data breaches and ransomware.

As part of its growth plans in the North, EveryCloud has appointed influential Northern Powerhouse and Northern Power Women advocate, Rob Mukherjee, to its board. Mukherjee said: “I’m delighted to be re-establishing my involvement in the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. There is an unrivalled culture of collaborative leadership across the North of England – and I’m really excited about the contribution that EveryCloud will be making, in terms of securely enabling the region’s digital transformation ambitions.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, MP said: “The addition of EveryCloud Security to our ever growing network of Northern Powerhouse Partners is great news and I’m looking forward to the contribution this business will make in delivering the Government’s ambition to support continued economic growth not only within the region but across the UK. “As the company moves into new offices in Manchester, EveryCloud will be in an ideal position to enhance the area’s growing reputation as a hub of digital excellence and I welcome them to the Partners Programme”.

Northern Powerhouse partner, technology firm Connexin has been announced winners of the IoT Breakthrough Award for Smart City Deployment of the Year, for their Newcastle Smart Road pilot.

This year’s awards program attracted more than 3,500 global nominations covering a range of categories, including industrial and enterprise IoT, smart city, connected home, home automation and connected car.

Connexin fought off stiff competition to join an impressive array of companies winning awards from other categories including another Northern Powerhouse partner, Vodafone, as well as Samsung, Toshiba, Philips, Sony and Fitbit.

The program recognises pioneering technologies and exemplary companies that are driving innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) market.

Nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the IoT industry, with winners selected based on a variety of criteria, including most innovative and technologically advanced products and services, evaluated nominations.

Furqan Alamgir, CEO & Founder at Connexin said: “This award demonstrates our leadership in this space and shows we can compete and win on a global level. I’d like to acknowledge and thank the partners we collaborated with on this project, without whom it would not have been possible. Smart technologies have now come of age, but the truth is no single organisation can make smart cities happen on its own. Governments, businesses, the education sector and citizens need to work together to grasp the opportunity. The sum is way greater than the individual parts. This project is a perfect demonstrator of all the parts working together.”

IoT Breakthrough is an independent organisation recognising the top companies, technologies and products in the global Internet of Things (IoT) market, that drive innovation and exemplify the best in IoT technology across the globe.

Altrincham-based litigation specialist, FS Legal, has become a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme.

The law firm is one of a growing number of businesses from across the North that is part of the network. Through the scheme, partners work towards building a Northern Powerhouse in four main areas; connectivity and transport, skills, science and innovation, quality of life and culture, and devolution.

Julia Norris, Partner at FS Legal’s Manchester office, said: “We are committed to supporting the development and economic growth of the North and proud to announce our partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Programme. “We will be championing the initiative throughout 2019 and are focused on forming meaningful collaborations and alliances with organisations and businesses across the region. A big priority for us is to grow by attracting and recruiting the best legal talent from across the UK to encourage the growing devolution to the region.”

The law firm recently launched the FS Legal Mentoring Scheme, which allows newly qualified lawyers to shadow senior members through case work and client relations. It is designed to support individual staff development and encourage career progression.

This year, the scheme will be launched to disadvantaged and minority school and college students across the North West, who might otherwise struggle to get a foothold in the legal profession. Students will be offered work placements at the firm and can access an ongoing mentor programme to enhance their professional development and future career prospects.

FS Legal is already flying the flag for the region, with Partner Kit Sorrell becoming the first and only lawyer in the North West to be inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for professional negligence work. He was also one of only seven lawyers in the North West awarded Hall of Fame status for commercial litigation at the end of 2018.
The awards are the Legal 500’s highest accolades and credited FS Legal as, “The only pure financial services litigation firm outside London.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry, MP said: “I’m delighted to welcome FS Legal to the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. With their commitment to attracting young talent through their mentoring scheme, they’re well placed to develop the next generation of legal professionals across the Northern Powerhouse, and contribute to our shared ambition to boost jobs and economic growth across the North to rebalance the economy and build a Britain fit for the future.”

Twelve students from Leeds College of Building visited Northern Powerhouse partner Wrexham Mineral Cables in North Wales on 21st January.

The visit was organised by Nathan Cook, Export Sales Manager to show the group of 16-18 year olds how mineral insulated cable is manufactured. The company was keen to show how and why they believe mineral cable is the ultimate fire protection cable.

The group were taken given a tour to show how the cable is manufactured at its modern 5000 m2 production facility. They were also shown the quality checks and tests carried out at each stage. At the end of the tour the students were then taken to the in-house test laboratory and given a live demonstrations of realistic fire conditions and typical smoke tests and how these impact on different types of cable. Under fire conditions mineral insulated cable is proven to last far longer than polymeric, or plastic-coated, cabling. Lesser cable systems such as polymeric cable tends to fail much quicker than mineral, causing safety-critical systems to shut down. After the successful visit and interest from more students, Jake Hardcastle from Leeds College of Building has organised a further visit in March.

Jake Hardcastle, Electrical Lecturer at Leeds College of Building said: “Visiting Wrexham Mineral Cable was really interesting. It gave the students the chance to see what the manufacturing process is, what materials are involved and how the cables tested. It was especially interesting to see the live fire test rigs under realistic conditions and how these compared to other products”.

Huw Williams, Factory Manager, welcomed the group on the tour he said: “We know that our product significantly outperforms polymeric cable when a fire occurs. We still find that there are some myths surrounding mineral cable so it is great to show these up-and-coming electricians the real benefits of our products and showing them how easy it is to install. We are looking forward the next visit from Leeds College in March”

Some of the world’s most recognisable brands have signed up to support the government’s plan for the Northern Powerhouse, as new figures show the region’s economy is now greater than that of some European nations.

New Balance, Hitachi, Playdale and Techbuyer have joined the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme, a government initiative which brings together businesses and organisations from across the North of England. This network of partners believes strongly in the economic potential of the North, and supports the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential.

According to the latest statistics, the Northern Powerhouse is worth over £330 billion a year to the UK economy, and since 2014 its exports have steadily increased. The region now supports around 20% of total UK goods exports – worth £60 billion in 2017.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “Having these trailblazing exporters join the Northern Powerhouse Partners programme is a real boost to our efforts to fuel enterprise and growth in the North. As we seize the opportunities that come with leaving the European Union, it will be the manufacturers of the Northern Powerhouse that will help us deliver a strong and resilient economy fit for the future.”

Trade Minister, Graham Stuart MP, said: “Exporters are the driving force behind the Northern Powerhouse’s economy and I am delighted to see 4 fantastic examples of industry and innovation become Northern Powerhouse Partners. Through trade missions tailored to northern businesses and one-to-one support from our locally based expert international trade advisers, the Department for International Trade is helping thousands of businesses across the Northern Powerhouse achieve their export ambitions.”

Over £7 million has been committed to establish a Northern Powerhouse Taskforce to boost trade and investment across the North. The Taskforce has completed over 50 Northern Powerhouse Trade Missions from San Francisco to Singapore.

All 4 companies that have signed up to the Northern Powerhouse Programme have a strong manufacturing presence in the Northern Powerhouse:

New Balance UK employs 270 people at its site in Flimby, Cumbria producing 500,000 pairs of shoes a week with 80% of sales revenues from exports.

Hitachi has established a state-of-the-art train factory in County Durham which employs over 730 people. The team of train builders, including over 50 apprentices graduating this year, is building pioneering trains using Japanese bullet train technology. Hitachi has also co-founded a technical college, with students going on to work in the factory. Their trains are manufactured in the UK for use across Europe.

Playdale’s head office, manufacturing facilities and global distribution centre are situated on the edge of the Lake District in Cumbria. To date, they have created over 22,000 play areas in 47 countries across the world.

Techbuyer is one of the fastest growing tech businesses in Britain with 57% of its sales coming from outside the UK. Employee numbers at the company’s plant in Harrogate, North Yorkshire have increased by almost 200%.

Barry Leahey MBE, Managing Director of Playdale, said: “We are extremely proud to become a Northern Powerhouse partner and will do all we can to encourage and inspire other Northern businesses, not yet exporting, to work with the Department for International Trade and explore their exporting potential. Playdale is a Cumbrian family business dating back to 1735 that now manufactures and sells playground equipment in 48 countries globally. Not only does this demonstrate and promote the economic strengths of northern businesses like ourselves, but it provides a huge boost to local supply chains too. If we can you can!”

Karen Boswell OBE, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail in the UK, said: “Our British train builders are using Japanese bullet train technology to create a truly world class factory in the North East. Our presence in the North East supports thousands of jobs through using local suppliers, with over 70% of our parts coming from the North.”

Kevin Towers, Managing Director of Techbuyer, said: “Techbuyer has found everything we need to run and grow our business right here in the North and we’d like to promote the opportunities and potential we see around us. Last year, over 57% of our sales shipped internationally and having our main distribution centre in North Yorkshire has been great for national and international trade. We live and work in a thriving location with a wide range of businesses – from SMEs to international, traditional to innovative – providing us with services, customers and stock suppliers. Increased connectivity and investment is surely key to addressing the current imbalance between North and South and showcasing the development and successes of Northern businesses like ours is one way to achieve this.”

Fran Allen, Vice President of New Balance’s EMEA region, said: “We are delighted to become a member of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. As a manufacturer, exporter, and contributor to the regional Cumbrian economy, we see the enormous potential in being a part of this collaborative effort, by the government. It is a grand initiative which stands to link the great communities of the North, boost economic growth, and, together, make the Northern Powerhouse a reality.”

Northern Powerhouse partner Sheffield Hallam University’s brand new National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships has been officially opened by Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP.

The launch, hosted by Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Chris Husbands, took place on City Campus on 8th November and was attended by Sheffield City Region entrepreneurs, degree apprentices, key stakeholders, partners and staff. The University received a grant towards the project from the Sheffield City Region (SCR) Combined Authority to provide bespoke teaching space and IT equipment for hundreds of learners on degree apprenticeships.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “It’s been a great privilege to be able to open Sheffield Hallam University’s National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships. With nearly two and a half thousand apprentices scheduled to be enrolled by 2020, this centre demonstrates the increasing importance of degree apprenticeships, and apprenticeships more widely, in driving vocational skills across the Northern Powerhouse and creating a highly skilled workforce ready to compete in a globally competitive economy.”

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “I’m delighted that the first National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships is opening in the Sheffield City Region, providing opportunities for around 11,000 learners over the next 10 years. Enterprise and ambition will be nurtured with outstanding new facilities, expert knowledge and the collaborative university-business relationships that our city region is becoming renowned for. It’s also important to note that half a million pounds in Local Growth Fund money, from the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, made this project possible. This demonstrates the real impact that devolved funding can have; enabling regional decision-makers to put money into projects they know will best benefit their communities and drive economic growth.”

Degree apprenticeships have been developed in subject areas identified as important to the future success of the economy including management, healthcare, construction, engineering and computing. Sheffield Hallam currently has 835 apprentices enrolled on courses including engineering, business, healthcare science, food technology, IT and software engineering. By 2020 the University is expecting to have 2,350 apprentices. Those attending the launch saw cyber hacking and robotics demonstrations put on by students and staff, met current apprentices and were given a tour of the facilities.

Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The University has an ambition to become the world’s leading applied university with a focus on innovative and applied education. We are committed to the region and have placed regional economic growth and social mobility at the heart of our strategy. As part of this commitment we have invested heavily in the development of one of the broadest degree apprenticeship portfolios in the UK, which has already seen significant growth.
“We have also embarked on an innovative project to identify and support potential apprentices from the most disadvantaged backgrounds in the region and match them with our vibrant SME businesses. I was delighted to welcome Jake Berry MP, Northern Powerhouse Minister, to officially open our National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships.”

The Centre of Excellence provides space for teaching for apprentices on a variety of courses, specialist IT facilities and informal areas to support group work and networking. It will also be used to offer a range of professional development courses to employers. The centre is based in Aspect Court on Pond Hill and also at locations across the city campus. Aspect Court will form part of the Knowledge Gateway – a partnership project to transform the corridor running along the Lower Sheaf to the Porter Valley, including Sheffield Midland station.
The building is also home to the new Hallam i-Lab – a brand new business incubator and co-working space for students and graduates. The Hallam i-Lab will serve as an entrepreneurial base for students, graduates and academics offering them a dynamic and collaborative environment where innovation and creativity can flourish. It will provide a platform from which an increasing number of sustainable graduate business ventures will develop and go on to contribute significantly to the long term economic growth and wellbeing of the local and regional business community.

(Pictured from left are: Jake Berry MP, Northern Powerhouse Minister; degree apprentice Megan Williamson; Vice Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Sir Chris Husbands; Conor Moss, Group Director – Business Engagement, Skills and Employability at SHU; Professor Kevin Kerrigan, Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise and Dean Sheffield Business School.)

Three young people from across Yorkshire are starting their careers in the process automation industry with an apprenticeship scheme run by Northern Powerhouse partner Saftronics Ltd.

The Yorkshire-based company has welcomed its latest crop of apprentices, who have come straight from school and will spend 3-5 years gaining skills at the Saftronics headquarters in Leeds. Through the apprenticeship programme, they will receive hands-on experience on the shop floor, in electrical design, software and tendering as well as receiving mentoring from experts across the business.

This real-world experience will be supplemented with a specialist industry accredited course at Bradford College that the apprentices will attend to learn all aspects of engineering.

Saftronics Ltd was established in 1979 and is located in Leeds in a purpose-built 2,400m² design, manufacturing and testing facility. They specialise in process control systems and LV switchgear for a wide variety of applications across many industrial sectors and are the preferred and trusted supplier of choice for many leading and high-profile companies.

Jonathan Robinson, Technical Director said: “We support our apprentices every step of the way. From the very start, they receive on-the-job training in the workshop and gain experience in real-world working environments. They’re guided through their studies and given the chance to put the theory they’re learning into practice at every available opportunity. We really recognise what young apprentices have to offer and are committed to investing in the engineering talent of the future.”

Saftronics is the latest business to become a Northern Powerhouse partner, joining organisations including Siemens, Vodafone and New Balance.

The partner programme is a vital element of the wider Northern Powerhouse, driving forward the tangible growth of the northern economy. Our partners are representative of the whole of the north and cover a variety of different institutions, businesses and sectors.

Photo: left to right: Suzanna Hindle, Jonathan Robinson – Technical Director, Hasnain Hussain, Joe Dawson

As part of 2018’s British Food Fortnight, an iconic Northern cocoa house, a producer of fine cheeses and a world-leading agri-tech firm have become the newest members of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme.

Nearing almost 200 members from Northern-based multinationals to plucky start-ups, the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme is a coalition of businesses who strongly believe in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that full potential.

The 3 newest members are:

Cocogreen UK Ltd: With headquarters in Manchester, Cocogreen are the world’s largest bulk processor of coconut husks and world-leader in agricultural manufacturing, research and sustainable innovation. Their work around edible crops has helped to decrease the region’s reliance on food imports whilst extending production season in berries and fresh salads.

Cows and Co. Group: As a group of artisan cheese producers, farmers and entrepreneurs passionate about developing a brand of high-quality premium food and drink products, Cows and Co. are well placed to be one of the champions for cheese and dairy products proudly produced in the Northern Powerhouse. With dairies across the North, including Appleby in Cumbria, their prime focus is to add value to the rural economy, through investing in premium food and drink, sustainable energy and consulting.

York Cocoa House: Based in York, the chocolate emporium and café York Cocoa House is dedicated to celebrating the chocolate heritage, industry and innovation that York was once famous for. The business has recently embarked on a campaign to bring manufacturing back to the city and are even exploring the new lines of chocolate bars proudly designed and made in the Northern Powerhouse.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP said: “From a Cumbrian creamery to crop developers in the heart of Lancashire, food manufacturers and innovators across the North are joining our Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme just in time for British Food Fortnight. We’re seeing one of the greatest coalitions of private and public sector partners ever assembled all coming together to work for the benefit of a strong and resilient Northern Powerhouse economy that is fit for the future.”

Thomas Ogden, Group Commercial Director of Cocogreen said: “Cocogreen are really excited to have joined the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. We’re a Queen’s Award-winning enterprise and a finalist in the Lloyds Business Awards for Export with operations across the world but a heart firmly located in Manchester where our Directors met and started Cocogreen. We’re a growing business and have ambitious plans to address key challenges within the food sector including sustainability. We’re innovators in the world of biotechnology and food production and are proud of our business’s work in decreasing reliance on food imports and increasing the production season of fresh produce within berries and fresh salad.”

Stuart Maclennan, Director of Cows and Co said: “Appleby Creameries is delighted to join the Northern Powerhouse Partners programme. As an artisan food business, we are committed to championing all the great foods the North has to offer such as our award-winning cheeses. We are focussed on building an export strategy in order to expand into the premium export markets which we see as being of great value particularly for the agri-food sector. We believe by building local, northern brands both locally and oversees, rural regions such as Westmorland in Cumbria can really put themselves on the global map as part of the Northern Powerhouse.”

Sophie Jewett, Managing Director of York Cocoa House said: “We’re dedicated to celebrating the chocolate heritage, industry and innovation that York was once famous for. As part of this, York Cocoa House has recently embarked on a campaign to bring manufacturing back to the city by opening York Cocoa Works, a chocolate manufacturing, education and innovation facility based in the centre of York. We’re the UK lead for the International Chocolate Awards as well as being an advocate for sustainable sourcing in the cocoa supply chain and are looking forward to becoming more involved in the Northern Powerhouse activity through the Partners Programme.”

British Food Fortnight is a campaign run by Love British Food who are partners of the Department for International Trade’s The Great British Food Campaign.

The government’s flagship Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme has welcomed 2 new members from Lancashire today. ‘Lancashare’, based in Preston, uses an online sharing platform to pool the county’s resources in one place to make life, and work, easier for as many people as possible.

The sharing platform is filled with local suppliers, jobs, training providers, tenders, events, awards, networking events, news, offers, discounts, advice, information and funding from across Lancashire.

New branches are also being rolled out throughout the Northern Powerhouse including Manchester (Manceshare) and Yorkshire (Yorkshare).

The latest public sector Northern Powerhouse partner is Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone – a 144 hectare site incorporating the expanding Blackpool Airport and surrounding commercial areas – close to the Irish Sea in Blackpool, Lancashire.

The airport continues to play an important role in making the Enterprise Zone one of the most successful in the country. The Enterprise Zone also forms part of the Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster – a government backed initiative to make Lancashire one of the leading regions in the UK in the advanced manufacturing and energy sectors.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “As Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and, of course, a proud Lancashire lad, I am delighted to welcome these 2 latest members of our Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. Lancashire’s growing economic strength is testament to the dynamic and ambitious organisations across the private and public sectors who are working hand-in-hand with government to turn our Northern Powerhouse vision into a reality.”

Lisa Edge, Director, Lancashare said: “Two years ago, I gave up my beloved career to stand in the middle of a county and ask businesses to ‘buy in’ to a new concept of becoming the most collaborative county we can be. Two years later, I am so proud of the amazing businesses here and being officially approved as a Northern Powerhouse partner – that is way beyond what I imagined what we could achieve in that time and is testament to the incredible businesses of these amazing counties.”

Neil Jack, Chief Executive of Blackpool council said: “We share many of our aims and objectives with the Northern Powerhouse and so it makes perfect sense to collaborate, learn from and support like-minded companies, institutions, organisations and sectors across the North. We are already playing our part in promoting the region and have strong ties with Lancashire University and its Health Innovation Campus, and Lancashire Energy HQ; Blackpool & The Fylde College’s flagship training centre, delivering the next generation of engineers and technicians through renewable and low-carbon energy generation, as well as providing traditional oil and gas training and skills for the future.”

The Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme is a key part of creating the Northern Powerhouse. Government is building a network of partners who all believe strongly in the economic potential of the North and support the need for a combined effort by government and business to realise that potential.

The addition of Lancashare and the Blackpool Airport Enterprize Zone brings the total number of Lancashire members to 20 with partners including Grandma Singletons Dairy who export their renowned cheeses to markets around the globe, Vincents Solicitors who joined the Partners Programme this month, and RLR Motorsport who are the 2018 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP3 Champions.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP has welcomed news that around 9 in 10 (87%) Rugby League World Cup 2021 tournament games will be held in the North, exceeding the organiser’s original commitment to host 80% of the games in the North of England.

In 2016 the government committed £25 million towards the tournament and its legacy with up to £15 million pledged to support the staging of the event and up to £10 million for Rugby League’s facilities through large community projects, such as refurbishing changing rooms and installing new artificial pitches, as well as smaller-scale initiatives including supplying new kit or equipment to clubs.

A total of 16 northern towns and cities – including Newcastle, St Helens, Doncaster, Sheffield, Liverpool, Trafford and Hull – will play host to the tournament which will take place over five weeks in October and November 2021.

Leeds will host more games than any other city while Preston has been revealed as the tournament’s first training base.

The tournament is anticipated to host a million spectators and is set to be one of the most inclusive and diverse events ever hosted in England. The men’s, women’s and wheelchair Rugby League World Cups are to be staged together for the first time with all three finals being played in the North.

Government funding for the tournament will focus on four key areas: creating welcoming environments, encouraging more players, building community engagement and cultivating further investment resulting in an innovation fund for the community game.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry MP said: “The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will firmly put the Northern Powerhouse on the world stage and I am proud we are a partner in this landmark event. Thousands of visitors will come from far and wide to enjoy the games and organisers predict the tournament will deliver £75 million of economic benefit to the UK through tourism and opportunities for local businesses, with a significant amount coming to cities and regions of the Northern Powerhouse. The foundations of Rugby League were built in the North before becoming one of this country’s greatest sporting exports. Now, thanks to £25 million of government investment, it is coming home to the Northern Powerhouse.”

Minister for Sport and Civil Society Mims Davies MP said: “The UK is renowned for putting on some of the biggest and best sporting events in the world and the Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be no exception. This tournament will provide a stage for the world’s best players in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair game to shine in cities and towns across the country. It is an exceptional opportunity to grow the sport. We are investing £25 million to help put on a fantastic event, reach new fans and improve facilities, so the tournament leaves a real legacy.”

Chief Executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 Jon Dutton said: “RLWC2021 will be the sport’s biggest and best ever tournament and the Northern Powerhouse will play a pivotal role in helping to deliver this global event. For the first time ever, the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments will be played concurrently and the North will stage all of the marquee events including all 3 Rugby League World Cup finals and the respective opening ceremonies. The Northern Powerhouse is the perfect setting to host one of world sport’s biggest and most inclusive tournaments.”

The Rugby League World Cup 2021 and their governing body the Rugby Football League, are official members of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. This network of businesses and organisations share our vision to for harnessing the economic potential of the North, and support the need for the government and business to work together to achieve it.

The Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme has welcomed 3 new members from Cumbria, as the region marks ‘Cumbria Day’.

Energus, based at Lillyhall, is a world-class training provider based in West Cumbria. The company manages programmes of training and education ensuring a talent pipeline of graduates and apprentices into a range of organisations.

Cumbria Tourism is the official destination management organisation for the Lake District. Its mission is to create a world-beating visitor experience. With their ambition and enthusiasm to share their knowledge about the county with visitors they are helping to boost the tourism sector in the region.

The University of Cumbria was formed in 2007 by the merger of St Martin’s College, Cumbria Institute of the Arts and University of Central Lancashire’s Cumbria sites. As a significant and sought after institution for Cumbria and North Lancashire, the University works in partnerships to develop the region’s talent and capabilities and attract new talent into the region to study and work and live.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “I’m delighted to welcome these 3 trailblazing organisations to our rapidly growing Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. In Energus, Cumbria Tourism and the University of Cumbria, we have 3 innovative and dynamic partners who I am proud to work hand-in-hand with to promote the economic strengths of our region and Cumbria’s integral contribution to the Northern Powerhouse.”

Energus General Manager, Adrienne Easterbrook, said: “Energus are delighted to have been accepted as a member of the Northern Powerhouse. It is a fantastic initiative that will bring together organisations who are passionate about the North and want to work collaboratively to make it even better. Energus are proud to celebrate our achievements, which are possible because of the work we do with other businesses. We are committed to facilitating opportunities of learning and development for all. By offering a range of diverse apprenticeship and graduate programmes we ensure an enthusiastic workforce of young professionals entering industry. We will promote the Northern Powerhouse to our employees and stakeholders and celebrate the achievements across the North.’’

Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, said: “As an organisation, we are immensely proud to be part of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme and to promote some thriving Cumbrian businesses to decision-makers at the heart of government. Cumbria is a unique and diverse county with a £2.9 billion tourism sector and is a vital part of the wider Northern economy. Cumbria Day is our chance to showcase the very best of what we have to offer to businesses, visitors and residents alike.”

Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria, Jackie Arnold MBE, said: “The University of Cumbria is an integral part of the Northern Powerhouse and are pleased to be an official partner. Operating across 5 locations in Cumbria as well an additional campus in Lancaster, we are passionate about positioning the University as an anchor institution within Cumbria and feeding into the Northern Powerhouse’s skills agenda. Particularly, we are focussed on addressing educational cold spots, skills gaps and “brain drain” in the North by working across sectors and collaborating with industry to provide a robust offer to students and employers and continuing to play a significant and recognised role in the region and making a strategic contribution to the local economy.”

PD Ports, one of the UK’s major port operators, has been officially accredited with the internationally recognised quality mark of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) for its operations at Teesport by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) affirming the Port’s efficient and robust processes to shippers worldwide.
The accreditation recognises that a business’ customs controls and procedures are efficient and meet EU benchmarks.

Within the Northern Powerhouse, Teesport has become the first port to gain AEO status. It was awarded following a 12-month internal review process that culminated in an audit from the HMRC to ensure all port operational processes, IT, security, storage, procurement and HR procedures met with strict requirements.

Frans Calje, Chief Executive Officer at PD Ports, commented: “Gaining AEO accreditation reinforces the strength of our commitment to shippers currently using Teesport or looking to the Port as an integral part of their supply chain and is a solid vote of confidence in the high standard of our port operations.
“This will deliver some distinct benefits to many of our AEO accredited customers including greater access to priority clearance of cargoes, reduced administration, traceability of flows of goods and improved security between supply chain partners. There is much focus, in the light of Brexit, on the customs clearance of goods. AEO accreditation puts us on the front foot in making the movement of cargoes through Teesport as simple as possible.

“Delivering high quality, consistent and sustainable service levels to our customers has been instrumental in our decision to gain AEO accreditation across other parts of our business including our short sea ports located on the Humber, logistics and transport operations as well as our freight forwarding and customs clearance activities.”

An extra 1,700 seats per month will be available for people flying between Leeds Bradford Airport and Dublin.
The 20 per cent increase in seat capacity will begin on October 28 and will see up to three daily flights on Monday, Friday and Sunday, operated by Stobart Air. Stobart Air will operate ATR 72-600 aircraft to service the flights between Leeds and Dublin.

Graeme Buchanan, Managing Director at Stobart Air, said: “Stobart Air continuously strives to meet passenger demand across our route network. We closely monitor trends and prepare for busy seasonal periods which enables us to consistently deliver an efficient, reliable service. The additional seats will ensure flexibility for our passengers, providing business and leisure customers with a wider choice.”

John Cunliffe, Aviation & Commercial Director at Leeds Bradford Airport, added: “We’re delighted to add additional capacity from Leeds to Dublin from Winter 2019, and I am sure this additional capacity will prove popular for business customers. In particular, the new mid-afternoon flight facilitates onward connections with Aer Lingus transatlantic flights, with reduced transfer times and greater choice of connections available. The investment of additional capacity by Stobart Air on the route further confirms the economic significance of the Leeds City Region, the largest economy in the UK outside of London. At Leeds Bradford Airport, we offer passenger routes to over 70 direct destinations, with onward connections to all corners of the globe and I am delighted to be working with Stobart Air to support the development both of Leeds Bradford and the wider region”.

Welcoming the news on Twitter, Jake Berry, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse said: “Great to see one of our official Northern Powerhouse partners, Leeds Bradford Airport, increasing its international reach with more AerLingus flights than ever before – from the Northern Powerhouse to Dublin and beyond!”

Four organisations from across north Wales – including some of the region’s most prestigious education providers and innovative companies officially join the UK Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.

Glyndwr University and Coleg Cambria will join the programme to support a more prosperous north Wales and north of England, alongside adventure tourism company Zip World and Wrexham Mineral Cables, a manufacturer of fire-resistant insulated cables.

The Northern Powerhouse is the UK Government’s vision to maximise economic growth across north Wales and England, to provide well-paid jobs, better local and cross-border transport and to support our world-renowned universities. Each of the new partners took part in a public signing event at the Catrin Finch Centre at Glynd?r University today alongside Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP and UK Government Minister for Wales Nigel Adams MP.

Other Welsh business organisations already signed up to the network of almost 200 Northern Powerhouse partners include defence technology company Raytheon and the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council. The Partners Programme is an integral part of the Northern Powerhouse agenda, bringing together different stakeholders to work alongside government and business with the shared aim of increasing productivity and boosting economic growth across the north of Wales and England.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said:
“The Northern Powerhouse is the UK Government’s ambition to bring together the great cities, towns and rural communities of the north of England and Wales to drive economic growth, by creating high-value local jobs, modern transport links, and increased investment. I’m proud to welcome our four new partners in north Wales – Zip World, Wrexham Mineral Cables, Coleg Cambria and Glynd?r University – who share our vision and highlight the diverse range of organisations taking part in the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme. By working more closely together we can ensure that our economic ambitions are realised in north Wales and across the whole of the Northern Powerhouse.”

UK Government Minister for Wales Nigel Adams said:
“I am delighted to formally welcome four leading Welsh organisations to the Northern Powerhouse initiative. These new partners represent a variety of sectors and each of them is championing north Wales’ strengths, bringing a depth of experience and ideas to realise our economic potential. Together with partners from across the border and UK Government support, they will create good jobs for local people and improve the capacity of our national infrastructure to better connect our communities.”

Andrew Hudson from Zip World said:
“It’s a great time for Zip World to be joining the Northern Powerhouse partner programme. 2018 saw us securing both a UK Private Business Award and a UK Fast Track 100 award. We’re passionate about promoting North Wales as a tourist destination and in 2018 Zip World’s business generated £251 million into the regional economy, a figure which has continued to rise significantly. With three quarters of visitors staying at least one night in the region, the trickle down effect on local accommodation and hospitality venues has been clear.”

Wrexham Glyndwr University Vice-Chancellor, Maria Hinfelaar said:
“We welcome the opportunity to became a Northern Powerhouse Partner to ensure North Wales is on the map as a key area of the North. We are committed to the social and economic development of the region, in fact, the majority of our graduates remain locally upon completion of their studies and work in priority sectors in North Wales, such as advanced manufacturing, so we are well placed to drive forward the skills agenda of the Northern Powerhouse.”

Nathan Cook from Wrexham Mineral Cables said:
“As a leading exporter of Fire Resistant Cables with manufacturing based in North Wales, we are pleased to have joined the Northern Powerhouse partner programme and are keen to work with other partners, to showcase Wales and the North as a great area for trade and investment. We are well placed to promote the Northern Powerhouse to our growing global audience through our exporting activity, which was recently recognised when we were named as finalists for the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce Export & International Trade Award.”

David Jones, Chief Executive of Coleg Cambria said:
“Coleg Cambria was created five years ago following the successful merger of Deeside and Yale colleges. With a range of training provision including Higher Education, Further Education and apprenticeships, we feel we can contribute extensively to the skills agenda for the Northern Powerhouse as well as contributing through our workforce development and business growth activity across the North East Wales and Mersey Dee economy.”

Students who have successfully completed Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships at Northern Powerhouse Partner Blackpool and The Fylde College, along with a number of leading employers have been recognised at the College’s annual Apprentice Awards event.

Top television and radio presenter Steph McGovern was the guest of honour at the ceremony held at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and she presented scrolls to each apprentice who had completed their course.

Known best today for covering business affairs on the BBC Breakfast show, consumer issues on Watchdog, and personal finance affairs on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wake up to Money programme, Steph has a strong engineering background and at the age of 19 was named ‘Young Engineer for Britain’. She is a very vocal advocate of and supporter for apprentice training, saying at the event the “this is where the real brain’s of Britain are to be found!”
Fourteen apprentices had been nominated by their employer for the top award of Higher Apprentice of the Year. This went to 21-year-old Ella Penswick, who is studying a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Professional Accounting and Taxation. Ella works in the Finance Department at Blackpool Council and the nomination from her employer described her as always eager to learn new technical skills and having a positive attitude to work.
Through its commercial wing B&FC for Business, the College has links with over 1,800 firms and organisations across the North West, of all sizes and in a wide variety of employment sectors.

It forges close working partnerships with them to jointly create workforce development strategies that ensure that the college is delivering training and education to meet their needs and support their growth. This high level of collaboration was recognised at the Apprentice of the Year Awards with three awards to employers.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were joint recipients of the Employer of the Year Award in the large organisation category.

Jacqueline Higham, who received the award on behalf of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “We feel privileged to be working with a college that has an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating. The quality of the professional relationship that we have built up with the college is now enabling us to grow opportunities for students to advance further through work-based placements that support the college curriculum. It’s a perfect win-win situation!”

Blackpool building and property maintenance company Bambers Remedial Contractors Limited received the Employer of the Year Award in the Small to Medium Employer category.

Blackpool building and property maintenance company Bambers Remedial Contractors Limited received the Employer of the Year Award in the Small to Medium Employer category. Managing Director Dave Bamber said that the partnership with B&FC for Business provides his company with employees who have a high level of skill that really supports the growth of the business.

“It’s a good working relationship that works for all sides,” says Mr Bamber. “The apprentice, us as the employer, and the college as the training provider all gain from working together in the way that we do.”

The Employer Outstanding Contribution Award was made to the Vella Group. This leading UK vehicle repair group has both school-leavers undertaking apprenticeships and existing employees upgrading their skills across the entire range of vehicle repair and refinishing skills. All receive their training in the £10.8m Advanced Technology Centre at the B&FC Bispham campus, which is equipped with industry standard equipment and facilities.

Claire Jamieson, Business Development Director and head of B&FC for Business, said: “These awards highlight just how much employers can gain from partnering with us. Our unequalled range of courses covers a broad range of business, commercial and public sector activities from health to project management and automotive to nuclear engineering. Multi-million pound investments in our facilities and industry expert tutors ensure that we can deliver training to the highest current industry standards.”