Video Transcript
With ghosts, ghouls, bonfires and fireworks behind us and Christmas appearing on the horizon, but not quite here yet, it can only mean one thing. Hello and welcome to the November edition of the Worcestershire Growth Hub newsletter.
Since our last update, the Chancellor has now delivered the budget, and with it, a raft of announcements which will affect businesses. If you are unsure about these impacts or would like to explore support available to continue with your growth plans, then please get in touch with the Worcestershire Growth Hub team, who will be more than happy to help.
To illustrate that point. I’d like to start this month’s update by celebrating the success of a couple of workshops recently hosted by the Growth Hub team. One of which focused on helping businesses plan for the implementation of the new Employment Rights Bill, delivered in partnership with Danton HR. Businesses attending were provided with a comprehensive update on upcoming employment law changes, highlighting what employers need to know to safeguard their business, as well as highlighting local resources, tools and funding available to strengthen HR strategies.
The second workshop, delivered in partnership with Dan Barker from Dan Barker Studios, provided practical strategies on how to create valuable video content to enhance marketing and drive growth. If you would like to keep up to date with other events we are planning to host in the future, please visit our events calendar page on the Worcestershire Growth Hub website. Indeed, this is the place to go for a comprehensive list of business events being delivered by local partner organisations right across the county.
Now shifting the focus away from events for a moment. SkillsBoost Worcestershire funding is still available, and I’m pleased to say we have now hit a significant milestone for the program, too, with the funding of upskilling over 400 employees across Worcestershire since April 2024. If you were thinking about introducing new skills to your organisation, or you’re an individual or seeking to learn new skills in your workplace, there is still time for you under your business to access up to £6,000 of funding per organisation, based on a 50% match rate. You can find out more about the programme and the eligibility criteria through the link in the newsletter.
Next up, Innovation Worcestershire can help you understand and work through the impact of the recent autumn budget changes. This fully funded programme is designed to help local businesses challenge ways of working, apply technology in their business, and spot new opportunities to reduce costs, be more efficient and more profitable. For more information on the programme and how to apply, please visit the link in the newsletter.
Some national resources to flag next. The Department for Business and Trade and the UK Export Academy are hosting a series of webinars up to March 2025, designed to help businesses discover new global opportunities, gain valuable insights and connect with like minded professionals. There is a plethora of events to choose from to help take your business to the next level and support your international trade journey. You can find out more about these events within the newsletter.
And finally, a net zero update. With thanks to the support of the Midlands Net Zero Hub. There are already four district heating network development projects that are being explored across Worcestershire – in Worcester, Bromsgrove, Wyre Forest and Redditch. Now, Heat network systems offer technology agnostic transition from gas heating to flexible decarbonised solutions.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has announced a new programme offering grants of up to £500 for individuals involved in heat networks. These are available up until April 2025, and this is an opportunity for businesses in the county to upskill their workforce to meet the expected demand in heat network delivery. You can find out more about the Heat Network Training grant in the newsletter.
That’s it for me. I hope you find this month’s update useful. As usual, there is plenty more support to discover within the newsletter, and if you’d like to learn more about accessing any of the support I’ve mentioned, please contact the team via the details on screen now.
See you next time.
