Stagecoach’s UK Bus division has been named Large Employer of the Year at the People 1st Apprenticeship Awards.
The Perth-based transport group scooped the award after impressing judges with its comprehensive bus engineering apprenticeship programme which has successfully delivered more than 350 apprenticeships over the past seven years.
People 1st is the sector skills council for employers in the hospitality, tourism, leisure, travel, passenger transport and retail industries. The organisation’s annual awards recognise exceptional apprentices, mentors and employers....
Exeter businesses are being warned they may become “April fools” by sacrificing tens of thousands of pounds in rating refunds and savings if they do not act quickly.
The alert has come from Matthew Midwinter, partner with leading national property consultancy and chartered surveyor Sanderson Weatherall, which has offices in Exeter.
Mr Midwinter explained: “The rates that businesses pay on their premises are linked to valuations which have previously changed every five years. The last such review took effect in April 2010 but the government announced a couple of years ago...
With the 2015 budget just days away independent Devon accountancy firm Thomas Westcott has issued a wish-list it believes will help businesses in the South West.
But, with a General Election looming, the experts at Thomas Westcott fear the Budget announcement will be a "benign affair" focused on what has been achieved, rather than measures to further stimulate business growth.
"With the economy continuing to show encouraging signs and businesses across the South West generally feeling more optimistic we would like to see the Budget used to keep momentum with local...
Consumers in the South West prefer to do business with businesses employing apprentices, a new report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has revealed. The Benefits of Apprenticeships to Businesses study finds that offering apprenticeships were perceived by three quarters of consumers in the South West as contributing to society and providing opportunities for young people, with 5 million consumers nationwide more likely to make a purchase from an apprentice employer. More than one in four consumers in the South West say they would go as far as even paying more for...
Two men were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 10 March) for defrauding vulnerable people out of over £88,000.
Rahim Choudhury and Abdul Shafee, both 19, of Quaker Street, London, were sentenced to 38 months and 15 months in prison, respectively.
In early January 2015, Rahim Choudhury (pictured right) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud offences where 30 victims were defrauded of a total of £88,500.
On 29 January 2015 co-defendant Abdul Shafee (pictured left) entered a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit fraud offences. The prosecution...
Businesses are being urged to act quickly to secure the last few exhibition stands at the ‘early bird’ rate for Business Showcase South West 2015.
The event, which is expected to attract 3,000 delegates, is held at Colston Hall in Bristol on May 14 and 15. Last year’s event proved to be one of the biggest business events of the year, with 1,719 tickets ordered and a sell-out exhibition.
Business Showcase South West 2015 is the biggest event of its kind in the region, and celebrates the best in innovation, creativity and enterprise. It is a unique opportunity to network for...
The jobs market in the South West has fallen this quarter but remains firmly in positive territory at +6%, according to Manpower, the world’s workforce experts.
This Outlook is in line with the UK national average and puts the South West on a steady course after a couple of quarters of ups and downs in hiring intentions.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is based on responses from 2,100 UK employers. It asks whether employers intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter. It is the most comprehensive, forward-looking...
What might happen if Castle Drogo was left to the elements? From 9 March, a perfect glass ‘drip’ is suspended in a trophy cabinet, a room where Dartmoor appears to have taken over. As the conservation project to save Castle Drogo enters its final two years, artists have taken inspiration from the history and stories of this striking 20th century castle overlooking the Teign Valley. Each artist has taken a very different approach – with everything from sculpture, interactive gadgets, photography and film to new interpretations of objects in the collection. Visitors can look forward to new...
Help to Buy, the government’s flagship housing scheme, has helped 88,420 people buy a new home (9,045 in the South West) since it was created, new figures have revealed today.
Since the launch of the Help to Buy equity loan and mortgage guarantee schemes:
• 80% of scheme completions have been made by first-time buyers • the average house price has been £185,000, significantly below the national average • Over 80,000 people have bought a home through the scheme • 94% of Help to Buy completions take place outside of London • Over half of Help to Buy completions have been for...
The widening gap between house prices and wages means that first time buyers living in the South West of England are having to pay almost £63,000 more for a home, new research from Shelter reveals today.
The charity’s analysis shows that if the average income of a first time buyer and average house prices had remained in line in the region, those lucky enough to get a foot on the property ladder would be paying almost £63,000 – or 37% – less for their first home.
With average house prices in the South West now ten times the average wage, compared to just six times fifteen...
