Whilst the UK economy is facing challenges at home and aboard the service sector will be the main driver of Britain’s recovery, whilst the manufacturing sector continues to struggle. However as many firms have maintained their skill base and with further support during the recovery, particularly for exporters, the manufacturing sector will gradually continue to rise.
However findings from BCC’s recent skills gap report, cited that gaps around knowing how to take a product to market is holding back potential exporters.
We believe commercial export skills should be central to business education, and help guide entrepreneurs through essential areas of managing finances, cross border supply chains, understanding legal and bureaucratic requirements. The survey also found language skills will be critical to the success of exporters, and currently very few speak the language of their buyer sufficient to do a deal.
Whilst French remains the most commonly spoken language, of 5000 businesses interviewed only 5% had technical French language skills. As the UK continues to drive up exports, and reduce the balance of payments deficit, this is going to be more of a problem. In faster growing markets such as China and Russia, 95% of businesses have no skills in these languages, and yet according to an IMF forecast China will grow by an estimated 7.75% and Russia by 3.4% (IMF)
There is a real need to heighten the importance of languages in the curriculum and skills agenda, and create the next generation of business leaders to be born global, and for businesses to have more incentives to train staff in languages relevant for their International trade.
The Chamber movement has been going for over 200 years, providing businesses with practical support, access to knowledge, skills and encouraging exports through our export seminars, workshops and export documentation and translations services.
For help and advice on export seminars, Country awareness and export documentation please email export@hertschamber.com
Showing posts with label hertfordshire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hertfordshire. Show all posts
Monday, 24 June 2013
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Father Christmas?? No, I dont think so either...
Economic growth, the ‘holy grail’ how, or who, will make it happen? Government, the Banks, perhaps it will be Father Christmas? No I don’t think so either. Certainly the Government and Banks have an important part to play and, depending on their actions, they are likely to have an effect, whether it be positive or negative remains to be seen but, at the end of the day, there can be little doubt that it is only businesses and their customers who will turn the economy around.
Depending on your point of view one might argue that we should welcome Government initiatives such as those designed to remove red tape, reduce onerous planning conditions and to enable small businesses that are struggling to obtain finance from an increasingly risk averse banking sector. Though, it will take time for benefits to become apparent every little helps. Red tape impacts disproportionately on small growing businesses and many are deterred from expansion as a result of concerns, real and imagined, with the planning system. I am also very aware of the Banks claims to ‘have plenty of money and are eager to lend’ but in truth I have seen no evidence to suggest that such claims are being translated into action.
Those of us who are a bit longer in the tooth will remember the days when banking was about locally based people who understood local businesses and were prepared to manage risk not, as seems to be the case today, to eradicate it entirely. Time will tell if the Governments initiative makes a difference but, whatever the merits, I suspect that very few people are expecting the ‘complete’ solution.
In the past the answer was easy, throw more public money at it, sadly there isn’t much left. Nonetheless, there appears to be some being made available to parts of the country where unemployment and other issues remain a consistent problem no matter how much money is lavished upon them. This might make some social sense but in reality it is highly questionable as to whether the impact is anything other than short term. Perhaps it is time to take a different approach, how about reducing the amount of money being poured into these areas, where without incentives businesses are reluctant to locate, to create jobs that have all the sustainability of a chocolate teapot. Instead, what about investing it in areas that are able to produce long term benefits that are likely to be economically sustainable for some time to come?
Where should the Government invest our money? Where it will have most effect of course? How about places like Hertfordshire? Places where businesses want to be; places where good long term jobs can be created; places which have the communication and transport links that are essential to success in the global economy. Taking funding, as we have historically done, from areas that are generally successful and pumping it into areas with a track record of failure might deliver short term social benefits but in the long run, from a business perspective, makes no sense at all.
The other essential part of the equation requires encouraging customers to spend money, raising the taxes of those who are able to do so won’t achieve this nor will maintaining some of the other barriers that discourage them from doing so. Half hearted efforts to ignite the housing market for instance will not work if, in this part of the world at least, stamp duty remains at current levels. Why move from one asset that is not accruing in value to another when the cost of doing so is added to by high levels of indirect taxation.
Clearly the Government is not in a position to start flinging cash, nor can it afford to choke off regular income lines, but surely with a little imagination there are actions that could be taken to encourage consumer spending without adding further pressure on the National Debt.
The removal of stamp duty; extending the National Insurance holiday on small businesses taking on new staff to include this part of the country; using some of the enormous amounts of business rates that are collected here and spent elsewhere to accelerate business growth and encourage research and investment in areas that are able to sustain it; might provide fertile ground in the search for solutions. Clearly the decisions of Government are difficult and challenging but to paraphrase what a wise man once said ‘if you keep doing the same things expecting different results you are likely to be very disappointed’. Actually he said that this was a definition of madness but you know what I mean.
Depending on your point of view one might argue that we should welcome Government initiatives such as those designed to remove red tape, reduce onerous planning conditions and to enable small businesses that are struggling to obtain finance from an increasingly risk averse banking sector. Though, it will take time for benefits to become apparent every little helps. Red tape impacts disproportionately on small growing businesses and many are deterred from expansion as a result of concerns, real and imagined, with the planning system. I am also very aware of the Banks claims to ‘have plenty of money and are eager to lend’ but in truth I have seen no evidence to suggest that such claims are being translated into action.
Those of us who are a bit longer in the tooth will remember the days when banking was about locally based people who understood local businesses and were prepared to manage risk not, as seems to be the case today, to eradicate it entirely. Time will tell if the Governments initiative makes a difference but, whatever the merits, I suspect that very few people are expecting the ‘complete’ solution.
In the past the answer was easy, throw more public money at it, sadly there isn’t much left. Nonetheless, there appears to be some being made available to parts of the country where unemployment and other issues remain a consistent problem no matter how much money is lavished upon them. This might make some social sense but in reality it is highly questionable as to whether the impact is anything other than short term. Perhaps it is time to take a different approach, how about reducing the amount of money being poured into these areas, where without incentives businesses are reluctant to locate, to create jobs that have all the sustainability of a chocolate teapot. Instead, what about investing it in areas that are able to produce long term benefits that are likely to be economically sustainable for some time to come?
Where should the Government invest our money? Where it will have most effect of course? How about places like Hertfordshire? Places where businesses want to be; places where good long term jobs can be created; places which have the communication and transport links that are essential to success in the global economy. Taking funding, as we have historically done, from areas that are generally successful and pumping it into areas with a track record of failure might deliver short term social benefits but in the long run, from a business perspective, makes no sense at all.
The other essential part of the equation requires encouraging customers to spend money, raising the taxes of those who are able to do so won’t achieve this nor will maintaining some of the other barriers that discourage them from doing so. Half hearted efforts to ignite the housing market for instance will not work if, in this part of the world at least, stamp duty remains at current levels. Why move from one asset that is not accruing in value to another when the cost of doing so is added to by high levels of indirect taxation.
Clearly the Government is not in a position to start flinging cash, nor can it afford to choke off regular income lines, but surely with a little imagination there are actions that could be taken to encourage consumer spending without adding further pressure on the National Debt.
The removal of stamp duty; extending the National Insurance holiday on small businesses taking on new staff to include this part of the country; using some of the enormous amounts of business rates that are collected here and spent elsewhere to accelerate business growth and encourage research and investment in areas that are able to sustain it; might provide fertile ground in the search for solutions. Clearly the decisions of Government are difficult and challenging but to paraphrase what a wise man once said ‘if you keep doing the same things expecting different results you are likely to be very disappointed’. Actually he said that this was a definition of madness but you know what I mean.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
The 2012 Olympics has proved that we really are ‘Great’ Britain; what we need now is to act as though we really believe it
That we live in an age of innovation is surely beyond doubt but whether we have a sense of the importance of our nations contribution or whether we have successfully adapted to the changes that have resulted, is debatable. In the politically correct world in which we live it has become unfashionable to shout about our strengths but the truth is we have a history of leading the world and, contrary to the opinion of some, we still do play a leading role.
Those of us that are of a certain age will have been brought up to regard the Industrial Revolution, which spanned the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as the defining period in the development of our modern world economy and whilst people today will, rightly, point to the fact that their peers have taken the technologies of that age to higher, and previously unimaginable, new levels it was the great British engineers of the time such as Brunel, Faraday, Babbage and Stephenson, and the visionary entrepreneurs that supported them, who led the way. Others have learnt to develop their work but it is they who laid the foundations that underpin much of that which we take for granted today.
Future generations brought up on the achievements of the likes of Zuckerberg, Gates and Jobs will probably claim that it is their achievements which are of greater importance, conveniently overlooking the fact that without the invention of the British Tim Berners Lee their products would simply not have existed, .
Actually the debate as to who is the most important, whilst interesting, is arguably fairly pointless as it ignores the fact that a great many people and organisations, working in fields such as medicine, aeronautics, electronics, bio and life sciences across the globe, have made sensational contributions to our modern world. My point is that we often forget that we are a creative nation that has much to offer, a nation that should be enormously proud of its achievements. I strongly believe that if we were to spend more time focusing on the positive we would be more likely to be successful than if, as a nation, we continue to focus on our default position of leaning toward the negative.
Clearly we face challenges, the rest of the world does too, but there is evidence to suggest that we have struggled more than most to come to terms with the demands of such a rapidly changing world. Recognition of the issues is an important starting point. Gaining an understanding of the impact is essential and a good deal more productive than navel gazing. As soon as we have recognised, and fully understood all the implications, the sooner we will be better equipped to react to the resultant range of complex issues that need addressing.
One only needs to consider the future skills people will require to understand just how complex the issues are. Arguably the range of skills required to sustain the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries were, except at the highest level of management, limited and that essentially all that was required were large numbers of people capable of repeating a limited number of easily taught skills, as a consequence, the need to educate or develop a skilled workforce was not the important priority it is today; neither were numerous social considerations that we now regard to be our basic human right.
Nobody can imagine that for a well developed nation adapting to all this change will be straightforward. Indeed, the period following the Industrial Revolution was strewn with political mistakes that had an adverse social and economic impact on a vast number of people and they had none of the challenges presented by a modern democracy. With goodwill and a positive approach we will overcome these challenges.
The 2012 Olympics has proved conclusively that we really are ‘Great’ Britain; what we need now is to act as though we really believe it. We must set aside our faux modesty and our inclination as a nation to talk ourselves down and move forward in a positive fashion. We have much to be proud of, the self flagellation must stop, we need to begin acting as though we really do believe it. After all, we can’t blame the rest of world for not treating us seriously if we fail to do so ourselves.
Those of us that are of a certain age will have been brought up to regard the Industrial Revolution, which spanned the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as the defining period in the development of our modern world economy and whilst people today will, rightly, point to the fact that their peers have taken the technologies of that age to higher, and previously unimaginable, new levels it was the great British engineers of the time such as Brunel, Faraday, Babbage and Stephenson, and the visionary entrepreneurs that supported them, who led the way. Others have learnt to develop their work but it is they who laid the foundations that underpin much of that which we take for granted today.
Future generations brought up on the achievements of the likes of Zuckerberg, Gates and Jobs will probably claim that it is their achievements which are of greater importance, conveniently overlooking the fact that without the invention of the British Tim Berners Lee their products would simply not have existed, .
Actually the debate as to who is the most important, whilst interesting, is arguably fairly pointless as it ignores the fact that a great many people and organisations, working in fields such as medicine, aeronautics, electronics, bio and life sciences across the globe, have made sensational contributions to our modern world. My point is that we often forget that we are a creative nation that has much to offer, a nation that should be enormously proud of its achievements. I strongly believe that if we were to spend more time focusing on the positive we would be more likely to be successful than if, as a nation, we continue to focus on our default position of leaning toward the negative.
Clearly we face challenges, the rest of the world does too, but there is evidence to suggest that we have struggled more than most to come to terms with the demands of such a rapidly changing world. Recognition of the issues is an important starting point. Gaining an understanding of the impact is essential and a good deal more productive than navel gazing. As soon as we have recognised, and fully understood all the implications, the sooner we will be better equipped to react to the resultant range of complex issues that need addressing.
One only needs to consider the future skills people will require to understand just how complex the issues are. Arguably the range of skills required to sustain the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries were, except at the highest level of management, limited and that essentially all that was required were large numbers of people capable of repeating a limited number of easily taught skills, as a consequence, the need to educate or develop a skilled workforce was not the important priority it is today; neither were numerous social considerations that we now regard to be our basic human right.
Nobody can imagine that for a well developed nation adapting to all this change will be straightforward. Indeed, the period following the Industrial Revolution was strewn with political mistakes that had an adverse social and economic impact on a vast number of people and they had none of the challenges presented by a modern democracy. With goodwill and a positive approach we will overcome these challenges.
The 2012 Olympics has proved conclusively that we really are ‘Great’ Britain; what we need now is to act as though we really believe it. We must set aside our faux modesty and our inclination as a nation to talk ourselves down and move forward in a positive fashion. We have much to be proud of, the self flagellation must stop, we need to begin acting as though we really do believe it. After all, we can’t blame the rest of world for not treating us seriously if we fail to do so ourselves.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Blame can wait... what we need are solutions that work.
If one were to listen to the Banks you would be hard pressed to understand why so many businesses are complaining about their reluctance to support them and, that if they do, are only willing to do so on the most penal terms. ‘We have money and we want to lend’ is the oft repeated dictum but the reality on the ground seems to be very different.
In today’s reality those deemed to be worthy of support either don’t need it or, as is the case with a growing number of businesses, don’t want it. On the other hand those who do require their support are disqualified simply because they do. Lewis Carroll would have been proud of the situation we have created and would, perhaps, have nominated the Queen of Hearts as the next Governor of the Bank of England.
In today’s world the first thing one seems to be required to do is to determine ‘who is to blame’. The Banks for creating the mess in the first place? Is it the government for lacking in leadership? Is it the economic incompetence of the previous government? Perhaps, it is The Bank of England and the regulatory authorities? The press and a variety of economic commentators for persistently, and consistently, undermining confidence? Possibly, even, the reluctance of businesses that can invest in the future simply stockpiling cash while they sit on their hands waiting for someone else to blink? I think I can save a great deal of time, to a lesser or greater extent it is all these although, actually, blame can wait. What we need are solutions that work.
Given the recent banking crisis few, if any, would argue for an unregulated orgy of lending but what is required is a source of lending that can be accessed by growing small and medium sized business that doesn’t attract penal rates of interest or the need to put forward their ‘first born’ by way of guarantee. We also need a process in which decision making is transparent, fair and timely. Too many businesses are being required to go through opaque drawn out processes costing them time and money before being told that they have been successful, or worse, unsuccessful.
Whilst I do not share the more extreme views of the ‘doom and gloom brigade’ I strongly believe that the economy needs an injection of growth. There are a number of measures that can be taken but one must be to deliver more financial support for small and medium sized businesses. Delivered with care encouraging sensible lending to this sector will enable it to flourish whilst simultaneously delivering the economic growth we need. The government, the regulators and the banks were quick enough to get round the table when the latter needed support it is about time they sat down and sorted things for the rest of us.
In today’s reality those deemed to be worthy of support either don’t need it or, as is the case with a growing number of businesses, don’t want it. On the other hand those who do require their support are disqualified simply because they do. Lewis Carroll would have been proud of the situation we have created and would, perhaps, have nominated the Queen of Hearts as the next Governor of the Bank of England.
In today’s world the first thing one seems to be required to do is to determine ‘who is to blame’. The Banks for creating the mess in the first place? Is it the government for lacking in leadership? Is it the economic incompetence of the previous government? Perhaps, it is The Bank of England and the regulatory authorities? The press and a variety of economic commentators for persistently, and consistently, undermining confidence? Possibly, even, the reluctance of businesses that can invest in the future simply stockpiling cash while they sit on their hands waiting for someone else to blink? I think I can save a great deal of time, to a lesser or greater extent it is all these although, actually, blame can wait. What we need are solutions that work.
Given the recent banking crisis few, if any, would argue for an unregulated orgy of lending but what is required is a source of lending that can be accessed by growing small and medium sized business that doesn’t attract penal rates of interest or the need to put forward their ‘first born’ by way of guarantee. We also need a process in which decision making is transparent, fair and timely. Too many businesses are being required to go through opaque drawn out processes costing them time and money before being told that they have been successful, or worse, unsuccessful.
Whilst I do not share the more extreme views of the ‘doom and gloom brigade’ I strongly believe that the economy needs an injection of growth. There are a number of measures that can be taken but one must be to deliver more financial support for small and medium sized businesses. Delivered with care encouraging sensible lending to this sector will enable it to flourish whilst simultaneously delivering the economic growth we need. The government, the regulators and the banks were quick enough to get round the table when the latter needed support it is about time they sat down and sorted things for the rest of us.
Monday, 9 July 2012
Business people ask for little other than to be able to operate on ‘a level playing field’
Over the years I have noticed an increase in the impact of holidays, sporting events and other national celebrations on doing business in the UK. Come Easter it seems as though someone has fired a gun and then, as a nation, we metaphorically prepare to pack our buckets and spades. This year, though, we are experiencing the phenomena ‘with bells on’. An additional bank holiday, the Euros, the Olympics followed by the Paralympics added to the usual menu of Wimbledon, the ever growing number of cricket matches and so on.
What the impact of all this is depends very largely upon who you ask. The more optimistic will argue that all this activity encourages people to stay at home and spend their money here rather than on one of the Costas or some Greek Island. At the other extreme those with a somewhat curmudgeonly disposition might argue that all this jollity is more likely to result in hell and damnation raining down upon us all. If you work for Transport for London I guess it’s an opportunity to threaten strike action unless their employer’s handover payments additional to already agreed overtime rates.
For most employers the only choice is to manage the impact as best they can within the confines of the already penal legislation governing employment. No one seems to be too concerned as to how all this affects them and now, joy of joys, we find that they are also required to compensate staff struck down by disease or injury, whatever the cause, whilst they are on holiday. Goodness knows what those dear people in Brussels will think up next.
Actually I enjoy all these supporting occasions as much as the next man, and it was a delight to take part in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but I do strongly believe that we need to consider the impact of all this on small businesses in particular. Business people, and I don’t mean the greedy few that are regularly featured by the national press as being representative of the business community, ask for little other than to be able to operate on ‘a level playing field’.
Our competitors in other parts of the world look upon our employment laws with incredulity, the Americans simply do not comprehend how businesses on ‘this side of the pond’ can afford to allow such generous holiday entitlements. Nonetheless I am not arguing that entitlements be reduced, just that the employers obligation to compensate staff for being sick whilst on holiday be wiped from the legislation. It is, frankly, nonsense.
What the impact of all this is depends very largely upon who you ask. The more optimistic will argue that all this activity encourages people to stay at home and spend their money here rather than on one of the Costas or some Greek Island. At the other extreme those with a somewhat curmudgeonly disposition might argue that all this jollity is more likely to result in hell and damnation raining down upon us all. If you work for Transport for London I guess it’s an opportunity to threaten strike action unless their employer’s handover payments additional to already agreed overtime rates.
For most employers the only choice is to manage the impact as best they can within the confines of the already penal legislation governing employment. No one seems to be too concerned as to how all this affects them and now, joy of joys, we find that they are also required to compensate staff struck down by disease or injury, whatever the cause, whilst they are on holiday. Goodness knows what those dear people in Brussels will think up next.
Actually I enjoy all these supporting occasions as much as the next man, and it was a delight to take part in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but I do strongly believe that we need to consider the impact of all this on small businesses in particular. Business people, and I don’t mean the greedy few that are regularly featured by the national press as being representative of the business community, ask for little other than to be able to operate on ‘a level playing field’.
Our competitors in other parts of the world look upon our employment laws with incredulity, the Americans simply do not comprehend how businesses on ‘this side of the pond’ can afford to allow such generous holiday entitlements. Nonetheless I am not arguing that entitlements be reduced, just that the employers obligation to compensate staff for being sick whilst on holiday be wiped from the legislation. It is, frankly, nonsense.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Hertfordshire has an enormous number of great businesses and community leaders who make a formidable team
On very rare occasions a plan comes together providing results which are way beyond one’s expectations, our ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ awards evening was just one such occasion. Not simply a ‘sold out’ event at a great venue, or a get together of friends and colleagues, it was so much more; it was to my mind an outstanding evening that will live in the memory for some time to come. Sure it was a great spectacle and everything you would want an event to be but, the real ‘icing on the cake, was that it was an evening spent amongst many truly inspirational business people and community leaders all of whom had contributed so much to the fabric of the county.
Naturally those who won awards were ecstatic but the atmosphere was really generated by the generosity of spirit of those other finalists who, despite their disappointment, joined in the celebration. It was they who embodied all that is good about living and working in Hertfordshire. Personally I wish we could have shortlisted all the entrants but sadly the venue was simply not big enough.
In praising all those who entered the awards I must not forget our wonderful sponsors. If a better group of people to work with exists I am yet to meet them. To put on an event of this nature and complexity and involving significant costs always causes concerns. Will we attract enough entrants? Will the entrants be of sufficient quality? Will it be a financial disaster?
As pointed out above the numbers and quality of the entrants was everything, and more, than we hoped. Awards are generally judged by the quality of the winners, for me the ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ awards should be judged on the quality of the entries that did not reach the shortlists. I imagine many of them will be wondering what they have to do to get the recognition they truly deserve.
As for concerns about the financial performance of the event they were soon dissipated by our remarkable sponsors and patrons. From day one they were on side supportive and helpful beyond words, my heartfelt thanks to them all. Porsche Hatfield who supplied the venue could not have been more accommodating and, as you might expect from such a marque, demonstrated professionalism of the highest order. Our headline sponsors, Exemplas and the University of Hertfordshire showed no hesitation in demonstrating their support which brought not only reputational benefits but also much reduced our other concerns.
Attracting a number of other high profile sponsors from the Hertfordshire business world: Johnson Matthey, Tesco, Kiss Communications, Simplyhealth, Veolia Water, Ashridge Business School, Breeze & Wyles Solicitors LLP, Pearldrop Video Productions, Guinea Fowl Creative, and Accounting Academy Partnership; not only enabled us to produce an event of outstanding quality but also contributed enormously towards attracting a high quality field. Of course the awards were not just about business they also sought to recognise some of the great work being done by social enterprises and community leaders.
My special thanks to County Councillor and Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, Sharon Taylor, whose sponsorship through her locality budget not only provided tangible support but also contributed to the overall aims of the ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ campaign and will I am sure provide encouragement to all those who selflessly support important causes in the county.
Before finishing it would be totally remiss of me if I were to forget the professional contribution of Pump House Productions, Richmond Caterers and, of course, the excellent Steve Folland from Jack FM. Their cooperative professionalism in working with the Chamber’s staff, especially Jill Coggins and Jodie Reid, was absolutely key to the success of the evening.
Should anyone think that I have written this simply to crow about a great success they would be wrong, my purpose is to demonstrate that despite the constant output from various doom merchants Hertfordshire has an enormous number of great businesses and community leaders whose combined parts make a formidable team. My thanks to all who were involved but particularly to all those who entered I hope we will see you all at ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire 2013’.
Oh, and to all those who still think I am crowing, OK I confess, but I truly am extremely proud to be associated with all those concerned.
Naturally those who won awards were ecstatic but the atmosphere was really generated by the generosity of spirit of those other finalists who, despite their disappointment, joined in the celebration. It was they who embodied all that is good about living and working in Hertfordshire. Personally I wish we could have shortlisted all the entrants but sadly the venue was simply not big enough.
In praising all those who entered the awards I must not forget our wonderful sponsors. If a better group of people to work with exists I am yet to meet them. To put on an event of this nature and complexity and involving significant costs always causes concerns. Will we attract enough entrants? Will the entrants be of sufficient quality? Will it be a financial disaster?
As pointed out above the numbers and quality of the entrants was everything, and more, than we hoped. Awards are generally judged by the quality of the winners, for me the ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ awards should be judged on the quality of the entries that did not reach the shortlists. I imagine many of them will be wondering what they have to do to get the recognition they truly deserve.
As for concerns about the financial performance of the event they were soon dissipated by our remarkable sponsors and patrons. From day one they were on side supportive and helpful beyond words, my heartfelt thanks to them all. Porsche Hatfield who supplied the venue could not have been more accommodating and, as you might expect from such a marque, demonstrated professionalism of the highest order. Our headline sponsors, Exemplas and the University of Hertfordshire showed no hesitation in demonstrating their support which brought not only reputational benefits but also much reduced our other concerns.
Attracting a number of other high profile sponsors from the Hertfordshire business world: Johnson Matthey, Tesco, Kiss Communications, Simplyhealth, Veolia Water, Ashridge Business School, Breeze & Wyles Solicitors LLP, Pearldrop Video Productions, Guinea Fowl Creative, and Accounting Academy Partnership; not only enabled us to produce an event of outstanding quality but also contributed enormously towards attracting a high quality field. Of course the awards were not just about business they also sought to recognise some of the great work being done by social enterprises and community leaders.
My special thanks to County Councillor and Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, Sharon Taylor, whose sponsorship through her locality budget not only provided tangible support but also contributed to the overall aims of the ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ campaign and will I am sure provide encouragement to all those who selflessly support important causes in the county.
Before finishing it would be totally remiss of me if I were to forget the professional contribution of Pump House Productions, Richmond Caterers and, of course, the excellent Steve Folland from Jack FM. Their cooperative professionalism in working with the Chamber’s staff, especially Jill Coggins and Jodie Reid, was absolutely key to the success of the evening.
Should anyone think that I have written this simply to crow about a great success they would be wrong, my purpose is to demonstrate that despite the constant output from various doom merchants Hertfordshire has an enormous number of great businesses and community leaders whose combined parts make a formidable team. My thanks to all who were involved but particularly to all those who entered I hope we will see you all at ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire 2013’.
Oh, and to all those who still think I am crowing, OK I confess, but I truly am extremely proud to be associated with all those concerned.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
There are times in history that call for great leadership. I would suggest that now is one of them
In challenging times when our focus should be on key issues it is depressing to see that nationally, our so called leaders, consider that reflecting upon who ate what, where and with whom carries greater importance than encouraging growth in our economy. There are times in history that call for great leadership I would suggest that now is one of them. We do not need a great debate on hot pies, queues at petrol stations and the usual party political tit for tat. It is time that national leaders of all parties started to ‘man up’ and begin doing what is best for the country.
That times are difficult is beyond dispute but thankfully, despite the seemingly endless shenanigans of the Westminster village, many businesses continue to display admirable levels of resilience and are ‘turning the corner’. It is a great shame that they are not receiving the support they need to fully capitalise on their efforts. I am not talking about handouts, I know there is very little public money available, what we need is a range of clear strategies focused on encouraging a competitive business environment. In any event spending vast sums of public money rarely has a long term effect, one has only to go back to Tony Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ response when asked about his main priorities. Businesses were complaining of difficulties in recruiting skilled staff then and, 15 years and billions of pounds later, it still has difficulty recruiting people with appropriate skills.
Leadership requires conviction and an ability to overcome difficult challenges. Arguably our lack of leadership is illustrated in our inability to overcome what might be described as the ‘too difficult’ strategy issues, take for the example of a lack of an aviation policy. I recognise that this is a controversial issue but, if we are to remain a major trading nation, we must be able, conveniently, to visit our trading partners in other parts of the world. We also need them to visit us. In the past forty years, while many of our competitors have moved forward with numerous major developments, we have built a couple of terminal buildings and increased landing fees making us one of the most expensive places on earth for business people to visit.
Whether it be resolving issues concerning skills, international travel, roads, railways, housing, high speed broadband or a plethora of other infrastructure issues it seems that we have become followers not leaders. We have become bickerers and point makers more interested in promoting narrow vested interests and proving points rather than achieving things. Perhaps, the recently introduced planning regulations will improve the situation, we shall see.
There are numerous other ‘too difficult issues’ many of which are exacerbated by the speed of change in our modern world, they nonetheless must be addressed if we are to maintain our position as a leading trading nation. To paraphrase Einstein it is a sign of insanity to keep doing things the same way expecting a different outcomes, had he been alive today he might well have warned about the dangers of pursuing similar strategies whilst the environment is changing around you.
What might be seen as political rough and tumble in Westminster amongst the national press has consequences elsewhere. I am frankly not concerned about the dietary whims of David Cameron, Ed Milliband and their dinner guests, I am even less interested in their ongoing games. We have overcome a number of challenges in recent years but there will inevitably be more to follow. We do not have time to mess about, we need to address important issues not waste time satisfying the self indulgent mores of the Westminster Village. It needs to change the way it does business, and fast.
That times are difficult is beyond dispute but thankfully, despite the seemingly endless shenanigans of the Westminster village, many businesses continue to display admirable levels of resilience and are ‘turning the corner’. It is a great shame that they are not receiving the support they need to fully capitalise on their efforts. I am not talking about handouts, I know there is very little public money available, what we need is a range of clear strategies focused on encouraging a competitive business environment. In any event spending vast sums of public money rarely has a long term effect, one has only to go back to Tony Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ response when asked about his main priorities. Businesses were complaining of difficulties in recruiting skilled staff then and, 15 years and billions of pounds later, it still has difficulty recruiting people with appropriate skills.
Leadership requires conviction and an ability to overcome difficult challenges. Arguably our lack of leadership is illustrated in our inability to overcome what might be described as the ‘too difficult’ strategy issues, take for the example of a lack of an aviation policy. I recognise that this is a controversial issue but, if we are to remain a major trading nation, we must be able, conveniently, to visit our trading partners in other parts of the world. We also need them to visit us. In the past forty years, while many of our competitors have moved forward with numerous major developments, we have built a couple of terminal buildings and increased landing fees making us one of the most expensive places on earth for business people to visit.
Whether it be resolving issues concerning skills, international travel, roads, railways, housing, high speed broadband or a plethora of other infrastructure issues it seems that we have become followers not leaders. We have become bickerers and point makers more interested in promoting narrow vested interests and proving points rather than achieving things. Perhaps, the recently introduced planning regulations will improve the situation, we shall see.
There are numerous other ‘too difficult issues’ many of which are exacerbated by the speed of change in our modern world, they nonetheless must be addressed if we are to maintain our position as a leading trading nation. To paraphrase Einstein it is a sign of insanity to keep doing things the same way expecting a different outcomes, had he been alive today he might well have warned about the dangers of pursuing similar strategies whilst the environment is changing around you.
What might be seen as political rough and tumble in Westminster amongst the national press has consequences elsewhere. I am frankly not concerned about the dietary whims of David Cameron, Ed Milliband and their dinner guests, I am even less interested in their ongoing games. We have overcome a number of challenges in recent years but there will inevitably be more to follow. We do not have time to mess about, we need to address important issues not waste time satisfying the self indulgent mores of the Westminster Village. It needs to change the way it does business, and fast.
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
We have applauded the first two ‘Osborne’ Budgets but on this occasion our verdict is ‘must do better’
As yet another Budget comes and goes I am keenly aware that the rhetoric surrounding it has changed little over the years. Those on the same political side as the Chancellor pick out the bits they like and herald the whole thing as though he had produced the elixir of life, those from the opposition pick out the bits they don’t like and accuse him of being something akin to the devil incarnate. Neither approach does them any credit nor does it do us mere mortals any particular service.
In my view this year’s budget was not too different from the majority I have listened to over the last twenty or thirty years, good in parts not so good in others, from my perspective it neither got the blood racing nor did it make it boil. Of course the reduction in Corporation tax is welcome as is the support for companies engaging in research and development but the failure to retract plans to increase fuel duty and business rates was disappointing. Despite claims to the contrary this was not a budget to inspire growth, it was neutral at best.
Whilst some Hertfordshire businesses are starting to see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ times remain tough. These, previously announced increases will only hinder hard pressed business people in their efforts to grow profits and in so doing to provide the platform that will create much needed jobs. Arguably this government has done much to stabilise the economy following years of profligacy by its predecessor but much more needs to be done.
Whilst applauding the Chancellor for ‘steadying the ship’ one is, nonetheless, entitled to ask “what next”. Once stability has been achieved we have to plan for growth. As any experienced business person will tell you standing still is rarely an option. There is much to be done and I certainly recognise that the challenges are complex but, loading additional cost burden on thousands of small businesses is not the answer. Certainly the reduction in Corporation Tax will help some but it won’t make up for the additional property costs (including rent) or the burgeoning increases in fuel costs. Added to the additional National Insurance costs landed on business during the last throes of the previous government it requires, if anything, genuine reductions in the cost of doing business.
The British Chambers of Commerce recently launched its ‘Business is good for Britain’ campaign it might have used the word ‘essential’. Whichever way one cuts it when it comes to wealth and job creation business is ‘the only game in town’. Hertfordshire businesses in particular have demonstrated extremely high levels of resilience in the face of rising costs and increased global competition. Given a supportive environment Hertfordshire businesses will begin to take up the slack in the jobs market but they cannot do so if they are continually put under pressure by the effects of indirect taxation. We have applauded the first two ‘Osborne’ Budgets but on this occasion our verdict is ‘must do better’.
In my view this year’s budget was not too different from the majority I have listened to over the last twenty or thirty years, good in parts not so good in others, from my perspective it neither got the blood racing nor did it make it boil. Of course the reduction in Corporation tax is welcome as is the support for companies engaging in research and development but the failure to retract plans to increase fuel duty and business rates was disappointing. Despite claims to the contrary this was not a budget to inspire growth, it was neutral at best.
Whilst some Hertfordshire businesses are starting to see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ times remain tough. These, previously announced increases will only hinder hard pressed business people in their efforts to grow profits and in so doing to provide the platform that will create much needed jobs. Arguably this government has done much to stabilise the economy following years of profligacy by its predecessor but much more needs to be done.
Whilst applauding the Chancellor for ‘steadying the ship’ one is, nonetheless, entitled to ask “what next”. Once stability has been achieved we have to plan for growth. As any experienced business person will tell you standing still is rarely an option. There is much to be done and I certainly recognise that the challenges are complex but, loading additional cost burden on thousands of small businesses is not the answer. Certainly the reduction in Corporation Tax will help some but it won’t make up for the additional property costs (including rent) or the burgeoning increases in fuel costs. Added to the additional National Insurance costs landed on business during the last throes of the previous government it requires, if anything, genuine reductions in the cost of doing business.
The British Chambers of Commerce recently launched its ‘Business is good for Britain’ campaign it might have used the word ‘essential’. Whichever way one cuts it when it comes to wealth and job creation business is ‘the only game in town’. Hertfordshire businesses in particular have demonstrated extremely high levels of resilience in the face of rising costs and increased global competition. Given a supportive environment Hertfordshire businesses will begin to take up the slack in the jobs market but they cannot do so if they are continually put under pressure by the effects of indirect taxation. We have applauded the first two ‘Osborne’ Budgets but on this occasion our verdict is ‘must do better’.
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
We have some wonderful High Streets which we need to support - We all have a part to play!
Reports from eminent sources proffering views about what ails our High Streets and which ones have the most vacant premises have been abundant recently, but few have done more than regurgitate the same old issues. Most have been met with the usual hand wringing, finger pointing and the accompanying blame games that are played out in response to such reports. With perhaps the exception of the Mary Portas report, few if any have provided solutions. So what’s to be done?
No one in their right mind would profess to have all the answers to such a complex issue and in a short article I am certainly unable to provide more than a few pointers to gently stir the debate. However, it seems to me that to succeed in developing successful, financially sustainable High Streets one has to presuppose that we all, retailers, central government, local authorities and the local community alike, do not merely want our High Streets to be successful but are also prepared to play their part. Without their explicit and active support no improvement will be achieved. Each and every party has to play its part and be willing to do what it takes.
Central Government could start by increasing business rate relief for smaller retailers and by encouraging local authorities to introduce local retail plans. Local Authorities might look at introducing ‘managed retail space’ at low ‘easy in easy out’ rents; something that might also have some impact on the unsustainable rent increases many small retailers seem to be facing; and, above all, review what they can do to improve the ‘shopping experience’ of customers. In the longer term they must also develop imaginative local retail plans that go way beyond maintaining the status quo and which include a thorough review of parking policies. Simply putting saving our High Streets in ‘the too difficult tray’ and forgetting about them is not an option.
High Streets need to be attractive, vibrant places they are also, like any other business areas, subject to changing trends and practices; this reality has to be reflected in any planning, it also needs to be accepted by retailers and other interested stakeholders. Today’s customer demands, convenience, quality and high service levels, all at the right price, it is essential that this is recognised by all concerned. Today’s customer has more choice than at any time in our history as time goes by the changes brought about by the ‘internet age’ will not diminish.
So to the other important player the local community or, if you prefer, the customers, what is their role in all this. Arguably, they are simply there to be served according to their needs and I for one would defend to the death their right to choose but, ultimately, without their patronage our High Streets are not sustainable. To coin a phrase they need to ‘use them or lose them’.
We have some wonderful High Streets which, if my supposition is correct we would all like to see maintained and sustained. Collectively we need to support them, we all have a part to play.
No one in their right mind would profess to have all the answers to such a complex issue and in a short article I am certainly unable to provide more than a few pointers to gently stir the debate. However, it seems to me that to succeed in developing successful, financially sustainable High Streets one has to presuppose that we all, retailers, central government, local authorities and the local community alike, do not merely want our High Streets to be successful but are also prepared to play their part. Without their explicit and active support no improvement will be achieved. Each and every party has to play its part and be willing to do what it takes.
Central Government could start by increasing business rate relief for smaller retailers and by encouraging local authorities to introduce local retail plans. Local Authorities might look at introducing ‘managed retail space’ at low ‘easy in easy out’ rents; something that might also have some impact on the unsustainable rent increases many small retailers seem to be facing; and, above all, review what they can do to improve the ‘shopping experience’ of customers. In the longer term they must also develop imaginative local retail plans that go way beyond maintaining the status quo and which include a thorough review of parking policies. Simply putting saving our High Streets in ‘the too difficult tray’ and forgetting about them is not an option.
High Streets need to be attractive, vibrant places they are also, like any other business areas, subject to changing trends and practices; this reality has to be reflected in any planning, it also needs to be accepted by retailers and other interested stakeholders. Today’s customer demands, convenience, quality and high service levels, all at the right price, it is essential that this is recognised by all concerned. Today’s customer has more choice than at any time in our history as time goes by the changes brought about by the ‘internet age’ will not diminish.
So to the other important player the local community or, if you prefer, the customers, what is their role in all this. Arguably, they are simply there to be served according to their needs and I for one would defend to the death their right to choose but, ultimately, without their patronage our High Streets are not sustainable. To coin a phrase they need to ‘use them or lose them’.
We have some wonderful High Streets which, if my supposition is correct we would all like to see maintained and sustained. Collectively we need to support them, we all have a part to play.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Hertfordshire is Inspiring!
One of the great things about living and working in Hertfordshire is that you don’t have to look too far to find examples of innovation that have impacted on the way we live today. People living and working here have been leading the way for years and, as a result of their efforts, an enormous number of ideas and inventions that influence our lives on a daily basis where created and developed here.
Imagine, if you will, not having access to mass produced paper, the modern film industry or a host of life saving drugs. No pun intended but where would we be without satellite navigation and its myriad of applications and, goodness knows, how we would survive in the modern world without mobile phone technology? The list of life changing developments emanating from Hertfordshire over the passage of time has been truly staggering and, no doubt, I will admonished for failing to highlight a host of other notable achievements that grew from the labours of people who chose this county as a base for growing their ideas.
Our record of innovation is not confined to the past, one of the great joys of my job is the fact that it enables me to visit businesses in all parts of the county that continue to keep us in the vanguard. I am constantly amazed at the ingenuity and originality that is demonstrated by Hertfordshire businesses whether in the production of innovative products or simply finding a new and better way of executing familiar processes.
The county’s achievements are not confined to high tech development either, it has been home to a legion of people who have simply been inspirational through their artistic, political and sporting endeavours; Gordon Craig was born here, Clement Atlee was educated here, and Sam Ryder introduced The Ryder Cup which was first competed for in St Albans. Today’s list of the sporting and artistic greats who have lived or been educated here is enormous; Ian Poulter, Lewis Hamilton; Jack Wilshere, Alan Ayckbourn, Michael Morpurgo, to name but a few.
Of course the real inspiration comes from the army of unnamed individuals, the great managers, engineers, hoteliers, inventors, salesman, designers, educators, strategists, caretakers, business people, employers and employees of all shapes and sizes. I am sure I have missed someone but I hope you understand what I mean. Regardless of what we see and read in the national press or hear from the legion of so-called experts about the trials and tribulations of the economy Hertfordshire is a great success story and it is very well placed to continue to be so in the future.
In short, at a time when we could all do with a little injection of inspiration, we can reasonably claim that we are surrounded by it. People in this county have been engaging in inspiring activities for hundreds of years. People in this county are still engaging in inspirational activities. At a time when we are subjected to so much negativity from people who are more conditioned to highlighting problems than being part of the solution it is about time we plugged into the positivity emanating from them.
In 2012 the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be promoting ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ a campaign to focus on what is positive in the county; we want to use it to inspire young and old; and, we want to use it to support businesses in the county in their efforts to lead us out of the current economic environment. We will highlight modern day business, educational and community achievements through an awards programme; we will continuously promote inspirational and innovative deeds and, working with like minded partners, we will continue our ongoing objective to play our part in making Hertfordshire a great place to do business.
Imagine, if you will, not having access to mass produced paper, the modern film industry or a host of life saving drugs. No pun intended but where would we be without satellite navigation and its myriad of applications and, goodness knows, how we would survive in the modern world without mobile phone technology? The list of life changing developments emanating from Hertfordshire over the passage of time has been truly staggering and, no doubt, I will admonished for failing to highlight a host of other notable achievements that grew from the labours of people who chose this county as a base for growing their ideas.
Our record of innovation is not confined to the past, one of the great joys of my job is the fact that it enables me to visit businesses in all parts of the county that continue to keep us in the vanguard. I am constantly amazed at the ingenuity and originality that is demonstrated by Hertfordshire businesses whether in the production of innovative products or simply finding a new and better way of executing familiar processes.
The county’s achievements are not confined to high tech development either, it has been home to a legion of people who have simply been inspirational through their artistic, political and sporting endeavours; Gordon Craig was born here, Clement Atlee was educated here, and Sam Ryder introduced The Ryder Cup which was first competed for in St Albans. Today’s list of the sporting and artistic greats who have lived or been educated here is enormous; Ian Poulter, Lewis Hamilton; Jack Wilshere, Alan Ayckbourn, Michael Morpurgo, to name but a few.
Of course the real inspiration comes from the army of unnamed individuals, the great managers, engineers, hoteliers, inventors, salesman, designers, educators, strategists, caretakers, business people, employers and employees of all shapes and sizes. I am sure I have missed someone but I hope you understand what I mean. Regardless of what we see and read in the national press or hear from the legion of so-called experts about the trials and tribulations of the economy Hertfordshire is a great success story and it is very well placed to continue to be so in the future.
In short, at a time when we could all do with a little injection of inspiration, we can reasonably claim that we are surrounded by it. People in this county have been engaging in inspiring activities for hundreds of years. People in this county are still engaging in inspirational activities. At a time when we are subjected to so much negativity from people who are more conditioned to highlighting problems than being part of the solution it is about time we plugged into the positivity emanating from them.
In 2012 the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be promoting ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ a campaign to focus on what is positive in the county; we want to use it to inspire young and old; and, we want to use it to support businesses in the county in their efforts to lead us out of the current economic environment. We will highlight modern day business, educational and community achievements through an awards programme; we will continuously promote inspirational and innovative deeds and, working with like minded partners, we will continue our ongoing objective to play our part in making Hertfordshire a great place to do business.
Friday, 21 October 2011
Confidence is the key!
When preparing a briefing for a visiting dignitary recently I was reminded that, despite the seemingly continuous onslaught of bad news, we lived and worked in an area which had a great deal going for it. Certainly times are tough and I acknowledge that some people will be feeling the effects more than others. Nonetheless, there are a great many things to be grateful for which, among other reasons, is presumably why so many companies have decided to invest here.
Certainly it can be argued that a number of our large companies have traditional ties to the area and are therefore more likely to remain, but that ignores the fact that their principle decision makers are no longer UK based and in an age of greater mobility they have other options. That they choose to stay here must be due to factors beyond geographical longevity.
Location and local amenities are obviously key factors and surely on that count there can be few places that are better situated. Close to three international airports. Convenient for the UKs road network. Access to quality education. Adjacent to some wonderful countryside and on London’s doorstep with access to national and European rail networks. The ability to recruit a skilled workforce with its roots in a number of the key sectors is clearly a condition that is non-negotiable.
When one aggregates these features and combines them with the existence of a reliable, broadly based supply chain I can see no reason why the area would not be the ‘location of choice’ for any business wishing to invest in the UK. True I am somewhat biased but I truly believe that the facts speak for themselves.
My point? It’s simple we continue to be bombarded with bad news by a national media that has turned being a gloom merchant into something of a national sport. How can we sensationalise a situation to cast those involved or the circumstances surrounding them in the worst possible light? As the tired old phrase goes ‘good news is no news’.
True, the prevailing trends are not what we would wish them to be. True, the global omens leave little room for optimism. And true, it may be some little time before we sense that relief is on its way. The fact, though, is that we have a number of fantastic businesses locally which, if properly supported and cherished, will play a key role in pulling us out of the doldrums. Confidence is the key, it is essential ingredient in developing the recovery While there may be little cause for dancing in the streets we should not be overdoing the gloom bit either.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Businesses are the wealth creators and should be respected as such
Ed Milliband in his speech to the Labour Party Conference spoke of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ companies apparently judging them on whether they were community minded or not. It reminded me of a question I am often asked ‘why don’t businesses contribute more’. My stock answer? ‘What, apart from providing over 300,000 jobs in the county, paying many tens of millions of pounds in business rates and taxes not to mention the support that many give to local charities, schools, etc.’ I could add that without the many successful businesses we have in this country people would not be able to pay their mortgages, nobody would meet the cost of health care and the transport system would grind to a halt. I could have course say a great deal more but usually by that point I have become more than a little ‘tetchy’ and further comment might become somewhat less measured in tone and content.
Whether Mr Milliband and his friends like it or not businesses are the wealth creators and should be respected as such. Certainly if you dig very deep you will find some that fall short of the high standards most of us set but, frankly, however you legislate you will have little impact on them. As I have said many times in this column the country needs business men and women many of whom are prepared to risk their homes, reputation and a great deal more to build and grow the organisations that are essential to the wellbeing of us all. It should also be said that by and large these businesses are created at no expense to the Government and if the people that have invested in them reap rich rewards good luck to them, sadly of course many do not.
What we need from politicians is not the all too frequent gibes but their genuine, well considered support by creating an economic environment that enables us all to prosper. Regardless of whom it might be, or what party they represent, it is my view that we are all more than a little tired of their posturing and apparent unwillingness to stick their heads over the parapet in an effort to find solutions to what currently ails us all. I think it was Tony Blair that commented that unless politicians are in government there is little they can do which may be true but, surely, a politician without conviction is even less use whether in government or not.
All this is important because currently politicians seem to focus more effort on attaching blame and opprobrium to their opponents than they do on finding solutions. Frankly I do not care who said what to whom or who is to blame for the situation we find ourselves in, I want to know who is going to come up with the solutions that are required to move us forward. I recognise that not all suggestions will work but the inert nature of the current debate is not going to get us anywhere either.
If they are struggling for ideas how about extending the NI holiday for start-ups to cover places like Hertfordshire, it might just increase the number of jobs available and result in even more in taxation. How about speeding up the planning system, there has been much talk on this subject but I remain to be convinced that the proposals currently being discussed will make much difference.
Perhaps, all the new employment legislation that is in the pipe line could be consigned to ‘the long grass’. I feel sure that with a little thought a great many more ideas could be brought forward without undermining government spending plans and, more importantly, that just might restore confidence in both our economy and our politicians. Oh and by the way Mr Milliband, I work on the presumption that all businesses are good businesses unless and until they are proved to be otherwise.
Whether Mr Milliband and his friends like it or not businesses are the wealth creators and should be respected as such. Certainly if you dig very deep you will find some that fall short of the high standards most of us set but, frankly, however you legislate you will have little impact on them. As I have said many times in this column the country needs business men and women many of whom are prepared to risk their homes, reputation and a great deal more to build and grow the organisations that are essential to the wellbeing of us all. It should also be said that by and large these businesses are created at no expense to the Government and if the people that have invested in them reap rich rewards good luck to them, sadly of course many do not.
What we need from politicians is not the all too frequent gibes but their genuine, well considered support by creating an economic environment that enables us all to prosper. Regardless of whom it might be, or what party they represent, it is my view that we are all more than a little tired of their posturing and apparent unwillingness to stick their heads over the parapet in an effort to find solutions to what currently ails us all. I think it was Tony Blair that commented that unless politicians are in government there is little they can do which may be true but, surely, a politician without conviction is even less use whether in government or not.
All this is important because currently politicians seem to focus more effort on attaching blame and opprobrium to their opponents than they do on finding solutions. Frankly I do not care who said what to whom or who is to blame for the situation we find ourselves in, I want to know who is going to come up with the solutions that are required to move us forward. I recognise that not all suggestions will work but the inert nature of the current debate is not going to get us anywhere either.
If they are struggling for ideas how about extending the NI holiday for start-ups to cover places like Hertfordshire, it might just increase the number of jobs available and result in even more in taxation. How about speeding up the planning system, there has been much talk on this subject but I remain to be convinced that the proposals currently being discussed will make much difference.
Perhaps, all the new employment legislation that is in the pipe line could be consigned to ‘the long grass’. I feel sure that with a little thought a great many more ideas could be brought forward without undermining government spending plans and, more importantly, that just might restore confidence in both our economy and our politicians. Oh and by the way Mr Milliband, I work on the presumption that all businesses are good businesses unless and until they are proved to be otherwise.
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Recent history has been littered with schemes...drowned in a sea of mediocrity
I doubt whether many employers will turn their noses up at the government’s contention that there is a need to improve workplace skills and I am certainly not going to join them even if they actually exist. Equally I will not be enrolling into that happy band of people who unquestioningly accept pronouncements, usually put forward by Ministers and their obedient servants, to the effect that qualification alone is the answer to our prayers. Indeed where it is due I intend to be as critical of this government as I was of their predecessors.
Whilst welcoming the government’s commitment to support an increase in skills within the UK workforce I have reservations as to whether the ‘new dawn’ brings with it any more realism than that which accompanied past efforts to do so. Without wishing to be seen to be too curmudgeonly it seems to me that recent history has been littered with schemes posing as the latest panacea which, ultimately, have been drowned in a sea of mediocrity.
Why, despite the enormous investment of public money in recent years, have so many schemes failed to produce little more than short term benefits rather than answer the challenges of a competitive global environment? Could it have been that providers were encouraged by a government obsessed with sound bytes to focus on delivering numbers rather than providing a quality product? Could it be that employers, seduced by the promise of fully funded training, failed to demand the higher standards required to ensure that the training on offer satisfied the needs of their business? Could it be that the whole exercise was about funding and bits of paper? Could it be that many of the schemes were simply designed to reduce the level of the political fallout attached to youth unemployment?
Harsh? Unfair? Maybe, but not entirely I think, but are politicians alone to blame? Not entirely we all have to take some of the rap. In truth many of the schemes were appropriate and well thought out, the fault lies within the execution with the result that many people have regarded some of the qualifications arising from them with a degree of disdain rather than take the trouble to understand how they might contribute to their business plans? How many had been content, simply because they were funded, to take them at face value rather than take the trouble to fully read the curriculum to understand what exactly was involved? The scheme was fully funded, the member of staff got a certificate and the provider got paid. Oh! And the politicians were able to boast about yet another contribution to the wellbeing of mankind.
How many of us have really taken the trouble to understand some of the qualifications on offer and the benefits they offer. I recently read the contents of an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration and will no longer question its efficacy or usefulness. Properly assessed it is a challenging and comprehensive qualification. Whilst accepting that not all providers have engaged in shortcuts or, indeed, all employers have failed to be sufficiently demanding, too few have been as diligent as they might have been. The result? Despite the merits of various qualifications they have ultimately delivered a great deal less than should have been expected.
The solution? Government should introduce a time served system in which higher standards are sought thus reducing the opportunity for shortcuts to be taken. Employers should be more effectively engaged to ensure that training (particularly that which is funded by Government) actually fits the needs of their business. Finally, we all need to understand that training individuals is not simply a philanthropic exercise, unless we treat it as having real value it will regarded as having none.
It is all too easy to question the credibility of vocational qualifications but the truth is that they are important to the future development of our businesses and the people who work in them. Qualifications alone are not the answer, nonetheless, we all need to do more to ensure that they are challenging and appropriate. We all need to value and support the development of higher level skills, if we do they will be held in higher regard by those achieving them. They in turn will make a greater contribution to the businesses for which they work.
Whilst welcoming the government’s commitment to support an increase in skills within the UK workforce I have reservations as to whether the ‘new dawn’ brings with it any more realism than that which accompanied past efforts to do so. Without wishing to be seen to be too curmudgeonly it seems to me that recent history has been littered with schemes posing as the latest panacea which, ultimately, have been drowned in a sea of mediocrity.
Why, despite the enormous investment of public money in recent years, have so many schemes failed to produce little more than short term benefits rather than answer the challenges of a competitive global environment? Could it have been that providers were encouraged by a government obsessed with sound bytes to focus on delivering numbers rather than providing a quality product? Could it be that employers, seduced by the promise of fully funded training, failed to demand the higher standards required to ensure that the training on offer satisfied the needs of their business? Could it be that the whole exercise was about funding and bits of paper? Could it be that many of the schemes were simply designed to reduce the level of the political fallout attached to youth unemployment?
Harsh? Unfair? Maybe, but not entirely I think, but are politicians alone to blame? Not entirely we all have to take some of the rap. In truth many of the schemes were appropriate and well thought out, the fault lies within the execution with the result that many people have regarded some of the qualifications arising from them with a degree of disdain rather than take the trouble to understand how they might contribute to their business plans? How many had been content, simply because they were funded, to take them at face value rather than take the trouble to fully read the curriculum to understand what exactly was involved? The scheme was fully funded, the member of staff got a certificate and the provider got paid. Oh! And the politicians were able to boast about yet another contribution to the wellbeing of mankind.
How many of us have really taken the trouble to understand some of the qualifications on offer and the benefits they offer. I recently read the contents of an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration and will no longer question its efficacy or usefulness. Properly assessed it is a challenging and comprehensive qualification. Whilst accepting that not all providers have engaged in shortcuts or, indeed, all employers have failed to be sufficiently demanding, too few have been as diligent as they might have been. The result? Despite the merits of various qualifications they have ultimately delivered a great deal less than should have been expected.
The solution? Government should introduce a time served system in which higher standards are sought thus reducing the opportunity for shortcuts to be taken. Employers should be more effectively engaged to ensure that training (particularly that which is funded by Government) actually fits the needs of their business. Finally, we all need to understand that training individuals is not simply a philanthropic exercise, unless we treat it as having real value it will regarded as having none.
It is all too easy to question the credibility of vocational qualifications but the truth is that they are important to the future development of our businesses and the people who work in them. Qualifications alone are not the answer, nonetheless, we all need to do more to ensure that they are challenging and appropriate. We all need to value and support the development of higher level skills, if we do they will be held in higher regard by those achieving them. They in turn will make a greater contribution to the businesses for which they work.
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