February 11, 2022

There's never been a better time to get funding to get an apprentice        

Apprentices critical to growth of top landscaping company

One of the UK’s leading experts and providers in landscaping and recycling says that their apprentices are an essential part of their growth. The Jack Moody Group, now over 60 years old and based in South Staffordshire, has fully established itself in the market and sees apprentices as a critical way to fulfil present and future roles, including managerial positions. Operations Director Ryan Colbourne, said that their apprentices are key to succession planning across their four divisions of development, commercial, maintenance and their on-site nursery.  “It’s about having appropriate staff to fulfil current and future roles of all levels – it’s a great way to grow our business and the industry. They gain knowledge, skills and qualifications, and any support they need alongside their college course." James Williams, age 22, recently joined the team as an apprentice and said: “I get the most up to date and real-life knowledge from experienced staff.  It’s invaluable experience.” And James is well liked by the rest of the company. “He fits really well into our work environment and copes really well with the mental and physical demands of the job – he’s a gym goer which helps!” continues Ryan. “He is an investment for the future, and is very much part of our company.  Apprentices really are a valuable tool for the Jack Moody Group.” The company has even put a more formal scheme in place to grow their apprentices after such great experiences with them.  Whilst James is the company’s first apprentice, the company has also now taken on Josh, an Apprentice HGV Mechanic in the Plant Hire Division. James and the Jack Moody Group have been supported by a £3,000 grant from the Staffordshire Means Back to Business Scheme, a collaboration of Staffordshire County Council and the county’s district and borough councils to support businesses to survive and thrive following the pandemic. Did you know that 70% of businesses intend to take on an apprentice this year? Why not join them with a £5,000 grant?  WATCH:  Ripple HR: Award-winning HR company takes on more mature apprentice on the way to doubling their turnover  WATCH: FMS Car and Van: Why 95% of the garage's staff are apprentices WATCH:  3 reasons why businesses say that apprentices are critical to their business

0% £3- £5k start-up Loans available

If you’re a brand new business or your business is less than two years old, you could be eligible for an interest- free loan of between £3,000 to £5,000, which can be used for most purposes to allow you to fund those key purchases to get your business off the ground. 

The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application. It’s all part of the Staffordshire Means Back to Business Support Scheme – a collaboration between Staffordshire County Council and the county’s district and borough councils to support businesses during and following the pandemic to grow and thrive.

Key stats:

• Interest free loans of £3,000 to £5,000
• No set-up fee
• No requirement for match-funding
• Unsecured
• Repaid in full after 12 months with no repayments prior to this

Thinking of starting -up but need expert advice?

If you're thinking of starting up a new business, or you're less than two years old, you could get fully-funded marketing and accounting advice to help you on your way. 

The Get Started Scheme that is part funded by Staffordshire County Council and the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund, aims to bridge the gap between the two existing schemes (the Start-up mentoring scheme and Start-up loan scheme) to give participants extra confidence to launch or continue with their enterprise with the backing of free expert professional support.

WATCH: What does Get Started offer and what makes a great entrepreneur? 

Interested?

getstarted@staffordshire.gov.uk or call 01785 277375.

Keele's Smart Innovation Hub celebrates two years

Keele University is celebrating two years of the Smart Innovation Hub which has already supported over 200 local SMEs.

The Hub provides fully-funded business support programmes, flexible workspace and a collaboration hub to help local businesses grow.

The collaborative workspace is uniquely co-located alongside the University's Business School and Innovation Centre 6, a collaboration between Staffordshire County Council Keele University and the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Is back pain affecting your business?

If musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as back, shoulder and knee pain are having an impact on your business – you are not alone!

Every year, around a whopping 27.8 million working days are lost due to sickness absence from MSK conditions.  And with an ageing workforce, this figure is set to increase.

Take steps to prevent and support MSK problems in your business, by looking at Staffordshire County Council’s Workplace Health webpage on MSK health.  It contains an informative step by step toolkit to help you deal with MSK issues.  Plus, there’s a useful guide for employers who have staff that are working from home.

And don’t forget that Everyone Health Staffordshire can support your staff to lead a healthier lifestyle, which can help to reduce the risk of MSK problems occurring in the first place.

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