 TVBC has been awarded over £250k of Rural England Prosperity Funding by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support its rural communities and businesses. Grants will be available for:
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Small scale investments in micro and small enterprises (fewer than 50 employees).
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Development and promotion of the visitor economy through micro, small and medium sized enterprises (fewer than 250 employees).
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Growing the local social economy & supporting innovation through micro, small and medium sized enterprises (fewer than 250 employees).
Grants to rural businesses will have a minimum value of £5k and a maximum value of £25k. They should support new and existing businesses to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy. This includes farm businesses looking to diversify income streams. Match funding of 50% will be required. For further information, please see https://testvalley.gov.uk/BusinessREPF.
Hampshire County Council in partnership with Surrey Council and the EM3 Local Enterprise Partnership have announced funding for Employment Skills Bootcamps for adults aged 19 and over. Each Skills Bootcamp lasts for up to 16 weeks and includes 60 guided learning hours. The first Skills Bootcamps to launch will be in Cyber security, Digital marketing, Retrofit, Heat pumps and Electrical vehicles. Further topics are planned for 2024. Participants without employment are guaranteed a job interview at the end.
There are several ways that this may help you. Firstly, if you want to recruit in any of these areas, you can register your interest in interviewing participants after completion of their courses. Secondly, if you have existing employees who would benefit from upskilling in one of these areas, they can access these Skills Bootcamps at a very low cost to you. Depending on business size, an employer contribution of 10-30% is required. Finally, if you are a training provider you can register an interest in delivering Skills Bootcamps. Further information is available at Skills Bootcamps - Hampshire County Council, or you can contact skills.bootcamps@hants.gov.uk with specific questions.
Are you aware that you can use Jobcentre Plus services free of charge to help with recruitment? They will promote your vacancies and provide advice on a number of areas including work trials, work experience and apprenticeships, and employing someone with a disability or health condition. Further information is available at Jobcentre Plus help for recruiters or from David.Wiseman@dwp.gov.uk.
Romsey Jobcentre Plus is working in partnership with Romsey Town Council and TVBC to host a job fair on Thursday 22 February 2024 at Crosfield Hall in Romsey. Employers commented on the high calibre of attendees at the last job fair, and organised interviews and made job offers as a result. If your business is interested in having a stand on 22 February, please contact Tracy.Lambe@dwp.gov.uk. Prior to the start of the fair, there will be a brief disability awareness session for employers.
Romsey Town Council is working with Unity Online to host a volunteer fair on Sunday 21 January at Romsey Town Hall. Volunteering can provide opportunities for employees to develop skills and give something back to their communities. Further information is available here: Romsey volunteer fair
HMRC and The HR Dept have put out brief helpful summaries of the key employment items in the Government's Autumn Statement that may be of interest to employers. These include the increase to the National Living Wage; employee NIC cuts; business rates relief; investment in apprenticeships; single lifetime pension pot reforms and full expensing made permanent. Find out more at: HMRC summary and HR Dept Autumn Statement
The latest HMRC employer bulletin is available at Employer Bulletin: December 2023. It covers topics including the minimum wage, payrolling, pensions and childcare choices. The HR Dept website includes a free Knowledge hub where you can access resources including blogs, a monthly newsletter, employment law updates and templates. Knowledge Hub - The HR Dept
NatWest offers a free accelerator programme for UK businesses with ambitions to expand. You do not need to be a NatWest customer to apply. It offers 1-1 coaching, focused support, networking, events and co-working spaces. More information is available at Entrepreneur Accelerator | NatWest.
The Hampshire Rural Crime Partnership are inviting those with business connections to the rural and wildlife environment to register for DISC, a platform for reporting rural and wildlife crime incidents quickly. After signing up, you will receive up to date news and alerts on incidents and crimes in the area and have a quick and direct way to report any crime that you experience. Please email discreports@hampshire.police.uk asking for a link to the registration form.
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