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It was horrific to hear of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria that has killed more than 1,000 people this morning and my heart goes out to all those affected. Remember if you have been affected and need to talk to someone you can contact the employee assistance programme by calling 0800 328 1437.
This week is National Apprenticeship Week and I was pleased to see the theme this year is 'Skills for Life', because that is exactly what makes apprenticeships so valuable. You learn on the job, building real skills and gaining vital experience at the same time.
This is something we're especially good at in Waltham Forest. Between April and December last year we helped 265 of our residents to start jobs, supported over 600 businesses and taught 1,830 people new skills – and we want to help even more this year, including our staff.
We're proud to have a successful apprenticeships programme (fully funded by a ring-fenced apprenticeship levy) which many staff members participate in. If you want to find out more about how an apprenticeship could help you, pop into the Town Hall foyer on Wednesday 8 February from 10.30am onwards to meet our new Apprenticeship Manager, Richard Davenport.
We've also recently launched a new, easy to use Waltham Forest Jobs site to help residents find work, with a variety of roles available across several different sectors. Do spread the word about the new site to anyone who may be interested.
February is also LGBT+ History Month which we're marking by illuminating the Town Hall in rainbow colours every evening. Remember you can join our staff network for LGBTIQ+ employees by emailing the network.
 At the all-staff meeting on Thursday (9 February) I'll be joined by Giorgia Scognamiglio and Daniel Reynolds to give us an update on our plans for the money we received from Levelling Up fund, Fellowship Square parking, and our redevelopment projects as well as Daniel Hibbs-Woodings from the LGBTIQ+ network speaking about LGBT+ History Month. The invite will be in your diary - and remember if you're a few minutes late nobody can see you so don't be afraid to join us.
Have a good week.
Martin
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