Black Country Business Mag Summer 2024

Education andSkills Development to Help Your Business

HalesowenCollege sees educationand skills development as acentralelement to companystaff development.

HalesowenCollege engages with localemployers to shape a curriculum that considerslocal andareaskills gaps.

HalesowenCollege offerscourses thatsupport learners to gain theskillsrequiredtosucceed in future employment strands.

Through our course offering,HalesowenCollegecan work with companies to retain valuable staff as well as developa futuretalent pipeline future talent pipeline.

Welcome to the summer edition of Black Country Business.

As we go to press the outcome of the 2024 General Election is unknown. It looks like Labour is poised to gain power which will mean acompletely new environment for Black Country businesses to deal with.

In this edition we also featurenewsof the winners of the Express &Star Business Awards as the newspaper celebrates 150 years in 2024. The 2024 Ladder for the Black Country Apprenticeship Awards are also launched in this magazine.

EDITORIAL

JOHN CORSER 01902 319481

john.corser@mnamedia.co.uk

SALES PETE HAZEL 01902 319589

pete.hazel@mnamedia.co.uk

PUBLISHED BY

BRANDAUER’S ADAM DUROSE AND STUARTBERRY COLLECTING THE AWARD

IN-COMM ACADEMY HELPS BRANDAUER WIN TITLE

The UK’sfirst Precision Tooling Academy has been recognised by anational charity dedicated to closing skills gaps in UK engineering and manufacturing.

Metal pressings and tooling specialist Brandauer was named as the SME employer skills champion of the year by Enginuity for the way it has joined forces with Aldridgebased In-Comm Training to bring the technical upskilling facility to fruition.

Judges wereimpressed by the Birmingham company’s role in addressing acritical shortage oftoolmakers by creating aspecialist 20week course to transfer of essential skills from an ageing workforce to ayounger generation.

Close to £1 million has been jointly invested by the two strategic partners to create a commercial toolroom in the training provider’sfacility in

Aldridge, which is producing complex tooling, as well as acting as aprofessional training ground for toolmakers and designers of the future.

The Precision Tooling Academy aims to reverse this trend by offering companies access to professional toolmaking courses, training opportunities for qualified engineers looking to diversify their skills and a Level 6Tool Process Design Apprenticeship to develop the next generation of talent.

Rowan Crozier,Brandauer chief executive, said: “Promoting engineering skills is alifelong challenge that we must approach on numerous levels. Being recognised forthat is great, but we invest in skills development because it is part of the DNA of our business. This is reflected in the Precision Tooling Academy.The lack of toolmakers was holding

our own growth back, but we knew this was awider issue and wanted to make sure that what we created with In-Comm Training could be used by everyone -even our competitors.

“15 months on and we’ve had JLR engineers complete the 20-week course and arecurrentlyfilling the next

PROMOTING ENGINEERING SKILLS IS A LIFELONG CHALLENGE

cohort, who come from other companies in the supply chain. It really is afantastic blueprint for how industry and

atraining provider can work together to deliver askills solution.”

Leaders from the engineering and manufacturing sector gathered at the 10th annual Enginuity Skills Awards in June to celebrate thebest in UK engineering and manufacturing talent and organisations championing skills development.

The ceremony was attended by West Midlands Deputy Lieutenant Professor Sir Nigel Thrif. Brandauer,which was joined on stage by KMF Precision Sheet Metal, JLR and Siemens Digital Industries, was also recognised for reshaping its apprenticeship programme to ensure15per cent of the workforce are apprentices and involvement in the Manufacturing Assembly Network’sDesign & Make Challenge.

INNOVATION CENTRE LAUNCH

Atlas Copco Tools and Industrial Assembly Solutions has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector by opening anew,state-of-theart smart factory innovation centre.

The facility at i54 on the WolverhamptonStaffordshireborder was officially opened by the leader of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Stephen Simkins, and leader of South StaffordshireCouncil, Councillor Roger Lees. The technology-based business park is ajoint partnership between Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South

StaffordshireCouncil.

Swedish-owned Atlas Copco is aworld-leading provider of industrial productivity solutions for awide range of markets, including general engineering, manufacturing and process industries, such as automotive, aerospace, electronics and renewable energy.

Representing asix-figure investment in re-engineering the company’sexisting building, Atlas Copco will use its UK-first smart factory innovation centreasa showcase and training hub for its industry-leading smart tooling, industrial assembly systems and machine vision solutions. The centrewill be enabled by Ericsson’s private 5G network, delivering

aleading‘Industry 4.0’ deployment that combines human-centric skills with a customised, secure, real-time wireless solution.

The centrefeaturesa replica factory production environment, enabling Atlas Copco to demonstrate the company’swhole portfolio of solutions. This includes its customisable, 5G-enabled tool control softwareand its newest error-proofing solution, and its latest inspection solution, with 3D laser technology

Councillor Simkins said: “Once again, the awardwinning i54 business park developed collaboratively by City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South

StaffordshireCouncil is providing the springboardfor innovation in industry.

“Atlas Copco’snew smart factory innovation centre will help manufacturing businesses –fromthe West Midlands and much further afield –togain acompetitive edge.”

James McAllister, general manager at Atlas Copco Tools and Industrial Assembly Solutions, said: “The Atlas Copco Group continues to innovate and break new ground as a worldwide strategic partner to manufacturers, and this major investment in our Midlands operations will further strengthen our commitment and ability to deliver real-time production efficiencies.”

ONCE AGAIN, THE AWARD-WINNING i54 BUSINESS PARK... IS PROVIDING THE SPRINGBOARD FOR INNOVATION IN INDUSTRY

CADDICK WINS £12M WAREHOUSE DEAL

Caddick Construction has been awarded a£12million contract by Staffordshire Pension Fund to build anew 100,000 sq ft distribution warehouse at Vernon Park, near Wolverhampton.

Work on the new twostorey high industrial unit will commence this month and will see Caddick Construction deliver the base-build to accommodate manufacturing, storage and distribution.

Building work will include the creation of access roads, hardstanding, car parking, cycle storage and external landscaping at the new

development, at Cannock Road, Featherstone, near Junction 1ofthe M54.

Caddick will also install loading doors, dock leveller equipment, fireescape staircases, lifts and ancillary spaces. Additional features include heating, comfort cooling, domestic hot and cold-water services, electrical installations, firealarms, and general and emergency lighting. The project adds to Caddick Construction’s growing portfolio in the Midlands, which also includes Urban Splash and Places For People’sPort Loop

development in Birmingham, wherebuilding work began in 2023.

Vernon Park also adds to Caddick Construction’s wider portfolio of industrial developments across the North and Midlands, which includes projects on behalf of Network Space and Chancerygate.

Ray O’Sullivan, regional director of Caddick Construction Midlands, commented: “Weare building ahealthyproject pipeline in the Midlands, which is flexing our expertise in anumber of our coresectors, including

residential, commercial offices, and industrial and logistics. We have an excellent team in place to deliver Vernon Park, and we will be working with suppliers and subcontractors across Wolverhampton and the West Midlands to support our delivery of the project.”

The design and consultant team at Vernon Park includes UMC Architects, Virtus Consult as project managers and quantity surveyors, Rodgers Leask as structural and civil engineering and M&E engineers, Couch Perry Wilkes.

DUDLEY BUILDING BUSINESSES WITH

Dudley Building Society,led by its chief executive James Patterson, provides solutions for its Black Country business customers

and is proud of its ongoing commitment to communities across the area

Dudley Building Society is asavings and mortgages provider with the purpose of helping people live better lives through providing outstanding customer experience, whilst helping our customers find the best savings account or mortgage for their circumstances. We exist for the benefit of the customer and work as a community,byempowering them to have asay and vote on how the society is run. Since 1858, we have been able to help customers reach theirsaving goals and provide them with the mortgage to get their dream home. That’s what we’reherefor! With physical branches across the Black Country,asother banks close down and go digital, we take pride in our presence on your local high street. We will continue to provide our customers with the best face to face service in our five branches located in Perton, Gornal Wood, Brierley Hill, Dudley and Kingswinford.

Dudley Building Society provides business, club and community accounts, aside from personal savings. Our business accounts are suitable for both corporate and unincorporated bodies. So whether you arelooking for easy access savings or to maximise your returns with fixed term savings, you will be able to find an account catered to your needs, with competitive interest rates. Varying between our Business Savers to our club and Community Two-Year FixedRateBond, or Business Notice account, you focus on flourishing your business or group, while we take care of your savings. To find out moreabout our accounts and our current interest rates, visit dudleybuildingsociety.co.uk/ savings/business-savings. Our business savings accounts come with a passbook, can be opened in one of our local branches or by post, and can be operated in person, at branch or in writing giving your business the flexibility to choose how to manage your account.

If you arecurious to know roughly how much your business, club or community could earnin interest while saving with Dudley Building Society,visit our savings calculator on dudleybuildingsociety.co.uk/ savings/personal-savings/ savings-calculator

In February,weexceeded £30million of local business savings balances. We are proudtohave been trusted by so many businesses in the local area. We know that higher savings interest rates areoften targeted at individuals instead of business accounts, so this is an accomplishment that we’re not taking lightly

We arealwayslooking for ways to improve our product and services, so to see this outcome so early on in the year is very encouraging and we hope to stay on this trajectory.Aswepass the £30m milestone, we continue to provide solutions to local business customers and, as our chief executive officer James Patterson has said: “Wedon’t take the position

WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVEOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICES

SOCIETY –HELPING THEIR FINANCES

of being acommunity-based building society for granted, we look forwardtocontinuing to serve the needs of our local communities, with the goal of helping people to live better lives.”

As acommitment to our business customers to improve our offering, we conducted asurvey for business products within the community through the Black Country Chamber’swebsite. The survey aimed at gaining moreinsight into potential futureimprovements and ensuring we work with and for the community to provide the best products we can. We will continuetocarry out surveys and to gather more customer reviews to further foster the engagement of our community.Wehope that this will help us strengthen our connection with the local business and community, which comes with being a building society for the people and from the people.

Beyond financial services, something we arereally proud of as an organisation, is our commitment to the local community.Weworkonlocal initiatives to give back to the Black Country community, and we’ve recentlydone that through our yearly Community Support Fund. This year,we focused on helping Black Country based charities and organisations that support the local region across our three areas- financial resilience, employment, and housing support. We donated £5,000 to three different charities

and £2,500 to another six. If you would like to find out moreabout our Community Support fund and who were the recipientsthis year,visit dudleybuildingsociety.co.uk/ community-support-fund

We also like to celebrate our business wins with the community.Asaway to celebrate the company reaching £600m in assets for the first time, we have donated 600 financial education books to schools, colleges and libraries.

To double down on our commitment to strengthen the financial resilience within the community,weran awebinar in partnership with the Express &Star hosted by The Money Charity in September 2023. The webinar covered topics such as budgeting, borrowing and understanding your credit score. We invited all of our customers, as well as anyone interested to hear about ways to make the most of their finances. We have also supported the upskilling of local businesses by sponsoring adigital management and leadership programme initiated by Made Smarter UK, bringing it to the Black Country for the first time.

To get in touch about our current interest rates and business, community or club accounts available, pop into one of our branches in Brierley Hill, Kingswinford, Perton, Dudley or Gornal Wood, call 01384 231414 or email us on enquiries@ dudleybuildingsociety.co.uk

WE HAVE ALSO SUPPORTED THE UPSKILLING OF LOCAL BUSINESSES

ABOVE: THE SOCIETY DONATED £5,000 TO LIFE CENTRE DEBT ADVICE BELOW:THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTFUND HELPED ACCESS 2BUSINESS

SITE COULD DELIVER 300 JOBS

Planning consent has been given for the regeneration of avacant brownfield site that will create up to 300 jobs.

Property investment and development company Goold Estates will speculatively develop a12-acreplot for industrial and distribution accommodation at the Bilston Urban Villageemploymentsite, offBrook Street.

Known as Foundry Park, the scheme will feature15new environmentally sustainable warehouse units ranging in size from 2,500 to 60,000 sq ft, designed to suit avariety of uses. Units will be equipped with features including photovoltaic roof panels and electric vehicle charging.

The Oldbury-based firm is Wolverhampton Council’schosen developer for the Bilston Urban Villageemploymentsite and purchased the land from the council.

The Foundry Park scheme represents the final phase of development at the Bilston Urban Village, with agross development value of £28 million and the potential to create up to 300 new jobs when complete.

Remediation work is expected to start on site

shortly,with the main construction following in 2025.

Dominic Goold, managing director of Goold Estates, said: “As alocally based developer,we’reexcited by the challenge of regenerating aderelict brownfield site that will bring economic and environmental benefits to Bilston.

“Weknow the regional market very well. We have delivered asimilar multi-unit employment development in Wolverhampton which is fully let and believe that Foundry Park will attract a high calibreofoccupiers.”

“This is asitewithacomplex industrial past, which has been vacant for morethan 15 years, so we’ve had to make asignificant investment in planning the extensive remediation that will be required beforebuilding the scheme. We now look forwardtostarting the remediation works.”

Councillor Stephen Simkins, the council leader,said: “This has always been an important site in our overall economic strategy for Bilston and now planning approval has been granted we can look forwardtoGoold Estates bringing forwardanother exciting development on brownfield land in Wolverhampton. It is a further milestone for Bilston Urban Village.”

AwardWinningPrincipalContractors

Refurbishments

NEIL THOMAS DUDLEY COLLEGE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND PRINCIPAL

IT’S AWARDS SEASON –RED CARPET TIME

One of the great privileges of my job as chief executive of Dudley College of Technology,is that Iget topresent alot of awards.

Usually they areto individuals who have succeeded in some way, whether that be academically achieving high grades or simply to those who by staying the course and completing their studies have realised something they doubted they could achieve.

This is of course immensely satisfying as Iknow the award is the pinnacle of averyhigh mountain it has often taken them years to climb.

In recentweeks Ihave attended the Express & Star’sBusiness Awards, in Wolverhampton, which Iwas delighted to support with the sponsorship of the Apprentice of the Year category

The nominations wereall thoroughly deserving the prize, but the winner,Sophie Chester,ofASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, was chosen because she demonstrated that awards can not only validate what has already been achieved but act as atalisman for even greater success in the future.

Having already made a substantial impact into the business having completed her Level 2customer service

apprenticeship programme, Sophie is now working towards her Level 3and looks to have agreat future with the Black Country business operating globally Ihave also presided over my own college’sannual awardceremony that we call Celebrating Success, this brings together learners and their families to mark the end of the academic year and recognise individual personal achievement.

The many inspiring stories Ihear demonstrate the power of education to transform lives. Iwon’tembarrass any one by revealing their full names. Their families and friends have already made them blush, at our event with their energetic whooping and hollering, all very deserved and adding to the celebratory atmosphere!

But Iwill describe acouple of people who illustrate this. Firstly,there’s Josh, who came to college without much to show for his school years. Completing aLevel 1course andmoving through the levels over four years, to this year completing aLevel 3, he’s now progressing to Coventry University to study for aBA Hons in graphic design.

By contrast Ethan has chosen acareerinthe automotive industry,securing aprestigious role at RS Cosworth after completing his

studies –fullyappreciating this opportunity

Sophie, aplastering student, is thinking of self employment and Iman is hoping to securearole at Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley,topursueher passion for health science.

The actor Brad Pitt once said that he had afriendwho worked at ahospice, and he said people in their final moments don’tdiscuss their successes, awards or what books they wrote or what they accomplished. They only talk about their loves and their regrets, and Ithink that’svery telling.

And whilst that might be true, Ibelieve that one of those regrets might be not setting their sights high, working to their goal and striving for greatness.

Ihave never met an award winner who regretted the acknowledgement of their hardwork and dedication– a certificate, atrophyorjust a round of applause means.

So, let’sroll out the red carpet, bring out the best clobber and celebrate award winners everywhere.

To find out moreabout the range of apprenticeships that areavailable at Dudley College of Technology contact: iotemployerservices@ dudleycol.ac.uk or call 01384 363808.

MBE FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The founder and chief executive of Wolverhampton-based Progress CareSolutions was awarded an MBE for services to children with special educational needs and their families in West Midlands in the King’sBirthday Honours List.

Balwinder Kaur Dhanoa has been recognised forher outstanding work with children and families in social careover the past four decades.

“The recognitionisfor her services to children with special educational needs and their families. Bal has dedicated her life to making adifference, and enabling disabled people to lead fulfilling lives,” said Claire Rogers, the managing director of Progress CareSolutions

Bal’scareer has been marked by pioneering advancements in carefor disabled children and young people. She championed respite care, providing much-needed breaks for families while offering enriching experiences for children. Her work with Birmingham City Council’sShared CareProgramme gained national recognition, shapinggovernment initiatives for disabled children.

Progress was founded in 2000, building on Bal’spassion for doing things differently,and has since grown into aleadingand trusted provider of carefor children and adults in the Midlands through awiderange of services, including residential homes, fostering services, and community-based support.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured to receivethis MBE in the King’sBirthday Honours,” said Bal. “This recognitionisnot just for me, but for the entireProgress team, my family,and the strong women who have inspired me throughout my life.”

Bal’scommitment to social careextends beyond her professional work.

She is adedicated supporter of various charities, including initiatives to improve the lives of looked-after children.

Her charitable works include supporting various charities through out the years, and sponsoring young vulnerable girls to achieve education so they areable to work and support their families and communities in India and Africa.

The MBE is seen as atestament to Bal’s unwavering dedication to improving the lives of vulnerable individuals and her significant contributions to the social caresector

FOUNDER BALWINDER KAUR DHANOA

KING’S AWARD CELEBRATED

Aldridge-based sports mouthguardcompany

SAFEJAWZ has been awarded aKing’sAward for Enterprise.

SAFEJAWZ was recognised forexcellence in international trade in the annual awards scheme.

The company,founded in 2014 by then Manchester University students Ewan Jones and George Dyer, makes mouthguards for athletes of all levels across sports such as rugby union, hockey,boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.

Since launching, SAFEJAWZ has protected morethan amillion athletes around the world, from grassroots level up to world champions.

The business began with amission to make sports mouthguards more fun and desirable so that athletes could better express themselves and play with moreconfidence.

They have been wornby elite athletes such as England rugby star Joe Marler,UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and the YouTuberturned-boxer KSI.

Mr Dyer,co-founderof SAFEJAWZ, said: “We’re delighted that SAFEJAWZ

has achieved aKing’sAward for Enterprise. Since cofounding the business with Ewan Jones, we’ve been on an incredible journey from the spareroom of our student house in Manchester to our current West Midlands HQ, now distributing to morethan 32 countries around the world.

“We’reexcited by the potential of the business and we’ve got big plans to keep growing while continuing to provide innovative, stylish and comfortable mouthguards to millions of athletes at all levels.”

SAFEJAWZ has recently partnered with comic books and movies giant Marvel to launch anew collection of mouthguards that areinspired by fan favourite superheroes, including Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hulk, Iron Man, Venom, Black Panther, Spider Man and Spider Gwen.

The Marvel mouthguard collection incorporates innovative JawSecure technology

The launch follows SAFEJAWZ achieving the King’sAwardfor Enterprise at the beginning of May

Mr Dyer said: “The Marvel Collection represents our brand ethos perfectly, allowing athletes of all levels to feel confident and bold,

transforming astereotypically known nuisance piece of kit into something you can wear with pride, that is both stylish and comfortable.

“From first developing the SAFEJAWZ concept in the spareroom of our student house in Manchester to now partnering with powerhouse brand Marvel to offer an innovative new range of mouthguards to athletes of all ages, the collection represents areally exciting milestone.”

The sports brand was able to accelerate its product development into new ranges

after securing asix-figure loan from HSBC UK through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

The company,which is located at Birch Lane Business Park, originally began selling clearance sports equipment on local market stalls.

It also sells its range of mouthguards online at www safejawz.com

DUDLEY HITS JACKPOT WITH CASINO

Dudley has hit the jackpot with the launch of Shaftesbury Casino –the newest addition to the Black Country town’s entertainment scene.

Located on Castle Hill, the recently refurbished venue opened its doors with anight of excitement, live entertainment, and thrilling gaming experiences.

Shaftesbury Casino Dudley was acquired from Genting earlier this year with amajor programme of works completed to transform the venue into anew destination for Dudley and the wider West Midlands.

The team has launched live poker tables as well as live roulette and blackjack at the site in addition to afull refurbishment and internal expansion. The external façade of the building has also been updated and afull programme of entertainment, hospitality and gaming planned for the rest of the year

Charles Griffin, general manager at Shaftesbury Casino Dudley,said: “Here at Shaftesbury Casino, our core aim is to provide unparalleled entertainment across the West Midlands. The successful

launch of the Dudley Casino allows us to continue bringing the best entertainment to our customers across the region and we’rededicated to creating afirst-rate experience for all our guests.

“We’reheretobethe go-to location for live entertainment, stellar performances and big screen sporting events as well as fantastic food and beverages all set in asafe and responsible gambling experience.”

At the official launch event guests weretreated to an electrifying performance by arenowned Freddie Mercury

tribute artist, who brought the legendary Queen frontman’s energy and charisma to the stage. The act set the tone for an evening filled with nostalgia and high spirits, captivating the audience with classic hits.

As part of the launch festivities, every guest received acomplimentary £10 free bet, allowing them to try their luck on awide range of classic table games.

This exclusive offer was a huge hit, with many guests enjoying their first taste of the gaming experience that Shaftesbury Casino is designed to deliver

EWAN JONES AND GEORGE DYEEROF SAFEJAWZ IN ALDRIDGE

Telford-based Precision Colour Printing has been sold to an investment firm by the Wolverhampton-based Claverley Group.

Its220 stafftransferred to Hypax. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.

The former Midland News Association owner appointed BDO to handle the sales process as the Claverley boarddecided that “manufacturing does not form part of their longer-term strategic plans”.

Hypax managing partners Christian Schmehl and Philipp Sterkel set up operations in Berlin and London last year,with the ambition of taking over middle market businesses. PCP is its first printing industry buy PCP managing director Nick Evans commented: “Under the new ownership PCP will continue to deliver the quality and service to which our customers are accustomed while investing in the futureofthe business.”

The printer will maintain a relationship with its former owners as anew long-term contract has been agreed with Claverley’sKennedy Publishing business as part of the deal.

ADudley man is hoping his new company will help people become healthier,happier and fitter

Hitesh Patel is launching ‘Humanique’ after completing abusiness start-up course with consultancy Good2Great.

“I want to encourage clients to focus on their movement and reconnecttheir mind and body,” said Hitesh, who has 10 years’ experience in this sector

He offers one-to-one sessions and weekly

FURNITURE MAKERS GIVE GUILD MARK TO BEDS FIRM DREAMS

Dreams, the UK bed retailer,has been awarded the prestigious Manufacturing Guild Mark by the Furniture Makers’ Company

HowardJames, operations manager of FurnitureIndustry Research Association International, presented the awardtoMichael Dingwall, director of production and quality,and Ian King, operational excellence manager at Dreams’ bed factory,inOldbury

Theguild mark has been Britain’stop furniture and furnishing manufacturers’ mark of excellence for over 30 years and is given to businesses demonstrating exemplary standards in manufacturing, design, product development and function, human resources, sustainability,financial stability and sales and marketing. To be successful, companies must pass arigorous audit, independently reviewed by the FIRA.

The awardfollows the

formal welcome of Dreams as acorporate partner of the FurnitureMakers’Company earlier this year.Asacorporate partner,Dreamsisconnecting with some of the most wellrespected companies in the industry,both contributing its expertise and broadening its knowledge.

Dreams’ Oldbury factory is home to a250-strong team of craftspeople, including five apprentices, spanning quilting, sewing, fabric cutting, upholstery,tapeedging, mattress tufting building and frame and drawer assembly

These bed experts apply their craft and careto meticulously make Dreams’ range of market-leading and award-winning products.

Today,60per cent of the mattresses Dreams sell are handmade at the site before being delivered to bedrooms in all corners of Britain and NorthernIreland. In-depth skills training is central to Dreams’ high-quality products and manufacturing standards. Dreams’ tape

edgers, responsible for the process of bringing mattress edges together,are trained for six months beforethey’re deemed fully competent. Tape edging is one of the most skilled jobs in bedmaking –in part because it requires walking backwards while working. Dreams employs 18 tape edgers at Oldbury who each walk 7.5km aweekon average –that’s375km ayear. The bed factory sits at the heart of Dreams’ West Midlands operations hub. In total, Dreams employs more than 500 staffinthe West Midlands across its bed factory,three distribution sites and eight retail shops.

Paul Solly,chief commercial officer at Dreams, said: “Having recentlybecome acorporate partner of the FurnitureMakers’ Company, we’rethrilled to have been accredited with the Manufacturing Guild Mark. This accreditation is areal testament to the expertise of our craftspeople and the high standards we maintain.”

COUPLE GOING TO THE WIRE

Ahusband-and-wife team have secured the acquisition of a wiremesh business after receivingfunding from business lending specialists BCRS Business Loans and UKSE.

Cameronand Elizabeth Wakeman acquired Midland WireMeshLtd following ajoint fundingpackage of £175,000.

Established in 1975, Midland WireMeshLtd, in Lodgefield Road, Halesowen, is an industrial wiremesh manufacturer serving a multitude of sectors including construction, gardening, drainage, and the pet industry

Owners Cameron and Elizabeth Wakeman decided to take over the business

when original owners David and Debbie Walters were looking to retire.

As aresult of the acquisition, Midland Wire Mesh hope to create an additional three roles, diversify the in-house services they provide to include welding and invest in new machinery

Cameron has morethan 14 years of sales, marketing, and management experience of the metal industry, in businesses including Midtherm, Servosteel and Intec Laser Services.

Aphlebotomist at Guest Hospital NHS in Dudley, Elizabeth will be responsible for the company’sfinance and business marketing.

Rather than obtain funding from mainstream lenders,

Midland WireMeshwas introduced to UKSE by Birmingham based Central Business Finance.

Central Business Finance arecommercial finance brokers based in St Pauls Square, Birmingham –helping SME’swithafull range of commercial finance products and grant funding.

BCRS Business Loans provides funding to West Midlands businesses that may not be able to access finance from traditional lenders. Businesses can secure loans from between £10,000 and £150,000 from BCRS Business Loans to support growth and recovery plans. Providing strategic loan and equity packages of up to £1 million to generate

growth, UKSE’sWest Midlands team create local job opportunities and bolster the economy by supporting SMEs across Birmingham, the Black Country,Coventry, Staffordshireand Shropshire.

Welcomingthe investment, Midland WireMeshowner Cameron said: “Myself and Elizabeth have always wanted to run our own business and when the opportunity came about, we werekeen to make it happen.

“I have always worked in the metal industry in various roles from shop floor, operating machinery to sales and management roles so I’m looking forwardtoapplying my skills and knowledge to Midland WireMeshLtd.”

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO APPLYING MY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO MIDLAND WIRE MESH LTD –NEW OWNER CAMERON WAKEMAN

FORMER CITY FACTORYHITS THE MARKET

Sanderson Weatheralland Towler Shaw Roberts have been jointly instructed to bring to the market, the iconic Niphon Worksscheme in Wolverhampton.

It follows the appointment of administrators.

The four-storey Victorian property,which had been in apoorstate, has received full planning consent for conversion to 49 apartments, 17 of which have already been constructed.

Of the residential units 13 have been let and they produce an annual income of £96,480.

Afurther 32 dwellings are still to be built. Planning consent for the current redevelopment was obtained in 2017 by United Development Homes and Niphon Limited, beforeitfell intoadministration in February this year

The former factory –which once was used to make tin trunks and coal scuttles –and its surrounding land occupies apositionfronting Lower Villiers Street, less than amile from Wolverhampton city centre. Other local occupiers include Sainsburys, Curry’s and PureGym.

Martin Zaki, for Towler Shaw Roberts said: “With aleading university on the development’sdoorstep, and inwardinvestment pouring into Wolverhampton, now is an exciting time for a residential scheme such as this to be coming to market.

“Once complete, Niphon Works will offer extensive asset management and valueadd opportunities for funds, joint venturepartnerships and developers seeking ahigh returnon investment.

Tim Simmons, of Sanderson Weatherall,said: “Niphon Worksisaniconic

buildinginWolverhampton and was originally built in 1885 by entrepreneur Robert Stroud and was once the city’s biggest factory,employing more than 300 people at its peak. Now for sale on behalf of administrators, the part complete scheme offers potential buyers an exciting, unique opportunity to acquireasite of real historic significance. Interest is expected to be strong.”

Unconditional offers are invited for the opportunity get in touch with Tim Simmons at Sanderson Weatherallor Towler Shaw Roberts.

PALLET-TRACK DRIVES G GROOWTH

Pallet-Track is making amulti-million pound investment in its technology to drive growth for its network and shareholder members.

The Wolverhampton-based pallet network will launch aseries of major updates to its IT systems and tracking technology throughout 2024.

The investment will securePallet-Track’s position at the top of the market by increasing efficiency and future-proofing its growing network.

Pallet-Track’stechnology overhaul will roll out during its 20th anniversary and coincides with the recentrecruitment of several new shareholder members.

Thomas Olsson, chief technical officer at Pallet-Track, said: “Providing the best possible customer experience is our number one priority and we aredeveloping technological solutions that will enable us to continue to deliver that.

“Our shareholder members need new ways to improve the efficiency of their operations and we will help them to achieve this with full, real-

time visibilityonthe location of vehicles and goods throughout the distribution process.

“This central visibility will also enable us to be moreefficient at the Pallet-Track hubs, improve the management of vehicles through our hubs and have full awareness of potential delays.

“The new technology has undergone a rigorous testing process with our shareholder members to ensureitfully meets the needs of our network, which includes morethan 90 independent hauliers.”

Stuart Godman, chief executive at PalletTrack, said: “This is our biggest ever investment in technology and will mark Pallet-Track’s arrival as the sector disrupters.

“As the youngest pallet network, we are the most agile, enabling us to provide the best solution on the market, while being fully transparent and giving our fantastic network greater visibility and control.”

Pallet-Track launched in 2004 with 46 shareholder members and handled 852 pallets during its first night of operation. It now moves four million pallets per year

THESMART FRIDGE WELCOMES A

ERA OF VENDING

Walsall-based vendingand refreshment operator Coinadrink Limited is allset to launch theirown smartfridgefacility, which willpioneer anew erafor self-service refreshment solutionsfor B2B.

Housed under theirfresh foodand MicroMarketdivision ExpressRefreshments, their smartfridge represents a modern and flexible alternativetotraditional vending for fresh food, cold drinks and even ambient snacks.

Withcutting edge innovationdrivingthe revolution, it will transform theway staff enjoy avarietyoffresh and nourishing foodinthe workplace

CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER THOMAS OLSSON OF PALLET-TRACK

FINDING FLEX-IBLE WAYTOGROW

Acompany which supplies specialist pipework expansion products has marked the next phase of its growth through aunique technology partnership.

Wordsley-based Stourflex and IT experts Minster Microentered into apartnership in 2020, with the team from Kidderminster’s Minster Microtaking steps to overhaul and integrate Stourflex’ssales, stock, customer relations, accounting and payroll softwareon the Pegasus platform.

Four years on, and Stourflex has announced the expansion of its office and warehouse facility following asignificant period of growth and increased turnover,with improved customer relations through its new customer relationship management system, and abetter management of stock and sales performance.

Paul Taylor,headofsales at Minster Micro, said: “Since 2020 we’ve worked extremely hard to understand Stourflex, it’speople, its systems and its ways of working.

“That process has paid dividends as it allowed us to advise and implement arange of IT solutions, remove old legacy systems, and

introduce modernsoftwarewhich we knew would improve the company’sefficiency and help fulfil their growth plans.

“It has been atremendous relationship and to see Stourflex expanding even further at their Wordsley premises to accommodate their growth is brilliant.

“We’reproud of the role we have played and how our support has given the team confidence during their expansion.”

Mike Garrington, managing director of Stourflex added: “Four years ago we knew we lacked aproperintegration of our outdated systems.

“Our sales, accounts, payroll and stock systems simply weren’tjoined up but after advice and Paul’sreal dedication to solving our issues, means we arenow readyfor the future.”

Minster Microhas morethan 40 years’ experience of supporting arange of businesses and sectors. The company is arecognised cyber security specialist and also offers afull suite of IT support services for SMEs and larger organisations. It also supplies business management, manufacturing, CRM, payroll and HR software, training and implementation.

PAUL TAYLOR AND MIKE GARRINGTON

FAMILY, TEAM AND CUSTOMERS KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF METZPRO

Metzpromanaging director Joseph Pritchardexplains how the family business has grown and prospered as it celebrates 20 years

BY MATT PANTER

To create asuccessful and progressive company like Metzpro, which has factories in Wednesfield and Telford, requires alot of special traits.

As the firm celebrates 20 years in business, the team behind it have shown resilience and determination, pride and passion, while delivering top quality and high standards in abundance.

But, for managing director Joseph Pritchard, thereare three particular factors which have been key to Metzpro’s continued growth –its family origins, its members –the

small team who work for the business –and its loyal and supportive customers.

Metzpro, based in Wednesfield and Telford, was set up in 2004 by Joseph’s father Paul Pritchardand uncle Generoso Corrado, with the support of their wives Carmelena and Marian.

They had laid the foundations two years previously beforethe launch, starting in Darlaston with a team of fewer than 10.

FAMILYISONE OF THE THINGS THATMAKES US DIFFERENT

It was set up and remains asub-contract fabrication and machining company, serving machine tool, power generation, recycling, mining and heavy transport industries.

As acompany,itexcels in one-offbespoke fabrications.

With lifting capacity of 40T, the business is able to offer awide range of fabrications

from large one-offstructures to regular production of consumable and replacement components.

As afamily company, Metzprohas built up an excellent reputation throughout the country for producing high-quality work at an affordable cost.

They pride themselves on being large enough to accommodate the most demanding requirements but say they arestill small enough to carefor clients on aone-toone basis.

The firm’smission, it says, is to continually produce high quality,accurate work at an affordable price,

INTER VIEW

delivered “error free and on time ensuring the company becomes acustomer’sone and only preferred supplier

Joseph joined in 2007 and with Paul and Generoso now retired, works alongside cousin Joanne Parker,who is the financial director

Joseph’ssister Jennifer Pritchardand Joanne’s husband Andrew Parker are also part of the team.

“Family is one of the things that makes us different,” says Joseph. “Wehaveused that to our strength and it’sbeena key reason in oursuccess.

“I believe, as afamily business, it means we area very caring business and Iam immensely proud to work with them.

Metzpro’steam and customers, Joseph adds, also contribute to the recipe for success

“Some of the team –wecall them members –havebeen with us sincethe first day we started,” he says. “They are extremely hardworking and very loyal and we love them all to bits.

“They arethe essence of our company and we are very proud of them. We work together as ateam and those on the shop floor understand what other members do in the offices and vice versa.”

Joseph adds: “Our customers have been so loyal and Ihave to say avery special thank you to them.

“Thereare customers we

still do work for now who gave us work at the very start of Metzpro. Our customers have helped us become the company we aretoday Without our customers and our team, we would be nothing.”

As the business began to expand, new premises needed sourcing and they moved from Darlaston to Neachells Lane Industrial Estate, Neachalls Lane, Wednesfield, in 2007, wherethey remain today

Metzproweathered the storm of the recession in 2009 when other competitors wereunable to, highlighting adetermination to succeed and resilience to maintain business and deliver to the highest of standards. From

that point the company pushed for moreworkand the team doubled in size as the business expanded. In 2015, Metzproinvested heavily in its machinery which has enabled it to continue to deliver work to the highest of standards.

The progress over two decades has been hugely impressive. By 2022, order books weregrowing to such an impressive point that Metzprotook on morestaff and the management realised they had outgrown the Wednesfield site. As aresult, they took on afurther factory in Telford, which has40-tonne lifting capacity

Joseph said they also wanted to thank Metzpro’s suppliers for their support.

SOME OF THE TEAM –WECALL THEM MEMBERS –HAVEBEEN WITH US SINCE THE FIRST DAYWESTARTED

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Metzpro Ltdisa subcontract fabrication and machining company, operating from our Wednesfield &Telford site

FABRICATION

WE SPECIALISE IN:

•Fabrication upto40tonnes

•Mild steel, stainless steeland aluminium

•M.I.G/M.A.G techniques

•Specialist T.I.G and M.M.A processes

•All welders coded

•Stress relieving

•Bending /rolling

CNC MACHINING SERVICES

Operating awide range of in house CNC machines, our machining facilities include:

•CNC Boring -Horizontal borers -Upto3M

•CNC Milling- Moving column machines -Upto6.2M

•CNC Turning -Lathe -Upto1.2M

•Machine shop lifting capacity-10Tonne

•Full final inspection

INSPECTION

•NDT

•MPI testing

•Ultrasonic testing

SURFACE FINISHING

•Shotblast

•Wet spray painting

•Power coating

INDUSTRIES SERVICES

•Machine tooling

•Aerospace

•Agricultural

•Marine

•Sub-sea

•Recycle

•Mining

COLLEGE THATREALLYDELIVERS

TelfordCollege is working closely with employers to deliver training, upskilling and reskilling programmes across the Black Country and wider West Midlands area.

And the process of learning doesn’tstop for the summer holidays –you can drop into the college or give us acall any time over the next few months to start the ball rolling.

What exactly does the college deliver? It’sa fast-moving curriculum which reactstoskills needs of the business community

In recentweeks the college has delivered HGV and fork lift training, set up abus driver recruitment bootcamp, and helped businesses of all sizes to broaden their knowledge of newest sustainable and energy-efficient products and processes.

As one of the largest further education centres in the region, TelfordCollege offers apprenticeships, T-Levels, and arange of university-level programmes in areas from business to health.

Businesses say they areincreasingly looking for short, sharp, bootcamp-style training programmes –and that’spreciselywhat Telford College is now delivering.

Looking to boost your digital or maths skills? The college is opening abrand newcentre in September in Telford’snew Station Quarter.

All of TelfordCollege’s adult learning programmes have one vital thing in common: they aredesigned to revolutionise your workforce, allowing you to futureproof your company

Beckie Bosworth, director of employability at the college, said: “Our bus driver training programme, which we piloted in Wolverhampton, is aperfect example of the collaborative work we aredoing across the region. We worked closely with the teams at National Express West Midlands to create the programme, which was delivered over three weeks with the backing of West Midlands Combined Authority and the Department for Work and Pensions.

“We’ve also launched aStep Into Digital Work programme, designed with the assistance of Capgemini, aimed at people looking to take their first steps into atechnology career.”

Want to know moreabout what Telford College could offer to you or your business? Email employability@telfordcollege.ac.uk or speak to the employer engagement team on 01952 642554.

SARAH DAVIES TALKS TO STUDENTS AT THET-LEVEL EVENT

£200,000 MACHINERYBOOST

Morethan£200,000 of new equipment has been installed at Alloy Wire International and is set to deliver £2 million of additional capacity

The manufacturer of round, flat and profile wirehas gotits two single hole blocks, threehole dry drawing machine and four-spindle spooler now fully operational at its state-of-theart factory,inBrierley Hill.

This will give the business the ability to reduce lead times even further,whilst also allowing it to offer clients in the automotive, aerospace, defence, oil and gas and medical sectors with access to larger volume quantities.

Bosses have also pressed the button on upgrading its tensile testing machinery,

which will help it speed up the pre-job trial process and broaden the range of support offered to customers throughout the full duration of projects. “Wehad ourbest April on record for outgoing orders and the pipeline of activity shows no sign of things slowing down,” said Andrew Du Plessis, technical director of AWI.

“The decision was made last year to embark on a £500,000 investment drive and these latest installations areanimportant part of this strategy.Eachone has been tailored to suit our specific production requirements and to have them operating on the shop floor is great to see.”

He continued: “Our success is all about making

sureweare ahead of the competition when it comes to manufacturing agility,quality and delivery performance. The latter already sees us produce wireinthree weeks, nobody else can do that.

“This investment reinforces this capability,aswell as giving us nearly £2m of additional capacity to work with.”

Alloy WireInternational is passionate of the ‘Made in the UK’ brand, exporting its 60-strong range of exotic alloys to 65 countries.

This means material made and tested in its factories in Brierley Hill and Yorkshire isused as far away as Azerbaijan, Australia, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and India.

Export success has not

been anew thingfor the company,infact it has been trading internationally for 77 years, building astrong sales agent network with representatives on the ground in its coreEuropean, Chinese, Australian and US markets.

This has really paid offin the latter,delivering its largest ever export order (worth US $400,000) to supply ahigh strength nickel cobalt alloy to aUSspringmaker.

Mr Du Plessis added: “The investment doesn’tstop there, with anew £90,000 finisher due for August this year,closely followed by adry drawing pointer

“All of this will ensureAWI continues to be known for our mantra… ‘manufacturing quality –delivering reliability.”

OUR SUCCESS IS ALL ABOUT MAKING SURE WE ARE AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION WHEN IT COMES TO MANUFACTURING AGILITY, QUALITY AND DELIVERY PERFORMANCE

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER COMMITMENT

AWolverhampton-based health cash plan provider’s ongoing commitment to its customers has been recognised through an industry mark of excellence.

Paycare’spolicy documents have received the ‘Clear and Simple Mark’ from Fairer Finance, an independent ratings agency which works to help people make better financial decisions and ensure they receiveoptimum value from their insurance products.

The accreditation recognises excellence in transparency and communication and is

awarded to organisations’ documents and websites that arewritten in simple language and which areclearly designed.

Anthony Burns, Paycare’s chief executive, said:

“Traditionally,insurance product documents have been difficult to understand, with numerous amounts of jargon weaved in and small print at the end detailing specific policy restrictions and limitations. This can make it very confusing for individuals to not only understand the exact terms of their policy, but to know how to benefit

fully from it. As abusiness, we’ve always been passionate about making sureweput our customers first and in supporting them to reap the rewards of their health cash plans.

“And this means doing all we can to ensurethat not only do they know what benefits areavailable to them, but that they know just how to access these simply and effectively

“Which is why we chose to work in partnership with the team at Fairer Finance to enhance our policy documents to ensurethat they’reasaccessible as

possible for our Policyholders and that the details within them areclear,concise,and comprehensible.”

Externally reviewed against strict criteria, Paycare’s new documents have been carefully designed with the average UK reader in mind– with less words per page, shorter sentences, and the incorporation of more colourways.

The traditional ‘Terms and Conditions’ format has also been changed to amore manual style, with an easy-tonavigate contents page and FAQs.

CHEERS FOR COINADRINK

Walsall-based vending and refreshment operator Coinadrink won the best customer service awardatthe Vendies Awards 2024!

The annual celebration that brings together the best of the vending and refreshment industry

Family-run Coinadrink has served the West Midlands and beyond with quality refreshment solutions since 1962. It has a74-strong team serving morethan 2,000 customers.

The business prides itself on combining the latest vending innovations with a longstanding personal touch, building relationships with customers that have seen them become the go-to brand

for refreshment solutions across the region.

The firm’slate founder Roger Williams installed these service-based values over six decades ago, with son Tom Williams picking up the baton in 2022 and continuing where his dad left off.

Tomsaidofthis award: “I am incredibly proud of both the individual and company recognition we achieved at The Vendies2024.

“Towin the customer service awardasabusiness is an incredible feeling and a testament to our whole team buying into our mission of providing agreat service, at a fair price with apersonal touch for our customers.

“The customer feedback we collect on adaily basis

says we aredoing agreat job of delivering on ourpromises and this awardisthe result of consistent hardwork and commitment to the highest of standards.

“This serves of afurther mark of confidence for our current customers and any potential futurecustomers to place their trust in us as their partner for refreshment solutions.”

Engineer Kieran Jones won the best service engineer award. He also won the same accolade in 2022 and colleague Mike Powell won in 2023.

Operator Samantha MacKirdy was recognised for her dedication and professionalism in serving customers up and down the

Midlands and was highly commended by judges in the woman of the yea” category

“Tohave Kieran, part of our field service engineer team take home Best Service Engineer is ahuge moment of pride.

“Kieron has been with us for over 10 years now starting out as an apprentice and has developed into areallygreat engineer that we know gets the job done well on any call he attends.

“His first fix rate is excellent and his relationship with stakeholders, both internally and externally really sets him apart.” Tomsaid. He continued: “Sam is ahuge personality and valuable member of our operations team.”

THE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK WE COLLECT ON ADAILY BASIS SAYS WE ARE DOING AGREATJOB OF DELIVERING ON OUR PROMISES AND THIS AWARD IS THE RESULTOF CONSISTENT HARD WORK

MSC HELPS STUDENTS LIVE LIFE IN FAST LANE

MSC Industrial Supply in Wednesbury is a2024 engineering partner for Warwick Moto –the studentledelectric racing bike team at the University of Warwick.

Founded in 2019, Warwick Moto sees ateam of students from the School of Engineering collaborate with industry partners to design and build an electric superbike capable of competing at the highest level.

The new bike, which is being fully built by the students in one academic year,isset tobe unveiled, along with its heavily guarded

and impressive spec, in July 2024 with MSC ahead of planned races in the Netherlands and the UK. It can be revealed that the new bike, which is also fully electric, will be lighter,and faster than Frontier,the previous bike.

In 2021, the previous Warwick Moto team pioneered liquid immersion cooling for motorcycle batteries. They delivered arace-ready bike named Frontier,in2021.

It featured an all-electric powertrain capable of matching the performance of a1,000cc superbike.

Engineers from MSC

at Pacific Avenue will be providing awealthoffirsthand toolingand engineering support to the team, with a particular focus on the casing for the bike’sbattery

The Warwick Moto team has already undertaken several CNC machining and 3D printing development sessions at MSC’sTechnology CentreinWednesbury,while the MSC team will also provide ongoing consultancy support to the young and already experienced team. Gregor Vetter,chief engineer,and undergraduate student said: “Juggling our

academic responsibilities with this ambitious project has been an incredible challenge, but also an invaluable learning experience. Designing and building ahigh-performance electric superbike provides hands-on opportunities that simply cannot be replicated in aclassroom setting.

“Weare immensely grateful to our sponsors for making this one-of-a-kind project possible.”

The sponsors for this years’ bike areWMG The University Of Warwick, Norton Motorcycles, MSC and Catapult.

We havebeen awarded

We’reverypassionate to have our home in the Black Countryand to be named as its‘Manufacturing Champion’ by the Express and Star is a massivehonour.Importantly,itreinforcesthe culturewehavebuilt and thatisverymuch about our people,who allown apartofour business.”

TomMander, Managing Director of AlloyWireInternational

HEADLINE SPONSORS

ASSOCIATESPONSORS:

NEWS BUSINESS AWARDS EXPRESS &STAR’S

The newspaper’s glittering annual Business Awards

movedtothe Civic at The Halls, Wolverhampton, and once again proved to be a highlight of the year for many Black Country companies that won awards

Therewas laughter, dancing and wild celebrations from many of the winners at the Express &Star Business Awards 2024.

The awards shone a spotlight on business talent across the Black Country and marked the start of the newspaper’s150th anniversary celebrations..

Host Des Coleman, the Central television weatherman, took to the stage from the back of the hall to get the party mood going with a performance of Love Really Hurts Without You that got the morethan 300 guests singing along, clapping and dancing. He even got Black Country Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sarah Moorhouse up on stage to dance along with him.

The Civic Hall in the University of Wolverhampton at The Halls complex was the venue for the black-tie dinner and saw 11 category awards presented.

Express &Star Editor Mark Drew presented Inco

Contracts, of Dunston Business Village, near Stafford, with the Business of the Year award.

He told guests that judging had opened his eyes to the world class work being done by business across the circulation area.

“Weare celebrating 150 years and supporting businesses has always been at the heart of what we do. I hope we will continue to do that through event like this and our day-today reporting of your good work,” he said.

Special guest, Wolverhampton-born Suzi Perry presented two special recognitionawards on the night to Matthew Randle, general manager of Dreamland Bedding, Brierley Hill, for transforming the business, and John Donovan –founder and managing director of JJX Logistics, Kingswinford, for being a“true visionary leader with nearly 30 years of experience”.

The new Labour Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker,told guests: “This is a fantastic awards event.

He said he had been pleased to meet so many great businesses that were making acontribution to the regional economy and the Black Country and helping to drive growth.

The other awardwinners were: Young Business of the Year: UK FireDoor Training; Manufacturing Champion: Alloy WireInternational, Brierley Hill; Growth and Innovation: Metelec; Family Business of the Year:Play@ Lower Drayton Farm; Employee Wellness Excellence Award: Pallet-Track, Wolverhampton; Employee of the Year:Lydia Hopley,The APC; Business Person of the Year: Jonathan Smith, The APC; Hospitality,Leisure and Retail Business of the Year: Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust; Apprentice of the Year: Sophie Chester,ASSAABLOY Opening Solutions, Willenhall and Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year:Addfield Environmental.

The evening raised £2,505 for charity Midlands Air Ambulance.

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEARTOF WHATWEDO

NIGHT KICKS OFF 150 CELEBRATIONS

Topleft: Suzi Perry was aspecial guest at the awards

Topright: Employee of the year Lydia Hopley

Bottom left: Host Des Coleman got guests dancing

Bottom right: West Midlands Mayor RichardParker

people eop Tomorrow’s

Sandwell College Equipping Next Generation Employees

SandwellCollegearesupportingthenextgeneration ofemployeesbyensuringourstudentsare“work ready”whentheygraduatefromtheirstudies. TheCollege’sFamilyofcampuseslocatedacross

theWestMidlandsareallsupportingprogrammes designedwiththeemployerinmind,ando ering highly exiblesolutionstoworkseamlesslywith yourobjectives.

To ensureopportunities areprovided for early-career talent to shine through, SandwellCollegeisalways lookingtoalignwithcorporatepartnersabletosupport ouryoungpeople,manyofwhomwillbereadyforan Apprenticeshiporfull-timeemploymentassoonastheir

courseiscomplete.Webelievethatbyfarthebestroute forbusinesseseverywheretoimprovee ciency,drive conversionsandcreatepositiveresultsforsuccession planning,istotapintothefullpotentialofcareerstarters andbene tfromastrongpoolofcandidatestorecruit.

So

TOMORROW’S

DEVELOPING SKILLS TO DRIVE BUSINESS

Developing skills and driving business, while boasting bestin-class facilities and exceptional training standards, Tomorrow’sPeople is the Sandwell family of colleges’ learning, recruitment, training and apprenticeships specialist –based in the heart of Birmingham city centre.

Established to collaborate closely with businesses, Tomorrow’s People provides them with sound strategic and operational support to ensureaskilled and growing workforce in an ever-changing market.

HIGH-PROFILE

Recent high-profile partnerships include Jet2 and Jet2holidays, which have generated the launch of asector-based work academy programme (SWAP) giving candidates opportunities to securecustomer helper and

baggage handler roles within the employer’s Birmingham Airport operations. Our very own 737 aircraft fuselage plays an integral part in the three-week hospitality industry training programme.

Holiday Inn and Starbucks arealsoamong Tomorrow’sPeople’srecent big-name collaborations, supporting recruitmentfor barista and other positions which open doors for students, providing them with apathway to pursue their passions and empowering them to create apositive impact and thrive in their futurecareers.

Head of business development, Paula Sinclair,said: “It is amazing to be working with such incredible employers who value educational collaboration.

“Weare thrilled to embark on this journey together and create fantastic opportunities for our students. We look forwardtoworking hand in hand with you to shape and fulfil workforce needs.”

REMARKABLE

Beyond support for the Hospitality sector, the work of Tomorrow’s People extends to working hand in hand with remarkable organisations such as the National Health Service, construction industry and the Civil Service -all of whom have joined with us to enable even morejobseekers in their journey back into employment. SWAPs arefastproving to be effective partnerships between your business, JobcentrePlus and us, with training matched to your business sector to fill multiple job vacancies, and make the ideal starting point for apprentices or on-the-job professional development.

So if you’reanemployer looking to recruit for multiple roles, please do get in touch today to discover how our SWAPs and apprenticeship programmes can benefit your business. Call us now on 0121 667 5018.

DOORS FIRM IS CELEBRATING ITS 50TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Directors of Rowley

Regis-based Birmingham Garage &Industrial Doors

Ltd proudly explain how the business with the motto ‘flexibility is our strength’ has thrived by combining innovation and old fashioned metal bashing

BY JOHN CORSER

2024 is areal milestone year for Birmingham Garage &Industrial Doors Ltd, in Rowley Regis, as it celebrates 50 years in business in the Black Country.

The company now has four directors (pictured above from left: Paul Doswell, Mark Tolley,Lewis Foulds and John Foulds) and four units across Griffin Industrial Estate on Penncricket Lane, totalling roughly 35,000 sq ft.

It currently has around 60 employees and an approximate annual turnover of around £4 million.

Birmingham Garage

&Industrial Doors Ltd manufacture, supply and install the signaturebespoke Rowley Range Steel Side Hinged, as well as offering installation on arange of other quality domestic garage doors.

It also makes doors for the retail and domestic markets, industrial doors, its own Securi-Storerange and offers powder coating services.

The company was founded by John Foulds and the late Philip Fitzpatrick. They started out in 1974 operating from half arailway arch, in Selly Oak, making garage doors for the domestic market and later moved to Blackheath before

WE HAD JUST £50 EACH AS CAPITAL WHEN PHILIP AND I STARTED THE BUSINESS

finding the Rowley Regis site, which has been their current home since 1979.

“Wehave grown from nothing. We had just £50 each as capital when Philip and I

started the business,” said Mr Foulds.

“I had several jobs including training as acarpenter and working on building sites, which Igave up to start the business. My skills were useful because alot of doors and frames then used timber

We started out on wooden doors and over the years have moved into using steel and aluminium.”

Director Paul Doswell said:

“The company is proud to do all its manufacturing in house at Rowley Regis.”

John is proud to say:

“Weare old fashioned metal bashers and do all the cutting, folding, bending and drilling.

INTER VIEW

We do everything we can to ensurewemakeareally good product and want them to last for years.”

The on site showroom offers customers the opportunity to view afull rangeofworking and static quality garage doors.

The company’swebsite–www.bgid.co.uk –has recently been refreshed over the last few months and shows potential customers aguide to what Birmingham Garage &Industrial Doors Ltd can do for them.

It also has the facility to request aquote.

Having customers all over the country,they arehappy to offer delivery and services nationwide.

Mr Doswell said that some of its security products were developed for the former Stars News Shops business.

“You will see our products on high streets. We deal directly and indirectly with a lot of the biggest high street names.

“Weare aone stop shop for retail customers and supply roller shutters, shopfront systems, steel security doors and much more.

“Weoffer bespoke fabrications for all customer requirements.”

Birmingham Garage & Industrial Doors Ltd has its own fleet of sign written company vans. Each van is assigned to atwo-man team that carry out the fitting,

maintenance and 24-hour repairs.

Mr Doswell said: “Wehave a24/7 operation for call outs.”

Mr Foulds said: “The business has changed beyond recognition since 1974. We have been able to spot new opportunities as we have gone forwardand have never sat still.

“As we go into our next half-century we are determined to continue in that way

“Wehavelearned over the decades that some products go out of fashion, and you may have to change the product mix and try something else.”

Mr Doswell said that the firm’smotto ‘Flexibility is our

Strength’ remains true in 2024 and the business is always ready to do what the customer wants.

“Wehavecome up with many products that really sell themselves.

“Wordofmouth has been important to us. In winning new customers, we rely on ourreputation for quality and recommendations from satisfied customers.

“Repeat custom is also a vital part of our business,” he explained.

The establishment of a powder coating plant has allowed Birmingham Garage & Industrial Doors Ltd to extend its business to the trade, offering aquick turnaround and aqualityproduct.

IN WINNING NEW CUSTOMERS WE RELYONOUR REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SATISFIED CUSTOMERS.

We Manufacture,Install,Repair and Service awidevariety of Domestic, Commercial &Industrial Doors

OurlargeIndustrial Door Manufacturing Department consists of:

Industrial &Commercial Roller Shutters

BespokeSolid &Louvered Steel Door Sets

Fire Shutters

Fire &Smoke Curtains forall sectors

BGID’s aluminium retail shopfront and automatic door department cancater for allshopfront needs

Our Garage Door Showroomisa welcoming opportunity to discover our full rangeofquality products including;

Bespoke Handmade Rowley

Range Side Hinged

Garador Up &Overs

Garador Sectionals

Aluroll Roller Shutters

Hurst Composite Front Doors

Allour products comeina widerange of coloursand finishes to suityour needs thanks to our in house Powdercoating Plant

Emergency 24 Hour Call Out Service available for both Domestic &Industrial

EVENTS

VENUE FOR THE BELFRY

Anew events venue is planned at The Belfry Hotel &Resort, nearSutton Coldfield.

The Belfry is undergoing an £80million expansion and renovation project. The Masters Suite will cover 852 sq metres, which will accommodate up to 648 guests for banquets and has amaximum capacity of 920 attendees.

Expected to be finished by the autumn of 2025, the suite’s size allows for flexibility,with the ability to divide it into smaller spaces and also includes a pre-function area, amezzanine level, an outdoor terrace, and a boardroom.

Visitors will also have access to 80 electric vehicle charging points and complimentary onsite parking.

Chris Eigelaar,resort director, said: “The commencement of work on site is asignificant moment for the entireteam at The Belfry after years of planning behind the scenes. Work on the new The Masters Suite and the wider refurbishment is moving at quite apace already,and it’sexciting to see the progress that’smade each day

“Weare experiencing increased demand for large events in the luxury venue market from both new and existing customers. The Masters Suite and adjoining bedrooms will transform our offering by providing adedicated space for the meetings, incentives, conferences and events market. It will also be the perfect luxury venue for large weddings. We’relooking forwardto building on our reputation as an outstanding business, leisure, and golf destination.”

HAULIER IS ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

Alogistics firm has invested morethan£1 million in amove to a new 1.5-acrepremises and doubled the size of its fleet following a period of rapid growth.

Trailer Freight International has moved to anew headquarters, in Navigation Way, West Bromwich, after outgrowing its previous 10,000 sq ft site, in Walsall.

Such has been the speed of its growth that it has upsized again just three years after moving to the Walsall depot from its original home, which was also in Walsall. It has also increased its fleet to 18 vehicles, up from its

original nine. TFI director Allan Collins said ahugepart of the company’ssuccess is down to its shareholder membership of the Wolverhampton-based Pallet-Track network, which it joined in September 2021.

The hub-and-spoke network enables TFI to work with other independent haulage companies to transport goods nationwide in an efficient way Mr Collins said: “Our recentgrowth is an enormous success story and we have been able to achieve it while keeping our roots firmly within the Black Country,just afew miles from the M6 and M5.

“This growth has come off the back of our Pallet-Track

membership –our team are doing an excellent job with the Pallet-Track work, and it has reallypaid off.

“It is testament to how quickly we have grown that we areonthe move again. The futureis looking bright for TFI.”

TFI was established in 1983 operating daily freight services to NorthernIreland and the Republic of Ireland, with two employees and a5,000 sq ft warehouse using subcontracted transport. It now boasts athriving international freight forwarding division and was sold to NorthernIreland-based logistics firm Express Distribution Services in 2015.

HOXTON SNAPS UP DUDLEY FIRM

Advisory firm Hoxton Capital Management has bought a business in Dudley

Alpha Financial Services, established in 1996, manages £80 million in assets for morethan 300 families and businesses.

It offers various financial services including investment planning, pensions and life insurance advice.

It will be Hertfordshire-

based Hoxton’sfirst office in the region. Hoxton has also bought Bartholomew Financial Planning in Guildfordwhich focuses on personalised financial planning for 80 clients.

Thomas Maddison, acquisitions director at Hoxton Capital Management, said: “Weare thrilled to announce our acquisition of Alpha Financial Services

and Bartholomew Financial Planning, both firms with excellent reputations for their holistic approaches to financial planning and their commitment to client satisfaction.

“These acquisitions reinforce Hoxton’sdedication to providing unparalleled financial solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients.”

CONCERO SUPPORTFOR HEROES

ConceroUKisthrilled to announce that it has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

This milestone symbolises the company’s unwavering support and dedication to the armed forces and their families.

For those unfamiliar with the Armed Forces Covenant, it is apromise from the nation to those who serve or have served, as well as their families, to ensurethey aretreated fairly and are not disadvantaged in their daily lives.

One shining example of the incredible talent ConceroUKisprivileged to support is Tom Gee, who had 16 years of service after joining up at the age of 16.

After facing challenges upon leaving the Army,Tom joined Concero, wherehis exceptional discipline, management prowess, and ability to thrive under pressurehave genuinely impressed the team.

His journey is atestament to the remarkable skills and resilience that armed forces members bring to the civilian workforce.

ConceroUKfirmly believes in offering equal opportunities for all members of the armed forces.

Signing the Covenant is just the beginning for ConceroUK. The company is committed to empowering and employing individuals like Tom, ensuring their skills arerecognised and valued.

Tomjoinedtoinitially provide education tech support with the ConceroEducation Technology team.

As business lead for ConceroTechnology Services he is now responsible for the company’slargest business client, and leads a team of 11 people.

For those curious to learnmoreabout Tom’s inspiringjourney,read the latest news article for the full story on ConceroUK’swebsite –https:// concero.uk/

ConceroUK, headquartered at The Westlands, Compton Road, Wolverhampton, supports organisations by designing, building, and delivering specialist technology services, support, and solutions.

The business provides specialised technology,support, and solutions across the education sector (ConceroEducation Technology) and the financial sector (Concero Technology Services).

aproud Forces Friendly Employer,werecognise

HELP TO MAKE SURE THATBUSINESSES REALLYSTAND OUT

Today,capturing the minds of your audience on awebsite requires more than just words on apage.

Your website is the one place whereyou can showcase your brand and the first port of call wherepotentialcustomers will want to find out moreonwhat you can offer to them.

So wheredoyou begin? How do you ensure that you stand out? In this blog, we will provide the top tips on how your website can stand out from the crowd and make an impression on all those that view it with visual storytelling.

Enter this world, whereevery image, colour, and design element plays ahuge role in your brand’snarrative, how it looks, how it feels and how you arerecognised as abusiness online. Deciding on these aspects is hugely important, as this is what you will be known as.

At MNA Digital, we know the transformative power of visual storytelling in web design and its ability to elevate your online presence to new heights. Visual storytelling serves as a

great opportunity to showcase adigital journey through your website. From striking imagery that promotes curiosity to intuitive design layouts that enhance user experience, every element of your website should contribute to acohesive narrative that resonates with your audience.

To achieve this you can incorporate interactive elements such as sliders, carousels, and galleries to showcase your products or services engagingly and dynamically Additionally,you can use interactive maps, timelines, or infographics to present complex information in avisuallyappealing format that encourages exploration.

Not only this, but personalisation is key to making your website truly stand out, and when combined with visual storytelling, it becomes apowerfultool. By leveraging data analytics and user behaviour insights, you can tailor visual content to meet the specific needs and preferences of your visitors. This means showcasing images, videos, and interactive

elements based on past interactions, offering personalised visual experiences, and creating amoreengaging and relevant user journey. Personalised visual storytelling not only enhances user satisfaction but also fosters a deeper connection with your audience, driving higher engagement and conversion rates.

As technology continues to evolve and consumer preferences shift, visual storytelling in web design will only become moreprominent

At MNADigital, we remain at the forefront of innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity to deliver web experiences that inspire, inform, and delight.

In conclusion, the importance of visual storytelling in web design cannot be overstated. With MNA Digital as your trusted partner,you can unlock the full potential of visual storytelling to create memorable digital experiences that leave alasting impression on your audience.

Let us help you bring your brand’sstory to life: https://www.mnadigital.co.uk/websites/ or call 01902 319730.

MNA DIGITAL CAN HELP RAISE AN ONLINE PRESENCE

THE RECEPTION AT HALESOWEN COLLEGE

CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP AND HELPING STUDENTS FLOURISH

The need to address the region’sskills gap is becoming ever moreclear and asubject receivingalot of attention amongst educational and business commentators.

We hear that staffrecruitment is not only a costly exercise, but also achallengingone, due to the skills shortages across the local area. Employers repeatedly tell us of candidates not being equipped with the work-ready skills they require, not just the practical skills but the soft skills which aresovital for employers.

Halesowen College has an excellent reputation in offering aquality educational experience for all learners across awide curriculum; be that the traditional A-level route, awidevocational offering, T-levels, our apprenticeship pathway or adult-learners looking to upskill or re-skill. All learners are welcomed into our community irrespective of their background, ability and prior knowledge, including learners with additional needs or those with English as asecond language. We will work with all of our learners on aspirational outcomes to become the best that they can.

We do however, acknowledge that a qualification is no longer enough and that we

need to go beyond this if we aretodevelop and instil employability,social and life skills into our learners. With anew leadership team at the helm at Halesowen College, anew strategic plan has been drawn up that will look to address this. Halesowen College aims to be exceptional, that our students will be inspired to be ambitious, achieve their potential, flourish personally and professionally and crucially use the skills that they have developed during their studies.

Employers and stakeholders areintegral to these aims, and we value the relationships we have in place with them. We work closely employers to help shape our curriculum to ensurethat learners areprovided with the knowledge they need to progress. Through our employer engagement events and forums, we have listened to employers and organisations across many business arenas who have told us the qualities they want to see in potential employees.

Our response is to incorporate the ‘PowerPack of Skills’ into every learner’sstudy plan. This ‘PowerPack of Skills’ will cover the key skills commanded into today’sindustries; communicating, problem-solving, digital literacy skills, resilience and confidence, independent

living, time and workload management –all key to developing aholistic learner and providing a solid foundation that will help in shaping better outcomes and support their development to positive destinations in their chosen career path. We want our learners to leave Halesowen College as rounded individuals who can meet the skills gap across the region andinturnhelp communities contribute to the wider economy and society

Working collaboratively with local employers is important to us. Each month, we host Big Business @B63 breakfast meetings in conjunction with the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and Halesowen BID. These events bring together employers and professionals and provide an opportunity to network with like-minded businesses and listen to business themed talks and area updates. These sessions areFREE but spaces arelimited, so to avoid disappointment you MUST book your place in advance by emailing: membership@ blackcountrychamber.co.uk.

To explorehow Halesowen College can engage with and support your business or organisation, contact our employment engagement team on 0121 602 7777, or email gjohnson@halesowen.ac.uk

TheExpress &Star in conjunction with Ladder forthe Black Countryand Compass UK&I have announcedthe official launch of theLadder forthe Black CountryApprenticeship Awards 2024.

These awards aredesigned to showcase the best apprentices and their employers across the BlackCountry.

This supplement highlights the awards categories and criteria, their sponsorsand howyou can enter either an individual apprenticeoryour owncompany.

Onceentries have closed and the judging has taken placethe aWards will culminate in apresentation evening at West BromwichAlbion Football Club

We look forwardtoreceivingyour entries.

Compass: arecipe for great training

Compass Group UK &Ireland is proud to sponsor The Ladder for The Black Country Apprenticeship Awards 2024.

Jonathan Foot, the head of apprenticeships and early careers for Compass Group UK & Ireland, explained that the group operates in morethan 5,000 locations right across the UK and Ireland –providing expert catering, cleaning and facilities management services to arange of clients and sectors.

Employs

In the UK and Ireland Compass employs tens of thousands of talented people providing tasty,well-cooked food and support services to improve the health and wellbeing of workers, school children, hospital patients, the military and visitors to the nation’smajor sports and cultural events.

Mr Foot said: “Earlier this year,welaunched Xcelerate with Edgbaston. This is astate of-the-art facility,providing front of house, back of house, facilities management and IT digital solutions training for budding chefs and hospitality professionals of the future.

“This regional community skills and learning hub is equipped with cutting-edge technology allowing people to train with the latest

innovations to provide customers and clients with great food and great service.

“Wewant to take alead in training up the chefs, event managers, receptionists, baristas and facilities managers of the futureand showcase the hospitality sector as agreat place to work,” explained Mr Foot.

The Xcelerate project is ajoint initiative with Edgbaston, Levy UK+I and Compass.

It aligns with mutual goals to empower local communities, notably be reinforcing Compass’s‘Mission to aMillion’, acampaign aiming to impact one million lives by 2030. “These awards bring to life our commitment to supporting careers and the local community and we aredelighted to be involved,” added Mr Foot.

THE GROUP’S STAFF PRODUCE GREATFOODFOR ALL KINDS OF EVENTS EACH YEAR

APPRENTICES ON CAREER LADDER

The Ladder for the Black Country Apprenticeship Awards return for their thirdedition in November

Entries for the 13 categories open today with the deadline of September 13. Details of how to enter featureinthe centreofthis supplement.

The awards will be taking place this year at West Bromwich Albion’sHawthorns ground on Wednesday,November13.

Kevin Davis, chairman of The Ladder Apprenticeship Foundation, said: “I am delighted that with our media partners and sponsors, we areable to celebrate all things apprenticeships with this our thirdLadder Awards in the Black Country

“This support is typical of the Ladder’s unique partnerships with media, training providers and employers, formed 10 years ago with the goal of promoting of apprenticeships, as ameans for social mobility

“All those who have supported the Ladder brand, can look back with pride at the impact made. The Ladder Apprenticeship Foundation has championed the mobility of learners , young and old, through education new skills and work, what our patron would term, a ‘Ladder of opportunity’. We have shown how adiversity of apprenticeships, and the appropriate support and promotion, is akey rung towards amoremobilesociety.”

The awards arebacked by the Express &

Residents across Sandwell and West Birmingham can find out moreabout a state-of-the-art hospital by hopping onto abus packed with information.

The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, opens later this year and will house one large accident and emergency department and 50 per cent ensuite rooms for patients.

The engagement tour bus manned by Jayne Salter-Scott, head of public and community engagement, and Mal Phull, public and community engagement manager at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, will share information about the new site.

Jayne said: “The bus has been kitted out with information, including booklets and merchandise that we can share with our community

“Weare raising awareness about what services will be at MMUH, and some key dates about the move.”

For moredetails about where the bus will be going, please visit https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/getinvolved/events/

2023 WINNERS CELEBRATE AT BESCOT STADIUM, WALSALL

Star which features the Ladder for the Black Country throughout the year

Compass Uk and Ireland is the headline sponsor for the awards which include apprentice categories for: construction and property industries; engineering and manufacturing; health, education and care; professional services; tech, digital and creative industries and hospitality,retail, tourism and travel. Thereare also awards for employers and training providers. The awards areopento apprentices and businesses from across the Express &Star circulation area.

Mr Davis added: “2024 marks the tenth year of the Ladder apprenticeship campaigns coming under our stewardship with now over 10,000 apprenticeships created. These awards celebrate not just these achievements, but the achievement of apprentices, good employers and good training providers.”

OpeningOctober2024

KEVIN DAVIS, CHAIRMAN OF THE OF LADDER FOUNDATION, AT THE 2023 AWARDS

Award-winning law firm Higgs LLP is championing up-and-coming talent in the region by sponsoring the Apprentice of the Year: Professional Services category in the Ladder for the Black Country Apprenticeship Awards 2024.

The firm, based in Brierley Hill, sees apprenticeships as an important way to nurturetalent as it continues its growth.

Higgs currently have multiple apprentices studying various legal and non-legal qualifications while learning on the job alongside other talented colleagues.

They areworking in awide range of teams including finance, commercial property,privateclient and charities.

Sophie Wardell, people director at Higgs, which has its offices at Waterfront Business Park, said: “Weare proud to be asponsor of these awards which will again shine alightonsome of the region’s most impressive apprentices.

“Last year’sevent was exceptional and it was aprivilege to read about the many achievements of the apprentices involved.”

Halesowen College is proud to sponsor this year’sExpress &Star Apprenticeship Awards and celebrate local talent.

We have an excellent reputation in offering aquality further education experience across a wide curriculum.

And with anew leadership team in place, anew strategy is underway; to be exceptional; that our students will be inspired to be ambitious, achieve their potential, personally and professionally and crucially use the skills they have developed during their studies.

Employers and stakeholders are integral to this, helping shape our curriculum so we can ensurethat our learners areprovided with the knowledge needed to move on to positive destinations.

When you engage with the college you will access an industry experienced staffteam that will support you every step of the process. Contact our employment engagement team on 0121 602 7777 and start the discussion today

We work closely with employers from thelocal area to help them gaps within their businesses.

Make UK is honoured to sponsor the engineering and manufacturing category at the Ladder for the Black Country Apprenticeship Awards.

“The Manufacturers’ Organisation” is focusedoncreating themostsupportiveenvironment forUKmanufacturers to thrive,innovateand compete.

One such area is apprenticeship. It delivers over 300 apprenticeships ayear creating the next generation of engineers and manufacturing leaders through electrical, mechanical and engineering apprenticeships, building the pipeline of talent that the industry depends on.

In an era whereadvanced manufacturing techniques and digital innovations arereshaping the landscape, Make UK stands out by providing comprehensive and robust training pathways that align with industry needs.

These apprenticeships arenot just about imparting technical knowledge; they aredesigned to cultivate anew generationof professionals who areequipped with both practical skills and theoretical understanding.

Keon Homes has evolved into one of the UK’sfastest growing developers of much-needed affordable housing and Extra Care schemes.

Under the guidance of industry experts Warren Bolton and Richard Williams, the Burntwood-based company spotted an opportunity in the marketplace for anew approach to delivering ambitious projects that place ‘community’ at its heart.

“Our workforce has grown rapidly,approaching 50 directly and hundreds moreindirectly in our supply chain who work on developments across the East and West Midlands,” explained Matt Beckley,headofdevelopment at Keon Homes.

“A big focus is on growing our own talent and we currently employ five apprentices in different areas of our business, with the opportunity to take on moreover the next twelve months.

“Why do we do this? Quite simply,itallows us to train them in keeping with the cultureofour company and the Tara Group who we arepart of.”

ACROSS OURREGION – ANDACHANCETO GRAB APLACE IN THESPOTLIGHT!

The Ladder for theBlack Country Apprenticeship Awardshas officallylaunched. This initiative is backed by theExpress &Starand run in partnershipwithLadderfor the BlackCountry andCompassUK&I as headline sponsor. With thirteen category awards,this will be acelebration of thebest andbrightest youngand mature learners andthose organisations whoare findingnew ways to drive aspirationand educationthrough theirapprenticeship programmes OurApprenticeship Awards areopentoany apprentice or organisation that is based locallyin andaroundWolverhampton, the BlackCountry andStaffordshire region,reflecting theExpress & Star circulationarea. Simply select thecategoryyou wishtoenter,fill in theentry formand followthe criteria requiredfor eachcategory. Thereare twelve categories youcan choose from,and it’s easy to take part.Visit apprenticeshipawards. expressandstar.com to choose your categories andsubmitan entryfor each category youhave chosen before5pm on the closing date –Friday, September132024. When completing theform, try andensureitcontainsall the relevant points andsome of the individual’s/company’s personality too(remember that thejudgeswill read ahuge amount of information, so it will help if it really stands out) Youhaveamaximumof1,100 words to explain whyyou or thebusiness should be selected.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Afterthe closingdateon Friday,September 13 2024, representativesofthe category sponsors will read throughall the nominees whohaveentered and chosea shortlistofthree finalistfor eachcategory.

Thefinalistsineachcategory will be informed on Tuesday, September24thattheyhavemade theshortlist

Allfinalistswillbeinvited to the

Apprenticeship Awards Evening at West Bromwich Albion Football Club on November 13 2024,where thewinners of each category will be announced.

TheExpress &Star ‘Overall Apprentice of theYear2024’ will be chosen from categories 1-6by representativesofExpress &Star andwillalsoberevealed at the awards eveninginNovember

Just before theevent,the Express& Star will carryaspecialsupplement in-paperfeaturingallofthefinalists. If youare finalist,you will receive twocomplimentary ticketstothe awards eveningwiththe option to buyextra places

PLEASENOTE

Contactdetailsofallapprentices/ businesses thatsubmitentries will be made available to allcategory sponsors of thecampaign whomay getintouch

Information will be treatedinthe strictestofconfidenceand will be shared only with thejudgeswho includecategorysponsors.

Sponsors andtheir business memberscan entertheir own categorybut will relinquish their responsibility of judgingthe category.

Apprentices/Businessesmust be prepared to take part in any relevant publicity.

AWARDSPROJECT TEAM

Shouldyou haveanyquestions, please give us acall on 01902319767.

DATESFOR YOUR DIARY

FRIDAY,SEPTEMBER 13,20245PM Closingdatefor entries.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER242024

Finalistsnotifiedtheyhavebeen shortlisted.

WEDNEDAY, NOVEMBER 13 2024

Awards eveningatWestBromwich Albion Football Club.

AWARDSCRITERIA

APPRENTICEOFTHEYEAR

CATEGORYCRITERIA(1-6)

ToentertheApprenticeoftheYear categoriesapprenticesmustbe currentlyonaprogrammethatstarted before01/03/2024andfinishesonor after11/11/2024

Yourentrymustbealignedtothe sectorthatyouworkin.Judgeswill belookingforapprenticeswhocan demonstratetheirachievements, contributionandtheimpacttheyhave madewithintheindustrytheywork:

• Thinkofyourteam,howthey operateandyourpersonal contributiontoteamobjectives

• Outlinetheskillsyouhave developedsinceyoubeganyour apprenticeship

• Howhasyourapprenticeship impactedonyou,especiallyin termsofyourambitionsand motivation?

• Howdoesyourapprenticeshiphelp youremployermeetorganisational objectives?

• Includeyourpersonalaspirations andplannedcareerpath

EMPLOYEROFTHEYEARCATEGORY CRITERIA(7-9)

Thisawardrecognisesoutstanding commitmenttoapprenticesand apprenticeshipswithinanorganisation. Thejudgesarelookingforproactive employerswhocandemonstratehow theyhavedeliveredanapprenticeship programmethathasbenefited theorganisationandthatofyour apprentices(s).Pleaseexplainyour strategythatdrivesyourapprenticeship programme.Evidenceisrequiredasto:

• Whydoyoubelievethedeliveryof yourapprenticeshipprogrammeis exceptional?

EDUCATIONANDENGAGEMENT

CRITERIA(11)

Thisawardwillrecogniseproactive organisationswhogothatextra miletoengagewiththecommunity aroundthemtohelpshapeourfuture workforce

• Inyournomination,pleasedescribe themethodsyourorganisation usestoengagewiththebusiness communityandthelevelofthis engagement

• Whyisengagingwithbusinessand developingyourpupils/students/ customers’employabilityandsoft skills (e.g.communication,teamwork, resilienceetc.)importantforyour organisation?Howisthisreflected andpromotedinyourleadership, managementandgovernance?

• Examplesofhowyoumakeyour apprenticeshipsaccessibleto peoplefromallbackgrounds

• Whatsetsyourorganisationabove andbeyondotheremployers?

Howhasyourapprenticeship programmehelpedmeetyour organisationscurrentandfutureskill requirements?

TRAININGPROVIDEROFTHEYEAR

CRITERIA(10)

• Describehowemployability andsoftskillsarepractically incorporatedintolearningand/or training.Whatisinnovativeabout yourapproach?

• Listyourorganisation’srecent achievementsinrelationto developingsoftskillsandengaging withbusiness.Describeany challengesyouhaveovercometo achievetheseresults

• Pleasedescribewhyyour organisationshouldwinthe EducationandEngagementAward

INCLUSIONANDDIVERSITY

INAPPRENTICESHIPS(12)

Opentoallemployersthatrunan apprenticeshipprogrammewhich activelyencouragesdiversityand inclusion.Firstlygiveanoverviewofthe apprenticeshipprogrammethatyou offer,thenumberofapprenticesyou employandtheapprenticeshiptraining pathwaythattheyreceivebeingpartof yourorganisation.Entriesshouldalso include:

• Detailthebenefitsthatthe apprenticeshipshavebroughtto yourorganisationandourlocal community

Thisawardwillrecogniseexcellence inthedeliveryofapprenticeships. Applicationsareencouragedfromall typesofproviders,irrespectiveofsize. Judgeswillbelookingforprovidersto demonstrate

• Detailhowapprenticeshave benefitedfromyourtraining programme

• Detailhowyouapprenticeship programmeencouragesdiversity andinclusion

• HighLevelsofengagementwith employersandapprentices

• Sustainedcommitmentto workingwithemployersinyour sector,particularlyhowyour provisionadaptstomeetemployer requirements

• Evidenceofhighlevelsoflearner retention,progression,andpositive outcomes

• Howdoyoustandoutfromother providers?

• Detailyourfutureplansfor continuation/expansionofyour apprenticeshipprogramme

• Provideacasestudyexampleofan individualwhohasexcelledinyour apprenticeshipprogrammeasa resultofyourdiversityandinclusion programme

• Showcase,ifyouhave,anyexternal orinternalpromotionyouhave receivedaboutyourapprenticeship programme

Aprevious winner is proud to sponsor the prestigious Training Provider of the Year category at this year’s Ladder for Black Country Awards.

Performance Through People understands the very positive impact it had on our staffand how it confirmed the bearing that our training can have on both individuals and businesses.

Winning in 2022 was atestament to our real commitment to excellence in apprenticeships and training.

Chief executive Rob Colbourne said: “Sponsoring this category aligns with our coremission,which is to enhance the capabilities of the workforces of our customers.

“Webelieve that investing in high-quality training is crucial for the region’seconomic development and supporting empowerment of staff. By celebrating the achievements of training providers, we aim to highlight the importance of continuous learning and development in the job market.”

If you would like to know more contact us on 03332 408302 or email info@ptp-training.co.uk

The continuing demand for team member development is nothing new to Marston’s, who train and develop more than 200 apprentices each year.

Since2022,Marston’s has been exploring additional opportunities to support their teams to achieve moreand grow intobigger broader roles. Senior learning and development partner Nikita Sheldon explained: “It’s not only Marston’sthat sees how apprenticeships support career development but more and moreofour puband pub support teams see the benefit of an apprenticeship development programme.

“Within our head office in Wolverhampton, 11 per cent of the workforce arecurrently enrolled on an apprenticeship. Departments such as finance, human resources, IT,learning and development, procurement, estates, and operations aretaking the opportunity to develop and upskill their teams.”

Marston’shas also launched its WomeninLeadership apprenticeship programme.

TRAINING PROVIDER OF THEYEAR

ApprenticeshipsatWolverhamptonHomes

ToanyonethinkingofdoingaWolverhamptonHomesapprenticeship, itishonestlythebestthingIhavedoneformycareer -Jasvin,BusinessAdministrationApprentice Ifyou’vejustleftschoolorcollege,orarelookingforachange indirection,thiscouldbeyourperfectnextstep.

WolverhamptonHomes

@wolveshomes wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/apprenticeships

Businesses in Walsall aredemonstrating a commitment to the next generation of skilled workers through participation in Walsall Works.

This programme, which for the last 12 years has supported businesses to employ and train local talent, has gained significant traction among the town’senterprises, highlighting the community’sdedication to vocational training and employment opportunities.

Walsall Works, established to bridge the gap between education and employment, promotes a range of jobs and apprenticeships across various industries. Through its job brokerage service, Walsall Works provides afreeservice to businesses to match candidates to their vacancies, having worked with 1,200 employers since its inception.

From engineering to hospitality, businesses areopening their doors to young talent, providing handson experience and professional development. This initiative not only equips apprentices with valuable skills but also addresses the local skills shortage.

Wolverhampton Homes is proud to support young people in the city through its established and awardwinning apprenticeship programme.

The company,which manages morethan 21,000 properties on behalf of the City of Wolverhampton Council, offers paid apprenticeships.

This year’sapprentices will support our Property Services directorate covering bricklaying, carpentry and plastering.

With the rising cost of living, many young people arelooking for alternatives to university,an apprenticeship is the perfect way to earnwhileyou learn.

Shaun Aldis, chief executive of Wolverhampton Homes, said: “We’recommitted to helping people get on in life and are developing initiatives that support the council’spriority to reduce youth unemployment.

“Wehavealong tradition of bringing apprentices into the business and now,morethan ever, an apprenticeship can offer young people opportunities they may not otherwise experience.”

An award winning initiative helping local people to gain the employability skills and confidence to find jobs, apprenticeships and training.

An awardwinninginitiative helping localpeople to gain theemployability skillsand confidenceto find jobs,apprenticeshipsand training.

Supporting local businesses to expand, grow and invest in their future workforce skills.

Supporting localbusinesses to expand, grow andinvestintheir futureworkforce skills.

01922 654353 walsallworks.com walsallworks@walsall.gov.uk

01922654353 walsallworks.com walsallworks@walsall.gov.uk

@walsallworks WalsallWorks @walsallworks

THERE’SNEVERBEENABETTER TIMETOTAKEONANAPPRENTICE

Hiringanapprenticeisaninvestmentinthefutureofyourbusiness,pluggingskillsgaps anddevelopingyourkeysta ofthefuture ortheindividualyouhire,itisthestartofan e citing ourneythatwillleadtoanenoyableandproductivecareer

In today’sfast-paced world, the right talent can make all the difference.

Dudley College’sapprenticeships areatthe forefront of talent development, providing businesses with skilled professionals while offering individuals apathway to success.

Why work with us?

-Weworkwith hundreds of employers nationwide delivering apprenticeship programmes across 30 disciplines.

-Weoffer apprenticeships from Level 2toLevel 7.

Benefits of hiring an apprentice:

-Apprenticeships areagreat wayofattracting enthusiastic talent with fresh ideas.

-They can be tailored to specific job roles, making them flexibleto the needs of your business.

-The average apprenticeship improves productivity by over £10,000 per year

-They can help reduce staff turnover,byincreasing employee satisfaction and loyalty

Visit our website and one of our team will be in touch: dudleycol. ac.uk

The University of Wolverhampton’snew strategy is to create opportunity,transform lives and build amoreinclusive, productive and sustainable society

Continuing to support local communities to gain university-level education has been acornerstone of the university’swork for many years and is demonstrated by its investment into different qualifications and routes to education

The university’sapprenticeship offering continues to grow,having recently secured funding that will support three new degree apprenticeship standards in children’snursing, podiatry, and paramedic science. We are committed to raising standards and widening participation; demonstrated in our apprenticeship offer by the development of the new ‘Aspiring Apprentices’ programme, designed to support individuals to develop their skills and confidence.

The university is key to the success of the local area and its workforce.

•professional development •postgraduatestudy

•recruitmentand placements

•researchand consultancy expertise •facilities andequipmenthire

INCLUSION

At In-Comm Training, we’ve witnessed the manufacturing and engineering landscape undergo profound evolution over the last 35 years, thanks to the use of groundbreaking technology

We champion apprenticeships and lifelong learning as vital strategies for bridging the skills gap. Addressing the skilled toolmaker shortage, we’ve taken a pioneering step with our precision tooling academy.Collaborating with Brandauer,we’ve invested over £1 million to establish a cutting-edge commercial toolroom at our Aldridge facility,toproduce complex tooling and aprofessional training ground for future toolmakers and designers. Through forging robust partnerships with employers, we grasp the hurdles businesses encounter.Whether it’scarving out time for team training or fostering and nurturing youth talent, our unique approach includes modularised training programmes for upskilling and industry-led apprenticeships to ensuresustained success in manufacturing and engineering.

People areatthe heart of the business for Wolverhampton-based Marston’s.

Jane Murrayvelopment, explained: “Our people strategy is to create acultureofengagement, recognition and development. We actively encourage and support everyone at Marston’sto‘come as you are’ by building an inclusive cultureamongst our employees, pub partners and suppliers. Our aim is to reflect the diversity of our guests and the communities we serve, and to do that we need to attract, retain, and support the best people from diverse backgrounds.”

This is perfectly showcased through the combined work of the Apprenticeship and Communities teams at Marston’s.

Since 2018, the Apprenticeship team has eagerly engaged with several schools in the Black Country,hosting students and teachers at its HQ in Wolverhampton, delivering careers talks and even takingover school lessons –showcasing the science behind their menu development to food tech students and aspiring chefs.

TROPHY SPONSOR

If you can care about others, your career,and about making adifference, then join out team!

•Flexible working hourstosuit your needs •Competitive payand rewards •Mileage &travel time

•Care Certificate fully funded •Free training with career progression •Supporttowards further qualifications

Carecompany Bridgewater Home CareSandwell, which provides high quality careat home for vulnerable people, is expanding its services following high demand.

Bridgewater Home Care Sandwell, part of the larger Bridgewater Home Carenetwork, provides relationship-focused care in the community and specialise in ensuring that their clients can remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Whilst doing this they promise to deliver the highest level of care, always striving to go above and beyond expectations. Due to the success of the company nationally and the everincreasing demand for its services, Bridgewater Home Careislooking to expand the careteam in Sandwell by at least 50 people.

Managing director of Bridgewater Home CareSandwell, Christopher Taylor,aveteran of 18 years’ service beforebeing medically discharged, added: “Weare looking for people with empathy and nurturing capabilities whose roles will ensurethat we provide the highest quality careto vulnerable people.”

As one of the Midlands’ leading employers, voestalpine Metsec is proud to be sponsoring the Express &Star’sLadder for the Black Country Awards Programme.

Based in Oldbury,weare the UK’slargest specialist steel cold roll-forming company.We provideengineered solutions for awiderange of construction and manufacturing applications, with high quality,added value, technical expertise, customer service and integrity at our core.

At the heart of everything we do is the desiretodothingsright for our customers, workforce, community,environment, business and shareholders.

In fact, voestalpine Metsec remains one of the few engineering companies to run our own inhouse apprenticeship scheme in collaboration with In-comm training.

The scheme has been recognised by multiple awards and offers opportunities in all areas of the company’soperations..

For moreinformation on joining the team at Metsec, visit www metsec.com

Apprentices

pro le manipulation,

Compton Care -supporting our community when they

need us most

For over 40 years, we have provided specialistpalliativeand endoflifecare to patients, and support fortheir families, helping them to navigate every aspect of life with alifelimitingcondition.

Ourspecialist care, whether delivered at our purposebuilt facilities on site at Compton Hallorinapatient’s own home, is tailored to individualneeds, helping patients and their loved ones to feel safe and supported.

Ensuring local people living with or caring for someone with apalliative diagnosis have accesstothe specialistcare and support they need remainsour number one priority.

It cost £14.5 million to run Compton Care last year. Thanks to the support of the local communitywe were able to:

Answer 26,497 calls throughour 24/7 Advice &Referral Line.

Provide 24-hour specialist care on ourInpatient Unit to 341 patients, andadmit 746 patientstoour new Virtual Ward allowing people to remain at home Help andsupport over 100 children andyoungpeople throughour dedicatedChildren &Young Person Support Worker

Make 8,790 home visits by our Community team, consisting of doctors, paramedicsand nurses, offering specialist supporttopatients andtheir families

Compton’s Business Club was launched in 2022, attracting many local businesses.

This offers an opportunity to network withother businesses, attendclub events, and receive newsletters to keep up to date on Comptonnews and the impact of your support –choose from Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze memberships.

JOIN OUR CLUB

For further information, contact our

on