Last week’s Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards was a fantastic celebration of our County and its creative workforce. I joined over 330 people at the awards to celebrate the incredible achievements of our 24 finalists. There was a brilliant atmosphere at the awards, not only thanks to the great event host, Tim Campbell MBE, but also as a result of the clear passion and commitment to apprenticeships in the room. I would like to congratulate all finalists on their achievements and I am already looking forward to celebrating even more apprenticeship successes at next year’s awards. For further information on hiring an apprentice, visit www.worcsapprenticeships.org.uk.
Today is our Worcestershire LEP November Board meeting and one of the main topics for discussion will be entrepreneurship and how we can help to boost innovation within the County. I would highly recommend that businesses interested in boosting their productivity and creativity to attend the next WINN Wednesday event on 30 November. The event will teach businesses how they can achieve the impossible and how innovation enables businesses to expand their presence or enter new markets. The dynamic events provide fantastic opportunities for businesses to network with industry experts and to discuss new ideas. To register for the event, visit the WINN website, www.winn-hub.com.
On Wednesday, I shall be speaking at the Federation of Small Businesses’ Annual Conference. The Conference will help to tackle issues that are important to local SMEs, from cyber security to social media. I will be discussing how Worcestershire LEP is investing in the local infrastructure to aid business growth. We are already starting to see the benefits of our Growth Deal funded projects such as the Hoobrook Link Road and the redevelopment of Cathedral Square. We know that small businesses play a hugely important role in our local economy, and we will continue to find new ways to support the development of local SMEs.
