The current business environment is characterised by rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty, and increasing environmental risks. To succeed, organisations must move beyond basic crisis management and embrace continuous adaptation. This involves leveraging artificial intelligence, strengthening climate resilience, aligning operations with sustainable green practices and meeting changing customer needs and wants.

Richard 

Cllr Richard Morris 

Leader of Wychavon District Council

Are you a Wychavon SME looking to drive business growth, improve productivity or unlock new opportunities? The Advance Worcestershire programme could be for you.

The fully funded programme provides tailored, expert support to help businesses improve productivity and operational efficiency, develop new products, processes or services, strengthen their ability to attract investment and create higher-value jobs.

You’ll start with a minimum of six hours of one-to-one support from a specialist adviser, who will work with you to develop a bespoke action plan. This will identify your business’s strengths, areas for improvement and future opportunities for growth.

Selected businesses will then have the opportunity to progress to a second phase, receiving a minimum of eight additional hours of intensive expert support through one of the programme’s three pathways: Innovation, Investment Readiness or Manufacturing. This tailored support is designed to help you put your plans into action, overcome technical or strategic challenges and accelerate measurable improvements within your business.

Delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice on behalf of Worcestershire County Council, in collaboration with local district councils, Advance Worcestershire provides practical, expert-led support tailored to your business needs.

Advance Worcestershire programme webpage and register your interest today.

New financial incentives for apprenticeships are set to make it more attractive for businesses to take on apprentices.

With many organisations facing challenges when it comes to the recruitment and retention of talent, the UK Government has announced a wave of new and expanded financial incentives to support businesses to take on apprentices.

Not only can apprenticeships offer long term benefits such as molding staff to meet business needs, bringing in fresh ideas and culture into the business and increased retention rates, the new financial incentives strengthen the business case even more.

National incentives now mean that SME businesses could access:

• £2,000 for taking on an apprentice aged 16-24 

• £1,000 for hiring an apprentice aged between 16-18 or 19-24 but with an Education Health Care Plan/Care leaver 

• £3,000 for hiring an apprentice aged 18-24 who has been on Universal Credit for 6+ months 

• £2,000 for hiring an foundation apprentice aged 16-21 or 22-24 but with an Education Health Care Plan/Care leaver

Hospitality businesses in Malvern and Wychavon are set to benefit from a training incentive scheme.

SkillsBoost Hospitality looks to support hospitality businesses in the two districts to benefit from reduced training costs thanks to grant funding.

The scheme, which builds off the success of ‘SkillsBoost’, which was delivered previously, is based on supporting organisations by reducing the cost of employee training.

The new iteration of the programme is focused on supporting hospitality organisations within the Malvern Hills & Wychavon district areas and aims to support businesses to upskill their workforce to help overcome challenges.

Malvern & Wychavon hospitality businesses will be able to claim back 50% of the training costs, up to £3,000 per organisation and up to £1,500 per employee.

Funding for the SkillsBoost Hospitality programme is limited on a first come first served basis.

To find out more about SkillsBoost Hospitality, contact the Worcestershire Growth Hub team on the details below.

Call – 01905 677888 

Email – info@worcestershiregrowthhub.co.uk

SkillsBoost hospitality is funded via Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council, delivered by Worcestershire Growth Hub in partnership with Worcestershire County Council.

Following on from the successful Pershore Dementia Awareness Festival in May this year, Pershore is well on its way to becoming a Dementia Friendly Town. The event had over 70+ attendees and there was positive feedback from organisations and people living with or caring for dementia.

The PDAA are now looking to pull together a representative committee with people with lived experience of dementia, local community groups and commercial organisations.

This will entail attending quarterly annual meetings, being a champion of dementia action, and supporting actions from the group e.g., Dementia Festival and signposting.

From this you and your staff can receive Free 45-minute Alzheimer's Dementia friends training to learn more about dementia, how it can affect people, and the small actions that can make a positive difference locally.

Local businesses are often the first point of contact for people living with dementia and those affected may well include your own staff, either living with dementia themselves or acting as carers, so it’s important to have this represented.

For any questions about supporting PDAA, please contact Lindsay Roach communitybuilder@pershorevolunteers.org.uk.