I promise there are no tricks in my column this week, but I do have plenty of treats to offer, including the opportunity for Solihull businesses to get £5k of funding…
Firstly, I really enjoyed popping into our Apprenticeship & Skills Show last week. There were so many people there finding out about all the opportunities, but one of the best things was speaking to all the employers and hearing about the many benefits they get from the apprentices they recruit there and elsewhere. Training your own people gives you control over standards and I know many businesses find that apprentices go on to work their way up the company into senior roles.
It was brilliant to speak to so many young people too, just as they set out on their journey into adult life. I’m sure more than a few will have taken their first steps towards rewarding careers at the show last week, I’m proud of the shows and want to thank our Employment & Skills team for all their hard work organising them, they make a real difference to our young people and our businesses here in Solihull.
There’s another chance for businesses to learn about connecting with their future workforce at our Youth Trailblazer breakfast in Chelmsley Wood next week. There’s up to £5k of funding available for employers who can offer work experience or employment opportunities for 18-21 year olds. Sign up using the link and go along to find out more.
Yet more support for business – we’ve got a webinar coming up in December (hard to believe that’s creeping up so quickly already) to help with cybersecurity and get help to prepare to successfully bid for public sector contracts. It’s for voluntary and community organisations as well, and the Federation of Smal Businesses (FSB) and the Growth Hub will be on hand to give advice about wider support, funding, and training available across the region.
Switching focus now to support for our residents, we’ve launched our annual winter Here2Help campaign. A collaboration between the Council and a number of national and local organisations, it signposts people to a range of support on our Here2Help pages. The pages have a wealth of information including advice on energy and fuel, money, food and essentials and a range of services to keep people physically and mentally well.
We’ve also launched a new campaign to raise awareness of Domestic Abuse and support survivors. It calls on everyone to play their part, all the details are in the link.
West Midlands Ambulance Service have started a new initiative aiming to help more people train to become lifesavers by offering free CPR Training, Defibrillator Training and Bleed Kit Awareness sessions to communities across the region.
Next week is Youth Work Week, when we celebrate the youth workers who make a difference every day. We’ve got lots of activities planned through the week, our Youth Bus will be out and about and there’s various events going on. I’ll give you a round up next week, but I will say now that youth work is so incredibly valuable, and I can’t thank our youth workers enough for all that they do.
Now that we’re into the Autumn, we’re starting to see more people getting flu. This is earlier than usual so people may not yet have had their flu jab. If you’re eligible for a free flu jab (this includes carers, are 65 of older or have certain health conditions) do contact your GP to get booked in for yours. Children can also have the vaccine usually through their school or school immunisation team so if your child is eligible, you’ll be contacted direct. With measles cases circulating in the region, if your child isn’t up to date with their MMR vaccinations, now’s the time to contact your GP who will be happy to help.
Finally, as I alluded to at the start of my column, it’s Halloween tonight. I hope everyone enjoys themselves and gets more treats that tricks. It’s also bonfire night in a few days, and I know there are loads of great organised events all over Solihull for everyone to go to. So have a great time, and stay safe.
Thanks for reading.
Karen