News

Latest updates and stories from Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its Members

The UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme - A guide for employers

This month the UK Government launched a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create thousands of jobs for young people.

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Gen-Z, confused? You might be…

Last year, when I was 32 I took the youngest member of my team to a client meeting and within 37 seconds Laurie made me feel eighty-four. On the desk in front of us was what Laurie described as a 3D printed “save icon”- It was in fact a floppy disk. 

Read More

BCC/Totaljobs: Business appetite to recruit strong but recruitment difficulties can’t be ignored

The latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook from the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with Totaljobs, finds that recruitment intentions strengthened in the second quarter of 2019, while difficulties finding suitable staff eased, but remain high by historic standards.

Read More

Remove blockers in the skills system to alleviate recruitment struggles, says BCC and Indeed

New research by the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with global job site Indeed, reveals the increasing time it’s taking businesses to recruit the skills they need, emphasising the importance of removing blockers in the training system to develop a pipeline of talent.

Read More

8 ways you could be sabotaging your recruitment process

Your recruitment process could be hampering your business' progression in more ways than one. Of course, as we all know, it's a tough process to get it right. You can't always predict how candidates will perform once they're past the interview stage. And with new roles coming into fruition and widening the skills gap, talent can be thin on the ground.

Read More

10 questions to ask before you hire

It’s understandable that the majority of the population associates job interviews with crippling nerves and feelings of fear and dread.

Read More

BCC Quarterly Economic Survey: Subdued growth in Q2 amid challenging business conditions

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has published its Quarterly Economic Survey – the UK’s largest and most authoritative private-sector business survey. Based on the responses of over 7,700 businesses in Q2 2017, the results for both sectors indicate that the UK economy grew at a subdued rate in the second quarter of 2017.

Read More

Quarterly Economic Survey: Solid economic growth likely in Q1 but inflation remains a key risk

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) today publishes its Quarterly Economic Survey – the UK’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey. 

Read More

First ever London Luton Airport (LLA) Jobs and Careers Fair

How local people are benefitting from business investment.

lla-blog

Bedfordshire is on a roll at the moment. From the Airlander project at Cardington to progress in plans for a new stadium for the Hatters, there is a real sense of economic momentum across the region.

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Successful Your Future Event in Bedford – 19th November 2015

‘I found it great as I didn’t have much idea what to do but I have lots of ideas now’

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Businesses and schools ‘still worlds apart’ on readiness for work

Two-thirds of businesses (69%) believe that secondary schools are not effective at preparing young people for work, according to a major new UK-wide survey of over 3,500 business and education leaders published today by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), just hours before the latest national employment figures are published.

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Business bounces back in Q4, but will it last in the New Year?

  • The balances for businesses that tried to recruit staff were at an all-time high in Q4
  • John Longworth says that businesses are well placed to grow in 2015, but their optimism may not last if ‘political point scoring’ outweighs sound economic policies during the election campaign
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Multi-Million Pound Boost For Growing Businesses in England

The Government’s Regional Growth Fund will invest £300 million in 50 projects across the country to create tens of thousands of jobs and fuel business expansion, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced today.

Read More

PM's pro-business vision achievable

Commenting on Prime Minister David Cameron's speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

Read More

Job Figures

  • In the three months to July 2013, unemployment fell 24,000, and employment rose 80,000, compared with the previous quarter
  • In the three months to July 2013, the unemployment rate was 7.7%, down slightly from 7.8%
  • Youth unemployment (16-24 year olds) rose 9,000 to 960,000, and the unemployment rate in this age group was 21%
  • Between March and June 2013, public sector employment fell 34,000, and private sector employment rose 114,000

Read More

Careers and Recruitment

The University of Bedfordshire's award winning Careers and Recruitment Services provides a professional agency style solution for business recruitment needs that enables you to recruit quality staff, free of charge!

Read More

Efforts needed to create jobs

  • In the three months to June 2013, unemployment fell by 4,000, and employment rose by 69,000, compared with the previous quarter
  • Long term unemployment is up, with further increases in the number of those unemployed for more than one year and two years
  • Youth unemployment has risen by 15,000 in the three months to June, and now stands at 973,000
  • In July 2013 the claimant count fell by 29,200, compared with June
Read More

New SEMLEP roles

The Local Enterprise Agency SEMLEP is recruiting for two posts:  Business and Economic Analyst and Head of Business Development.

Read More

Job role with Acuigen

Chamber member Acuigen,  a specialist customer feedback service company, is recruiting for a Business Development Executive. The key purpose of the role is to initiate and build business relationships that secure business.

Read More

Bold policies needed for growth

Commenting on the labour market statistics, published today by the ONS, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

Read More

Central Bedfordshire College and Morrisons PLC in recruitment initiative

Over the past couple of months Central Bedfordshire College has built up a strong relationship with Morrisons PLC and the Job Centre Plus.  This has resulted in a worthwhile initiative to train and recruit local people to the new Morrisons store which will open shortly in Houghton Regis.

Read More

The UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme - A guide for employers

This month the UK Government launched a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create thousands of jobs for young people.

Read More

Gen-Z, confused? You might be…

Last year, when I was 32 I took the youngest member of my team to a client meeting and within 37 seconds Laurie made me feel eighty-four. On the desk in front of us was what Laurie described as a 3D printed “save icon”- It was in fact a floppy disk. 

Read More

BCC/Totaljobs: Business appetite to recruit strong but recruitment difficulties can’t be ignored

The latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook from the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with Totaljobs, finds that recruitment intentions strengthened in the second quarter of 2019, while difficulties finding suitable staff eased, but remain high by historic standards.

Read More

Remove blockers in the skills system to alleviate recruitment struggles, says BCC and Indeed

New research by the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with global job site Indeed, reveals the increasing time it’s taking businesses to recruit the skills they need, emphasising the importance of removing blockers in the training system to develop a pipeline of talent.

Read More

8 ways you could be sabotaging your recruitment process

Your recruitment process could be hampering your business' progression in more ways than one. Of course, as we all know, it's a tough process to get it right. You can't always predict how candidates will perform once they're past the interview stage. And with new roles coming into fruition and widening the skills gap, talent can be thin on the ground.

Read More

10 questions to ask before you hire

It’s understandable that the majority of the population associates job interviews with crippling nerves and feelings of fear and dread.

Read More

BCC Quarterly Economic Survey: Subdued growth in Q2 amid challenging business conditions

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has published its Quarterly Economic Survey – the UK’s largest and most authoritative private-sector business survey. Based on the responses of over 7,700 businesses in Q2 2017, the results for both sectors indicate that the UK economy grew at a subdued rate in the second quarter of 2017.

Read More

Quarterly Economic Survey: Solid economic growth likely in Q1 but inflation remains a key risk

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) today publishes its Quarterly Economic Survey – the UK’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey. 

Read More

First ever London Luton Airport (LLA) Jobs and Careers Fair

How local people are benefitting from business investment.

lla-blog

Bedfordshire is on a roll at the moment. From the Airlander project at Cardington to progress in plans for a new stadium for the Hatters, there is a real sense of economic momentum across the region.

Read More

Multi-Million Pound Boost For Growing Businesses in England

The Government’s Regional Growth Fund will invest £300 million in 50 projects across the country to create tens of thousands of jobs and fuel business expansion, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced today.

Read More

PM's pro-business vision achievable

Commenting on Prime Minister David Cameron's speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

Read More

Job Figures

  • In the three months to July 2013, unemployment fell 24,000, and employment rose 80,000, compared with the previous quarter
  • In the three months to July 2013, the unemployment rate was 7.7%, down slightly from 7.8%
  • Youth unemployment (16-24 year olds) rose 9,000 to 960,000, and the unemployment rate in this age group was 21%
  • Between March and June 2013, public sector employment fell 34,000, and private sector employment rose 114,000

Read More

Careers and Recruitment

The University of Bedfordshire's award winning Careers and Recruitment Services provides a professional agency style solution for business recruitment needs that enables you to recruit quality staff, free of charge!

Read More

Efforts needed to create jobs

  • In the three months to June 2013, unemployment fell by 4,000, and employment rose by 69,000, compared with the previous quarter
  • Long term unemployment is up, with further increases in the number of those unemployed for more than one year and two years
  • Youth unemployment has risen by 15,000 in the three months to June, and now stands at 973,000
  • In July 2013 the claimant count fell by 29,200, compared with June
Read More

New SEMLEP roles

The Local Enterprise Agency SEMLEP is recruiting for two posts:  Business and Economic Analyst and Head of Business Development.

Read More

Job role with Acuigen

Chamber member Acuigen,  a specialist customer feedback service company, is recruiting for a Business Development Executive. The key purpose of the role is to initiate and build business relationships that secure business.

Read More

Bold policies needed for growth

Commenting on the labour market statistics, published today by the ONS, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

Read More

Central Bedfordshire College and Morrisons PLC in recruitment initiative

Over the past couple of months Central Bedfordshire College has built up a strong relationship with Morrisons PLC and the Job Centre Plus.  This has resulted in a worthwhile initiative to train and recruit local people to the new Morrisons store which will open shortly in Houghton Regis.

Read More

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