Due to the increasing burden of employment legislation dealing with health and safety issues is becoming increasingly difficult, time consuming and costly.

An investment in training can pay dividends in ensuring that your business is compliant. Liverpool Chamber Professional Development has teamed up with Steve McClean from Safety Management Consultancy to deliver vital health and safety qualifications. (NEBOSH) National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health and Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Managing Safely.

The venue for both courses is Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Number One Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3  9HG

To book either course or for  details of how the course can be delivered in house. Please contact Alma Mayers Tel: 0151 224 1883 or e-mail alma.mayers@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Why indeed!  When you  have a free service right on your door step.

As members of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce you are entitled and indeed encouraged, to make use of  the Trident Training Recruitment Service which is FREE to members.

Trident Training have been involved with schools and colleges within the Greater Merseyside Area, through the Compact Careers and Guidance Open Days.  We have over two hundred applicants waiting to be placed in employment

If your organisation is looking to employ any staff in the 16 to 18 years age group in a junior administrative or general office position we can assist.  All applicants are thoroughly vetted by qualified staff, providing screening and testing of each individual applicant before Trident release their CVs to employers for consideration

Each successful applicant will commence their apprenticeship with Trident Training in one of a number of subjects such as Business Administration, Retail & Customer Service, IT User& IT Practitioner with key Skills and Technical Certificate

The Learning & Skills Council provide funding of 100% for any staff in the 16 to 24 years old age group to gain a National Vocational Qualification through the apprenticeship scheme which is also open to existing staff in this age group.

The employer is responsible for employing the employee at an Apprenticeship wage of not less than £80.00 per week. Also the employer is responsible for ensuring that the employee receives support and assistance with their apprenticeship program.

For more information, please call the Workforce Development Team on 0151 236 3222 or 227 1234

It’s maritime culture we celebrate this week with two major events happening on the river this month.

CLIPPER RACE FINALE takes place on July 5 when the Mersey hosts the climax of an epic ocean adventure in July with the return of the Clipper 07-08 Round-the-World Yacht Race. The race is the world’s fastest, non-professional, yachting race with a flotilla of boats following the yachts up the Mersey to the finishing line. Cheer on the Liverpool 08 Yacht. For more details contact www.liverpool08.com

THE TALL SHIPS’ RACE 2008 takes place around Albert Dock, Liverpool, July 18 - 20 Enjoy the biggest gathering of tall ships anywhere in Europe this year as over 70 sailing vessels fill Liverpool’s quaysides and docks, berthing in the Wellington and Albert docks.

Climb aboard to find out more about the realities of life at sea, or enjoy the waterside location with live music, performers and displays to enjoy. The three-day maritime festival culminates with the start of the Tall Ships’ Race 2008 on 21 July as the ships begin their parade of sail and their journey to Norway.

For visitors travelling to the Tall Ships’ Race by car, please note that there is no parking within the Wellington Dock, Regent Road area of the city. Please use Park and Ride sites or City Centre car parks, and the shuttle bus service. Visit the Tall Ships’ Race website for more travel information. For more details contact www.tallshipsliverpool.co.uk

Liverpool Chamber of Commerce recognises the difficulties faced by small businesses when tendering for public sector contracts. Barriers often quoted include:

• accessing tendering opportunities
• finding relevant contracts
• the pressure to respond to calls within limited timescales
• contracts being too large or diverse for a small business to compete
• even the language of procurement has presented problems.

As a Chamber of Commerce we have worked over a number of years to redress this imbalance for our members and have developed unique products such as our tender alert service to address some of the issues.

An independent inquiry has recently been launched looking specifically at the barriers faced by small businesses and social enterprises when tendering for public sector work. An opportunity has now arisen to put your views directly to government and as your Chamber we encourage you to respond to the consultation and have your views heard.

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At Liverpool Chamber, we’re commencing production of the 2009 Business Directory.

Visit our online membership directory to check your company details on our website, before we go to print. Mistakes cannot be rectified later!! If you have any changes please email membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk and we will amend your details.

You may also wish to advertise in the directory which goes out to over 4000 businesses in Merseyside.  Benham Publishing are working with the chamber and will be contacting your shortly to find out your requirements. Alternatively you may wish to book early to get the best advertising space, so you can email rogerswift@benhampublishing.com or call him on 0151 236 4141.

Our friends at Serviced City Pads have been in touch with a fabulous opportunity to experience one of their great apartments over a fantastic weekend.

They have the Unity Penthouse apartment available for the long weekend of the Tall Ships and Open Golf around the Saturday 19 July. This 18/19 floor duplex has stunning views of the river and city below and would be idael for any companies that are either entertaining clients that weekend or are visiting Liverpool and needed somewhere extra special to stay.

You can find out more about the apartment here.

Take a look at some of the things happening over the weekend 18 - 20 July.

Continuing the epic tale of Liverpool Chamber’s Head of Membership Jenny Stewart’s preparation for September’s 5K Team Challenge…

Week Two

And what a weekend it was, between shopping at Liverpool One (for the smartest track pants you’ve ever seen…with a pink go faster stripe…) and sampling the yummiest restaurants that Liverpool has to offer, it was quite a shock to the system to realise that I had to get my running shoes out of the cupboard again on Sunday evening! But not to be deterred, we recommenced the training programme, increasing the number of running lamp posts and decreasing the number of walking lamp posts.

The distance to the top of the road is 4/10ths of a mile and with only three stops, I am definitely becoming a runner!  Turning round at the top of the road my sister persuaded me to slow the pace and just run without the lampost breaks, just to “see how far we could go”.  Some how I had obviously warmed up, and with only 2 lampposts to get back to the start, there was no point in stopping.  Rather, I needed to sprint!

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As an employer, are you aware of the funds available to upskill your workforce?

There is concern in the Government about the quality of skills among employees in the UK.  A recent report presented  by Lord Leitch indicates that the UK is languishing close to the bottom of the EC league for employed staff whom do not possess any form of qualification at NVQ level two and above.

The Learning & Skills Council are promoting the “Train To Gain” Fund to encourage all employers to assist with this initiative by offering 100% funding of a vocational qualification to level two for any employee who have not achieved grade “C” and above for GCSE  or any NVQ at level 2 or it’s equivalent.

Management are not exempt in this scheme, the offer is extended to managers, supervisors or team leaders to complete a level three or four management vocational qualification.

The Government has made it clear that if employers do not seize the initiative, they will force a bill through that will make it compulsory for the employer to ensure their employees are qualified to at least a level two NVQ and at the employer’s expense.

For further information on how Train to Gain can help your business contact Trident Training on 0151 227 1234.

Trident Training offers a range of apprenticeships for young people, as well as finding suitable candidates for employers offering apprenticeships.

Taking on a young person as an apprentice with your company has several benefits including an real investment in your workforce. In 2007, Old Hall Street creative and marketing company USP Creative took on Modern Apprentice, Mohamed Ali to work at the company and study for his Business Admin Level 2 NVQ.

During his time with USP Creative Mohamed has fulfilled the role of administrator as well as managing to achieve and gain certification of his Level 2 NVQ at the end of January this year.  Apart from the run of the mill admin duties associated with clerical work, Mohamed has also been able to get involved with the design team supporting their project work, as Kim Peters, Director puts it: “Mo’ is always very helpful and willing to get stuck in, he’s been a really good asset to the team.”

When asked about his ambitions for the future Mohamed replied: “I want to be a Managing Director of a company, possibly this one!”  From his time spent with Trident Mohamed feels he has gained much to improve his career, notably his knowledge of employment rules and regulations,which he intends to utilise in the future to achieve his goal of becoming a MD. He said: “I’ve learnt more about employment law and my rights, which I didn’t know before”.

Mohamed is a great example of the hard work, ambition and commitment offered by Trident’s apprentices. For more information about on apprenticeships for your company, call Lee Wainwright or Simon Chadwick  on 0151 227 1234.

As an employer are you paying your employees 100% wages but only getting 50% effort from them? Learn how to make up the difference.

Employees want to be directed, they want to be inspired and want to give 100%.  Learn how to help them achieve this.

The Chamber Professional Development Programme is working in partnership with John Haynes From Liverpool International Coaching Academy to offer ‘How to Get More from Your Staff’ on Wednesday 9 July.

During the course you will acquire master skills. These skills will help you to increase your profit margin and identify how to get 100% effort from your staff.

• You will learn how to instil meaningful purposes for staff.
• How to stop the politics and the time wasting activities.
• How to motivate yourself and your staff.
• Learn how to use master skills to select the right people.
• Have the courage to keep out incompetent people.

Cost of the course:  £199.00 + VAT for bookings and further information contact Alma Mayers or Sarah Abraham on 0151 227 1234.