The UK needs developers, there just aren’t enough to go around. The shortage of skilled developers in the UK has reached the government’s UK Shortage Occupation list and been widely publicised in the press.
Employers of all sizes report that they struggle to recruit experienced developers and that there are not enough graduates leaving university with computing degrees.
Apprenticeships offer an immediate, effective solution for employers to grow their own developers. In 2011, QA launched developer Apprenticeships and has helped companies recruit and train over 900 software and web developers through our programme.
Our developer apprentices are producing amazing results for their businesses and we want to showcase this to you. Come to our Coded by Apprentices event where we and our clients will share with you:
- Why the UK Tech industry needs more apprentices
- How apprenticeships underpin business requirements
- How to get the best developer apprentices
- Showcase that apprentices really can code, build & create
Date: 9.30am – 11.30am, Thursday, 4 December 2014
Location: Microsoft Edinburgh, Waverley Gate, 2-4 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3EG
Speakers on the day:
- QA Apprenticeships: The first IT apprenticeships business rated Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ in all areas and three-time winners of Apprenticeship Programme of the Year 2012, 2013 & 2014
- Peekabu Studio: Motion control, computer vision, and interactive digital media company in the heart of Edinburgh.
- Another employer speaker to be announced soon
Book your place now by clicking here.
We would be delighted if you could join us at our next ecoConnect forum on Cleantech: The Key Ingredient for a Sustainable Food & Drink Industry
Key issues will be debated by our Expert Panel, including:
Julie Hesketh-Laird, Director of Operational & Technical Affairs, Scottish Whisky Association
Andrew Lyle, Managing Director, Locogen
Robert Ramsay, Chairman, Kinblethmont Farm & Director, SoilEssentials Ltd
Final speaker tbc shortly.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Where are the key opportunities for resource efficiency & how can the Cleantech & Food/Drink sectors (including agricultural landowners) partner to create an integrated approach to sustainability across the supply chain?
- What is the role of renewables in the sector, where are the technology success stories and challenges coming from? What lessons need to be learnt?
- Where will the drivers for innovation come from? Are regulations & initiatives (eg. the Circular Economy & waste directives) key? What role can & should SMEs play?
- Where are the carbon emission reduction success stories coming from & where are the challenges?
- How integrated is the approach to sustainability across the supply chain from the producer at the start of the process to the consumer at the end?
- How equal is the relationship between the retailers and the producers – where are the costs of improving sustainability being borne? Who holds the balance of power?
For more information please visit:
People looking to find out more about postgraduate study opportunities are being invited to attend the Queen Margaret University (QMU) Postgraduate Opening Evening on Wednesday 26th November from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
QMU’s team of academic staff will be on hand to talk people through over 40 postgraduate courses and the University’s campus-based Careers and Employability team will present the options for enhancing career prospects by achieving a postgraduate qualification.
For those looking to hear more about postgraduate study at QMU from a student perspective, QMU postgraduate student, Des Quinn, will be talking about his experiences. Des studied MSc International Management and Leadership at QMU and is due to graduate in 2015. He is currently working as a Hospital Manager for The Huntercombe Group, running a mental health hospital for adolescents.
People can also take the opportunity to have a one-to-one chat about developing their personal skills and knowledge, enjoy a tour around the campus or tap into advice on everything from applications to funding.
QMU offers a niche range of postgraduate degree courses, including Business Management and Enterprise; Creativity and Culture and Public Relations to Hospitality, Gastronomy and Education; Dietetics and Nutrition; International Health; Nursing; Occupational Therapy and Arts Therapies; Physiotherapy; Podiatry and Diabetes; Radiography and Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Details of QMU’s new postgraduate qualifications in Dispute Resolution and Public Services Governance will be of interest to professional complaint handlers and current managers of public services in public, private or third sector organisations.
The MSc Public Services Leadership has been designed in collation with learning and development professionals from City of Edinburgh Council, Dundee City Council and Orkney Islands Council. It is the only course in Scotland to offer public service managers masters’ level learning in leadership that is embedded in practice.
QMU’s new Masters in Research may be of interest to graduates in psychology, sociology, film and media, performing arts and business, consumer, events and hospitality management.
The University’s new Masters in Clinical Research may be of interest to graduates in medicine, nursing and allied health professionals.
For those who are unable to attend the Postgraduate Open Evening in person, but are still interested to learn more about postgraduate study opportunities at QMU, there is a special ‘virtual’ Postgraduate Open Day taking place online between 9am and 7.30pm on Wednesday 26th November. QMU’s academic team will be talking online, throughout the day, about a range of postgraduate courses available at the University.
To register your interest for the QMU Postgraduate Open Evening, and for more information on the ‘virtual’ Open Day online, go to http://www.qmu.ac.uk
A brand new store at Edinburgh Airport looks set to offer passengers an answer to all their luggage needs.
Luggage-Point, a retail and service arm of Weigh-ahead, is now open in the airport’s new terminal extension, offering passengers everything they would need to make their journey go as smoothly as possible.
Stocking luxury brands like Samsonite, Kipling, Trunki and Fiorelli, the new store offers customers a dry-cleaning drop-off and collection service, as well as lost property, storage and bag wrap facilities – the first time Edinburgh Airport has had a one-stop-shop like this.
The Edinburgh store is also the first retailer in the world to stock exclusive merchandise from Rise Gear – previously featured on the Canadian Dragons Den, these fantastic luggage products can roll packing and storage all into one.
Open from 4:00am-10pm, passengers can take full advantage of the storage and shipping facilities all in one convenient location. The airport’s Shop and Collect service will also be based at Luggage-Point.
In another world-first, Edinburgh Airport is to install the very latest design of the patented Best-weigh pre-check-in weighing units. Passengers are able to check the weight of their luggage against the permitted allowance no matter which airline they’re flying with or destination.
In a matter of seconds users are advised if their luggage is under or over their allowance. If too heavy, the system automatically calculates and advises of any potential charges. Machines are fitted with card payment facilities and are located in the main check-in hall. A free re-weigh service is also available to passengers wishing to re-pack their bag for that extra piece of mind.
Richard Townsend, Head of Retail and Property at Edinburgh Airport, said: “We’re passionate about giving our passengers the very best choice and experience and our retail development programme has focused on this.
“Having the new Luggage-Point store in our new terminal means that customers can have the choice of fantastic products and services in the one place.
“We want to make the passenger journey as easy and stress-free as possible so the fact we can now offer services like bag wrapping and dry-cleaning will be a real benefit to our customers.”
Co-founded in 2012 by Carole and Gerard Stewart, Luggage-Point is a real family affair with the couple’s sons, Marc and Graeme also on board as Director and UK Manager for the company.
Global domination is also underway with Weigh-ahead operational in 11 UK airports, recent installations in Nigeria and discussions with airports in Australia and New Zealand.
Marc said: “We’re extremely proud and excited not only as a company but as a family to be opening our new travel retail and passenger services store at Edinburgh Airport.
“Passengers and staff alike can take advantage of the wide range of services available under one roof whilst browsing travel goods from a host of established and innovative brands.
“Edinburgh Airport is growing whilst committed to enhancing and improving the passenger experience. Luggage-Point shares the same philosophy and look forward to working with Edinburgh Airport to achieve these goals.”
About Edinburgh Airport:
Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest airport. More than 40 airlines serve 100-plus destinations and 9.78 million passengers passed through the airport in 2013 – the busiest year ever for a Scottish airport. It is the fifth largest in the UK, in terms of passenger numbers, and employs over 5000 people.
July 2014 was the airport’s busiest month ever with over 1.1 million passengers travelling through its terminal.
Edinburgh Airport was named best in Britain, and top three in Europe, for passenger satisfaction, at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards in 2012 and ‘Best European Airport (5-10m passengers)’ at the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards in 2012 and 2013. It has also won Scottish Airport of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards in 2013 and 2014.
edinburghairport.com
About Luggage-Point:
Luggage-Point was established in 2012 by Carole and Gerard Stewart, as the service and retail division of Weigh-ahead. Its mission is to improve the experience for passengers and operators by providing a range of essential airport services from one convenient location.
Luggage-point.co.uk
We are all aware that following a robust due diligence programme is an absolutely critical part of any deal-making process in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) arena. It would be a foolhardy group of investors who proceed with deals without analysing every single aspect of the management buy-in, buy-out, merger or acquisition that they are about to complete.
The overriding perception of purchasers and vendors when considering an employee benefit programme and perhaps the only risk they could potentially expose themselves to is that associated with a defined benefit (DB) scheme. Experience has shown that such superficial analysis of a programme invariably leads to greater risks and significant additional unforeseen liabilities.
The potential for higher risks and greater costs is not just restricted to DB schemes, defined contribution schemes and ancillary benefits all have their potential pitfalls too. Despite this, they are often given low priority and minimal scrutiny, or overlooked completely.
Regular audits
Employee benefit due diligence should not be the sole preserve of the M&A arena. It makes complete business sense for all companies to regularly conduct a full audit of their existing programme.
Employee benefit due diligence seeks to identify the potential risks, liabilities and cost savings that exist within a company’s programme.
This audit is particularly effective prior to the sale of any business. Not only will the audit ensure there are no potential risks or liabilities which the buyer could use as a means of reducing price but perhaps more importantly will identify potential cost savings which could significantly increase exit value.
The Mattioli Woods perspective
Over the past 20 years, Mattioli Woods has gained extensive experience of the employee benefit due diligence process. By reviewing programmes on behalf of banks, venture capitalists, corporate finance teams, accountants and lawyers, uncovered significant potential risks and liabilities and identified substantial additional costs and real savings for their clients.
The advantages of employee benefit due diligence are clear and yet it remains an area that receives little attention. Our team has spent years forging strong links within the industry and has identified sizable cost savings, suggested cost-effective workable solutions and provided valuable cautionary advice to purchasers and vendors alike.
The last time Edinburgh Rugby played the welshmen in the Capital, a fast paced game resulted in 7 tries with the home side falling agonisingly short at the death. It will be another hard fought battle, one which Edinburgh Rugby will go all out to WIN!
URL : http://www.edinburghrugby.org/match-report/edinburgh-rugby-vs-cardiff-blues-sun-23112014-1600
Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, is one of thirteen companies, consortia and individuals from across Scotland shortlisted as finalists in the Interface Excellence Awards 2014.
Showcasing collaborations between businesses and Scottish academia, the third annual Excellence Awards will highlight the economic, social and innovative impacts arising from collaborative projects undertaken by businesses and Scottish universities and research institutions.
QMU has been shortlisted in three out of four award categories, including Innovation of the Year, Sustainable Partnership Award and Multi-Party Collaboration Award.
The University has been shortlisted in the Innovation of the Year category for its collaborative work with iQ Chocolate of Stirling, Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University. The joint project established the antioxidant values of iQ Chocolate’s product range and identified optimum processing temperature to maximise these properties, leading to the creation of Scotland’s first ‘bean to bar’ chocolate bar.
QMU’s second award nomination is in the Sustainable Partnership category for its work with Peebles-based business – React2. The partnership project has helped create interactive products to help people experiencing problems with speech and language as the result of a stroke, brain injury, learning difficulties or dementia.
The University has also been shortlisted in the Multi-Party Collaboration category for its work as part of the Sea Buckthorn Common Interest Group and the Scottish Rapeseed Group.
The Sea Buckthorn Common Interest Group is made up of confectionary companies, drinks producers, tea shops and academia examining the nutritional properties of sea buckthorn and enabling the development of new commercial products containing sea buckthorn.
The Scottish Rapeseed Group comprises eight rapeseed growers/producers working together to promote Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil to consumers and buyers and to substantiate the benefits of Scottish rapeseed oil versus other oils.
Miriam Smith, Business Development Manager at Queen Margaret University, said: “It’s excellent news for QMU to have been shortlisted in three categories at this year’s Interface Excellence Awards. It goes a long way to reflect the significant progress that our Research and Knowledge Exchange team has made over recent years with businesses across Scotland.
“In this challenging economic climate, commercial organisations, particularly SMEs, need all the help they can get. Many businesses seem unaware that world class expertise, knowledge and research facilities are available within Scotland’s universities. Our researchers and business experts are uniquely equipped to help SMEs. In addition, our business experts have knowledge and access to funding for commercial development. Businesses, both large and small, need to make the most of this valuable resource.”
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director of Interface commented on the 2014 awards:
“The entries we received for this year’s awards have been of an extremely high calibre and every finalist should be proud of getting this far. Not only that, but the numbers of entries submitted increased by 20 per cent on last year, which only goes to highlight the interest from the business and academic communities in the awards.
“The Interface Excellence Awards celebrate the success of collaborations between SMEs and Scottish academia, and recognises the efforts to grow their organisations and drive innovation across the marketplace. Through individual projects and their continued contribution towards Knowledge Exchange these finalists have striven to make a real difference to the Scottish economy, which is something to be celebrated.”
The Interface Excellence Awards will take place on Thursday 20th November 2014 at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh. For more information visit www.interface-online.org.uk
Commenting on the release of official data which shows that Scottish unemployment fell by 10,000 in the three months to September, Liz Cameron, Director/Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:
“The welcome continuation of the trend of falling unemployment in Scotland reflects the optimism that businesses are experiencing and the positive recruitment plans that businesses have across a number of sectors. The private sector is continuing to create new jobs, strengthening and rebalancing our economy for the better.
“However, as employment continues to grow, so too does the problem of skills shortages and hard to fill vacancies. Governments north and south of the border need to tackle this with co-ordinated strategies aimed at ensuring that our domestic talent is better equipped with the skills that our businesses need and also that Scottish businesses are better able to recruit suitably skilled staff from beyond our shores.
“At a time when our economy and our demand for skills is growing, Scotland must be open to workers with the skills we need, whichever country they happen to come from.”
With the implementation of auto-enrolment, is the provision of a pension shifting from the government to the responsibility of the individual and the private sector?
The proposed structure from 6 April 2015 is arguably one of the biggest changes to pensions industry. Individuals over age-55 will be able to draw on whatever funds they want from their pension scheme. Ways to do this include:
- Income for life i.e. lifetime annuity, scheme pension
- Funds into drawdown, known as flexi-access drawdown
- Single or series of lump sums from uncrystallised funds (known as uncrystallised funds pension lump sum)
- Combination of the above options
The significance of the changes cannot be underestimated and generates a need for a re-education to ensure that good member outcomes are achieved.
So what next for an employer who is interested in putting a financial education programme in place? The important step is to identify what your employees want and need. Promoting employee benefits is a good step and should not be ignored, however there may be other more personal areas that employees would value. The major changes in pension being an area impacting on the vast majority.
Different generations will likely have different needs or wants. Younger employees may prefer assistance with student loans or early financial planning, whereas those closer to retirement may need to know more about their journey into retirement, how they can draw any income from pension plans, what state benefits are available and where to get them.
At Mattioli Woods, we have worked with employers of all sizes and provided different approaches such as employee surgeries, executive financial counselling, lunch and learn presentations. In addition to delivering retirement workshops and covering the technical aspects of pensions, we have teamed up with experts to provide help with the psychological impact of retiring.
Nicola Saltman – Employee Benefits Consultant
Mobile – 07530 598 150
Email – nicola.saltman@mattioliwoods.com
With two consecutive ‘million months’ in July and August, over four million passengers travelled through Edinburgh Airport between June and September – meaning summer 2014 was its busiest on record.
Tourism is vitally important to our economy and this year Scotland has stood centre stage on a global level with the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup, Edinburgh Festival and the Independence Referendum.
During the Ryder Cup week in September, over 260,000 people, roughly four full Murrayfield stadiums, travelled through Edinburgh Airport and all transatlantic services and connections reported full or exceptionally high load factors.
Edinburgh Airport reached a number of important milestones this year, most notably exceeding the 10 million passenger mark between June 2013 and 2014 and the launch of its new terminal extension which houses a new state-of-the-art security hall. The airport is now moving towards securing 10 million passengers in a calendar year for 2014.
A significant amount of investment has gone into improving airport facilities in 2014. The new £25m terminal extension, the first part of a wider £150m airport-wide improvement project, has allowed for physical expansion in order to accommodate the significant passenger growth which is expected to continue. A number of new shops and services are also part of the new extension, offering passengers even more choice.
The unprecedented development this year in long-haul services to the USA, Canada and the Middle East has driven the airport’s growth and enabled more passengers than ever before to travel to Scotland.
The Scottish economy is expected to receive a substantial boost from further airline growth in 2015 when Etihad Airways launches from Edinburgh in June. The Middle Eastern carrier will begin its first service from Scotland with non-stop daily flights to Abu Dhabi. In addition to a direct connection between Edinburgh and this new Middle Eastern hub, the forthcoming service will allow passengers and cargo from Scotland to connect to destinations across the Gulf, Asia, Australia and Africa.
As Scotland’s busiest airport, we understand the leadership role we play in promoting Scotland around the world and maximising the opportunities for our people to travel and do business.
Edinburgh Airport continues to play its part by providing choice and flexibility to business travellers and industry north of the border with more than 50 flights to London per day, including new services to London City and Stansted airports.
Scotland’s route network will always reflect demand for the routes served, but airport operators have an important role to play in promoting airports, cities and the country as a whole.
Autumn is now gradually changing into winter and this means plans are now being made for Christmas 2014. A new partnership between the airport and Edinburgh’s Christmas will continue to support the City’s festive campaigns and build upon the success of the summer festivals.
Partnerships like these continue to help build valuable relationships and safeguard the continued development of our city as a leading European capital.
