The Vacant Shops Academy

Harwell Oxford’€™s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory will be the latest Oxfordshire business centre to host a campaign to boost the take up of apprenticeships.

The Making Sense of Apprenticeships event is on Wednesday March 13^th, and is billed as an opportunity for local employers to discuss all aspects of employing young people.

Representatives of more than 40 Oxfordshire employers met potential employees of the future at a two-day Careers Fest event. Among those from 10 key sectors taking part were British Gas Business, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, The Royal Navy and hosts MINI Plant Oxford.

More than 1300 Year 11 and 6^th form students from 10 Oxfordshire schools were invited to talk to employers and to ‘have-a-go’ at a range of job-related skills activities. Continue reading →

“Working from office premises has raised our status within our industry giving our business a significantly greater professional image, and we were able to reclaim vital space in our home.” that’s what it means to be a winner of the Southern Oxfordshire New Business Competition (SONBC), according to previous winner Matt Stone at AD Health & Safety…and fledgling firms in the area are being urged to make their pitch for the big prize in 2013. Continue reading →

Oxford hospitality and catering businesses say a recycling initiative has made a big difference to the amount of food waste they dump in landfill, and helped cut costs. One leading city hotel group says the recycling initiative has cut the amount of food waste it dumps by 35 per cent.

The comments came at a food waste forum with a number of the 90 city hospitality and catering businesses that were involved in the free food waste collection trial. Continue reading →

In a November 2012 guest column for The Oxfordshire Guardian newspaper series, Ian Middleton, Retail Week columnist and Managing Director of Argenteus Jewellery on Oxford’s Cornmarket, on the ‘Fair Rates for Retail’ campaign… Continue reading →

Media students at Abingdon and Witney College have been given an exciting real-work challenge – to make a film of the high profile 2012 Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards evening.

The Awards  were presented at a glittering black–tie dinner in the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre at the Madejski Stadium, Reading in front of an audience of 340 guests, representing some of the region’s most dynamic and successful companies. Continue reading →

An Oxfordshire-based global brand and distribution company is encouraging fellow employers to talk to their local college when they’re looking to build their team and develop its skills. Oxford Products Ltd. the company behind Oxford Essential Rider Equipment, the UK’s leading supplier of motorcycle and cycle accessories, recruited three new employees into its warehousing operation thanks to its partnership with Abingdon and Witney College, and has just taken on a Business Administration apprentice who’s studying there too.

Countywide business network OTCN has launched its popular online listing of Oxfordshire Christmas Lights Switch-on events, ahead of what’s being described as a crucial time for business on our High Streets.

A major drive to boost the number of small businesses who take on apprentices is focusing on Southern Oxfordshire. The event, on Thursday October 11th is hosted by Jennings at Monument Park, Chalgrove, and aims to give owners of smaller businesses in the area the opportunity to have their questions around the issue answered, and hear about the positive impact apprentices can have in the workplace.

A pioneering education and training centre near Bicester is launching a new series of Horticulture and Land-based Studies courses for garden centre, farm and landscape business staff. The courses are also aimed at people who grow produce in their gardens or on an allotment and would like to develop their horticulture skills.