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Gen-Z Female Truck Driver From Yorkshire Encourages Women Into Industry
55% of HGV drivers are over 55, and only 1% are female. Meet gen-z driver Chantelle, part of the new generation of HGV drivers. Female HGV driver gives advice and discusses career to date.
Chantelle Spencer
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Leeds Firms Collaborate To Enhance Zenith's Digital Presence
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Leeds-based companies Zenith and Wolfenden have formed a strategic partnership to enhance Zenith's digital presence through a comprehensive organic search strategy. Zenith, established in 1989, is the UK's largest independent leasing, fleet management, and vehicle outsourcing business, managing over 170,000 vehicles across various sectors.
1:06 AM 18th February 2025
Cumbrian Door Manufacturer Boosts Production With £96k Grant
Maryport-based West Port, a manufacturer of high-performance timber windows and doors, has significantly upgraded its production capabilities thanks to a £96,177.60 grant from the Cumbria Business Growth Hub. The funding, provided through Cumberland Council via the Rural England Prosperity Fund, covered 50% of the cost of a new, state-of-the-art CNC machine.
1:06 AM 18th February 2025
Astonish Slashes Carbon Footprint With Solar Investment
Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay
Yorkshire-based homecare brand Astonish has invested £417k in a large-scale solar panel installation at its Bradford headquarters to reduce its carbon footprint. Zenergy has installed 1,001 solar panels on the roof of the 128,000 sq ft factory, generating a renewable energy source for the business. Ninety per cent of the energy produced will power the factory’s manufacturing operations.
1:07 AM 18th February 2025
Ainscough Industrial Services Acquires Flegg Projects In Major Deal
(L-R): Jayson Flegg, Managing Director at Flegg Projects; Matt Ainscough, CEO of AIS Group; Kiersty Cox, Finance & HR Director, Flegg Projects
Wigan-based Ainscough Industrial Services (AIS) has acquired Aylesbury-based FFM Engineering Services, known as Flegg Projects, for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition, AIS's largest to date, expands its capabilities in the medical equipment logistics market and strengthens its presence across various manufacturing sectors, including energy, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and automotive.
1:06 AM 18th February 2025
70% Of Business Travellers Hit By Cyber-Attacks
Studies reveal that 70% of business travellers have experienced cyber-attacks, highlighting their vulnerability to cybercriminals targeting confidential data. With business travel increasing by 19% over the past year, experts emphasise the risks posed by poor cybersecurity practices, including weak passwords and a lack of cybersecurity awareness.
1:04 AM 18th February 2025
Northern Building Plastics Expands Nationwide Reach With Fifth Super Depot
Leeds-based Northern Building Plastics (NBP), backed by BGF, has opened its fifth "super depot" in Hemel Hempstead, marking a significant step in its nationwide expansion. The move aims to solidify NBP's presence in the building products market and enhance service for customers across the UK.
1:04 AM 18th February 2025
IoD: Increasing Public Sector Productivity Must Be Government’s Top Priority For The Spending Review
In a January 2025 Institute of Directors member survey, 38% of business leaders identified increasing public sector productivity as the top priority for the UK Government’s Spending Review 2025, ahead of a greater focus on long-termism (20%). In its Spending Review submission, the IoD has called for a consistent, coherent growth-focussed approach to the use of government funds.
1:01 AM 17th February 2025
Northern Businesses Eye Salary Sacrifice To Mitigate Tax Hikes
Northern businesses are exploring salary sacrifice schemes to mitigate the impact of upcoming tax changes, according to a new survey by BDO. The Economic Engine survey of 500 mid-market businesses across the North of England found that 35% in the North West and 41% in Yorkshire are considering salary sacrifice arrangements.
1:00 AM 17th February 2025
Whitaker Museum And Art Gallery Crowned Lancashire’s Best Cultural Venue
The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery has been named Lancashire's Best Cultural Venue of the Year at the annual Lancashire Tourism Awards. The awards, organised by Marketing Lancashire, were held at Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Across 27 categories, the awards celebrated all aspects of Lancashire's tourism and hospitality sector.
1:00 AM 17th February 2025
Prosper Awards £440k Community Investment To Social Landlords
Procurement experts Prosper have awarded £440,854 in Social Value Annual Dividend payments to 12 social landlords across the UK. The funding, covering procurement throughput from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023, represents a 37% increase compared to the previous year. Prosper allocated a 15% surplus contribution, up from 7.5%.
1:00 AM 17th February 2025
Rural Inheritance Tax Concerns Grow
Karen Whiting
“In my 24 years of tax advising, I have never seen so much anger and concern from farming clients – they are reeling.” – Karen Whiting, Azets.
1:00 AM 17th February 2025
Apprenticeship Ambassador Network Chair Visits Leeds
The Chair of the Department for Education’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, Anthony Impey, visited Leeds-based mechanical, electrical, and public health provider (MEP) G&H and its in-house training partner, Building Futures Together (BFT), to learn more about its apprenticeship programme during National Apprenticeship Week.
1:00 AM 15th February 2025
Shipster Champions Apprenticeships As Key To Tech Talent
Shipster, a fast-growing tech company, is celebrating the role of apprenticeships in developing talent and fostering growth during National Apprenticeship Week 2025. The Manchester-based custom shipping integration platform highlighted the success story of Alex Downie, a former apprentice who has progressed to become a junior developer.
1:00 AM 15th February 2025
Survey Finds The Air Is Blue In Most Workplaces
A survey by Yorkshire law firm, LCF Law, has revealed that more than half of workers hear swearing every single day in their workplaces. LCF Law asked 100 people across a number of industries and sectors, how common swearing is in their workplace.
1:00 AM 15th February 2025
Work/Life Balance, Is It A Choice
Much discussed is the question of work/life balance. For some, this is viewed as a binary question: you can have a good family life or a good work life, but the two are incompatible. Others think a successful work life is the only route to a happy home life. Most of us are somewhere in the middle of that continuum.
1:00 AM 15th February 2025
Lancashire ‘Gem’ To Be ‘Brought Back To Where It Was’, Following Acquisition
Lancashire ‘gem’, The Shard Riverside Inn, will be ‘brought back to where it was’, after it was acquired by the Taziker family. Nigel Taziker, who lives five minutes away from the well-known hotel, bar and restaurant, led the deal alongside his father, Tom. The family will make an initial investment to refurbish the property, but insist it is ‘business as usual’.
11:23 AM 14th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week: Leeds Apprentice Lays Career Foundations With Redrow
James Latham
As National Apprenticeship Week draws to a close (February 10 – 16) one apprentice in Yorkshire is busy cementing his future. James Latham, 20, from Scholes in Leeds, joined Redrow’s apprenticeship scheme as an apprentice brick layer in August 2024.
1:00 AM 14th February 2025
Leeds Tech Salaries Match London In Key Roles
SPG Resourcing's Sam Hameed
Leeds is emerging as a major competitor to London's tech dominance, with top data roles commanding equivalent salaries of up to £120,000 in both cities, according to a new industry salary survey. The research from SPG Resourcing reveals Leeds' tech sector is growing 125% faster than the national average, with software development expanding at an annual rate of 20%.
1:00 AM 14th February 2025
Yorkshire Business Launches Hair Straightener Recycling Initiative To Combat Waste
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
(front) Nicola and Pat Mooney are incentivising consumers to trade in their old straighteners
Otley-based Luxury Hair Products has introduced a recycling scheme aimed at reducing electronic waste by encouraging consumers to trade in their old GHD or Cloud Nine hair straighteners, regardless of condition. Participants receive £10.95 per device, which the company refurbishes, repurposes, or recycles responsibly.
1:00 AM 14th February 2025
Economy Grows - But Chill Of Uncertainty Remains
Image by André Santana Design André Santana from Pixabay
ONS data that showed GDP rose by 0.4% in December 2024, following growth of 0.1% in November, here's commentary from business groups
8:52 AM 13th February 2025
Strong Year Of Dealmaking For Logistics In 2024, Despite Dip In Q4
Deal activity in the logistics and supply chain management sector fell in Q4, following the record highs of the previous quarter. Despite the decrease in deal activity in the final three months of 2024, it was a strong year for dealmaking in the sector.
1:01 AM 13th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week: Building Skills And Shaping Futures
The UK’s number one kitchen retailer, Wren Kitchens, is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week by highlighting its industry-leading apprenticeship programmes. With a number of apprenticeship opportunities available across a range of departments, including transport, customer services, HR, IT, manufacturing and retail, Wren is dedicated to developing the next generation of skilled professionals.
1:00 AM 13th February 2025
SEW-EURODRIVE Marks First Anniversary Of Tech Training
Yorkshire-based specialist in drive technology, SEW-EURODRIVE UK, is celebrating the first anniversary of its bespoke training institute, DriveAcademy® having provided over 400 hours of specialised training to 35 major UK companies, including NEXT, Ocado, Pepsico, and Amazon.
1:00 AM 13th February 2025
Sheffield Forgemasters Secures Planning For New Facility
Castings and forgings specialist, Sheffield Forgemasters, has been granted planning permission to build a landmark 30,000 m2 machining facility on brownfield land in Sheffield’s Meadowhall district.
1:00 AM 13th February 2025
Skills Crisis Deepens As Entry-Level Apprenticeships Plummet
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Gregg Scott, CEO Realise
A sharp decline in Level 2 apprenticeships across the UK has sparked warnings from industry leaders and former Education Secretary Lord David Blunkett, as nearly one million young people now find themselves outside education, employment, or training.
1:00 AM 13th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week: Cadet Careers Fair Draws Record Business Participation
The Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) of Yorkshire and the Humber hosted its third annual Cadet Careers Fair at York College. The event attracted over 200 cadets and featured 55 employers from across the region, marking a significant increase in participation since its inception in 2023.
1:00 AM 13th February 2025
New Research Reveals Growing Appeal Of Apprenticeships
Photo courtesy of BAE Systems
As one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers, BAE Systems has tested the latest attitudes towards career paths among young people to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (10-16 February).
1:00 AM 13th February 2025
Cool Heads Needed As Manufacturing Exporters Fear Tariff Impact
New research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit has uncovered the extent to which firms are worried about the impact of US tariffs on their operations. The survey of more than 1,200 firms, of which over 260 were manufacturing exporters, was carried out between Monday 20 January and Friday 7 February.
12:08 PM 12th February 2025
Product Partnerships Secures £10m Investment To Drive Growth From Arete And TDC
Product Partnerships Limited (PPL), a regulated compliance solutions provider, has successfully completed a management buyout (MBO) backed by a £10m funding package from Arete Capital and TDC’s Impact Fund.
1:02 AM 12th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week: Changing Careers and Lives
Hundreds of apprentices are changing lives by working for Leeds Teaching Hospitals – and many have changed their careers too. Current apprentices include people who have moved into the NHS from a wide range of backgrounds including theatre production, sales, illustration and retail.
1:00 AM 12th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week: Miller Homes Supports Early Career
As part of its commitment to encouraging future talent, Miller Homes is proud to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week by shining a spotlight on its Early Talent Scheme. Designed to provide hands-on experience, mentorship, and nationally recognised qualifications, the scheme offers school leavers and aspiring professionals the opportunity to gain insight into the housebuilding industry.
1:00 AM 12th February 2025
Chimney Sheep Invests In Workington Facility With Growth Hub Grant
Workington-based manufacturer Chimney Sheep has announced a significant investment in its operations, funded in part by a £59,894.32 grant from the Cumbria Business Growth Hub. This investment aims to enhance the company's efficiency, product range, and support for local agriculture.
1:00 AM 12th February 2025
More Signs Of Labour Market Slack As Hiring Activity Falls At Sharper Rate Across The North Of England
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
The jobs market in the North of England remained under pressure, according to the latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey data. Demand for workers weakened, as reflected by an accelerated drop in vacancies. As a result, hiring activity for both types of staff contracted, again at sharper and historically elevated rates. This triggered a cooldown in pay growth.
3:00 AM 11th February 2025
IoD: Cutting Red Tape Will Remove Unnecessary Barriers To Increasing Apprenticeship Numbers
Image by Leopictures from Pixabay
Responding to the Government’s announcement of new measures to make apprenticeships more flexible, Alex Hall-Chen, Principal Policy Advisor for Skills at the Institute of Directors, said: "Apprenticeships are a vital tool in tackling the UK’s persistent skills shortages, and this announcement is a welcome step in removing unnecessary barriers to increasing apprenticeship numbers.
1:03 AM 11th February 2025
£94m Framework Open For Northern SMEs
Image by Alexa from Pixabay
Tenders are now being invited to a new £94 million asbestos and demolition framework hosted by regional procurement specialist EN:Procure. The latest ‘Gen-4’ version will mainly be applied to the asbestos surveying, removal and or treatment and air testing of domestic properties in the social housing sector.
1:00 AM 11th February 2025
£1.9m Boost To Changing Futures Programme As Rough Sleeping Halves
Almost £1.9 million in new funding has been allocated to Lancashire’s Changing Futures programme, reinforcing efforts to tackle rough sleeping, homelessness, and multiple disadvantages. The funding is part of a £14.8m investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and Government to continue supporting vulnerable people across England.
1:00 AM 11th February 2025
York's The Insurance Emporium Celebrates Industry Accolades
York-based personal lines insurance provider, The Insurance Emporium, has commenced 2025 with significant industry recognition: Moneyfactscompare.co.uk Awards 2025: Highly Commended as Pet Insurance Provider of the Year and Commended for Best Claims Service. Defaqto 5-Star Ratings: Achieved across Pet, Equine, Caravan, and Bicycle insurance products.
1:00 AM 11th February 2025
10 In 10: Tim Barrett
Tim Barrett, chair, Construction Alliance North East is the latest regional professional in the hot seat as the p.ublished group of newspapers gives him just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions.
1:02 AM 10th February 2025
Young People In The North West Left In The Dark Over Career Choices, Survey Finds
79% of young people in the North West do not think there is enough information given to them about apprenticeships or career opportunities. Calls on government for better connectivity between young people and local businesses and apprenticeship providers.
1:01 AM 10th February 2025
Leeds Manufacturer Slashes Energe Use In Sustainability Drive With Lloyds Investment
A 150-year-old Leeds manufacturer is cutting its energy consumption by up to 50% after securing a £1 million funding package from Lloyds’ Clean Growth Financing Initiative (CGFI).
1:00 AM 10th February 2025
North Of England SMEs Struggle As Growth Forecasts Hit Nine-Month Low
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay
Small business growth forecasts in the North of England have fallen sharply, with a rising number of SMEs predicting contraction or even closure, according to new data from Novuna Business Finance.
1:00 AM 10th February 2025
£1.4m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fuels North West Business Growth
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
GC Business Finance (GCBF) and River Capital have delivered £1.4m in funding to 23 businesses across the North West through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) since its launch in March 2024.
1:00 AM 10th February 2025
National Apprenticeship Week: How LNER Apprenticeships Have Led To New Careers
Libby Digital Apprentice
After swapping the world of social media to work on projects that make travel even simpler for customers, Digital apprentice Libby Whitehorn is sharing her experience.
1:00 AM 10th February 2025
Workplace Friendships Are Good For Business
Image by Alexa from Pixabay
It seems to me that friendship is becoming a lost art. Even the word ‘friend’ has been downgraded by social media. But friendship is essential if we are to thrive and flourish as human beings – and as leaders.
1:01 AM 8th February 2025
How To Make Receiving Feedback At Work An Empowering Experience
Becky Westwood, Organisational Psychologist at Monkey Puzzle Training and Consultancy, and author of Can I Offer You Something? Expert Ways to Unpack the Horrors of Organisational Feedback shares her advice on receiving feedback.
1:00 AM 8th February 2025
Staff Retention Crisis: 65% Of Staff Looking To Change Jobs This Year And How Employers Can Reduce This Risk
Data from Robert Walters’ Salary Survey has revealed that 65% of professionals are responding to uncertainty by making plans to apply and take interviews for new opportunities in 2025. This has caused employers to fear staff loss and look for ways to improve employee retention.
1:00 AM 8th February 2025
New Analysis Shows Critical Role Of Public Funding In University-Business Collaboration
Analysis from Research England highlights the vital role of the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) in fostering knowledge exchange (KE) between universities and businesses in England.
1:00 AM 8th February 2025
Geopura Expands Green Hydrogen Production In South Yorkshire
GeoPura, a UK leader in sustainable power solutions, is expanding its hydrogen production facility at Croft Farm, Doncaster, offering low-carbon hydrogen to the wider market. This development supports Britain’s net-zero goals and strengthens South Yorkshire’s position as a hub for renewable energy innovation.
1:00 AM 8th February 2025
Winter Tarn Dairy Secures Regional Distribution Deal With Pioneer Foodservice
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Harry Jackson
Cumbria-based Winter Tarn Dairy has partnered with Pioneer Foodservice to distribute its individual 10g salted butter portions to hospitality businesses across the North of England and Southern Scotland. Pioneer Foodservice, a long-established family-owned supplier, serves pubs, restaurants, hotels, cafes, and catering providers across the region.
1:00 AM 8th February 2025
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