Watford s mission to keep business alive after lockdown
High streets across the country have been devastatingly hit by the pandemic
Watford town centre (Image: Ricci Fothergill/RMC)
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Zayn Azam
- Credit: Supplied by UoH
After leaving school at 16, an apprentice has now gone to the University of Hertfordshire to further develop his career.
Zayn Azam, a digital and technology solutions degree apprentice at the University of Hertfordshire, explains how he has combatted some of the issues from working from home.
He set-up and ran a dedicated hotline for Qubic to help them adapt to their new way of working, which allowed the business to operate remotely outside of their Hatfield headquarters.
The 20-year-old said: I left school at 16 and decided to join Qubic as an apprentice. They have been very supportive of my development throughout my career and I am now studying for a degree with them at the University of Hertfordshire.
The independent research commissioned by Hertfordshire’s official destination management organisation also showed an eight per cent increase between 2017 and 2019 in the number of tourism jobs across the county, rising to 43,390, which accounts for seven per cent of total employment in Hertfordshire that year.
The release of Herts latest economic impact findings not only provides a detailed picture of the significant value and importance the county’s tourism and hospitality sector had on the region’s wider economy in 2019, it also establishes a benchmark from which to measure the impact of COVID-19.
The report is an extremely useful vehicle in aiding the recovery of the industry after lockdown has ended.
A virtual event aimed at bringing together employers in the Watford area with school students is taking place next month. In partnership with Watford Borough Council, Watford Chamber of Commerce is hosting Generation Watford on Tuesday, March 9 to provide young people with a unique view and understanding of upcoming training opportunities and careers. It also gives businesses an avenue to advertise their work and vacancies. Furthermore, Generation Watford aims to show businesses the power of young people, as evidenced by the Chamber employing apprentices and their involvement in the Government s Kickstarter scheme. Bronwen Lunniss, the latest Kickstarter to join the Chamber, explained how pivotal this event could be.
At a planning committee meeting on Wednesday evening, councillors unanimously gave the thumbs up to the scheme. Watford mayor Peter Taylor said: We are extremely excited to be launching Greenhill Works. Supporting our local businesses and creating the right environment for them to flourish is absolutely vital and a top priority for the council. Our local businesses are the lifeblood of our town, creating jobs and prosperity and keeping the town vibrant and successful. A key part of this is providing the right spaces and conditions for them to thrive and grow. To do this we have to offer high-quality spaces and places that people want to work in. Our aspiration for the redevelopment of this gateway zone at the entrance to the Park is that, as well as attracting new businesses to the area, it will act as a catalyst to regenerate the rest of Watford Business Park.