On Thursday 22 apprentice firefighters celebrated their successes following an intensive 15-week operational training course. The event was livestreamed for families to watch from the safety of their own homes while Covid-19 restrictions remain in place at this time. The recruits will now be posted to community fire stations across Greater Manchester, where their apprenticeship training will continue until they become fully qualified firefighters. The training of most of the new recruits has been funded by Reed, who have provided funding through the Greater Manchester Levy Matchmaking Service. The Matchmaking Service is delivered by The Growth Company and since it launched in 2019, Greater Manchester has been paving the way in providing apprenticeship opportunities for local people. The service has continued to link the city-region’s businesses with a skilled workforce despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
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HALIFAX This year’s Christmas Eve looks and feels quite different across the Maritimes, with long standing traditions forced to change due to change due to limits on gatherings and travel restrictions. Few sights say ‘Maritime Christmas Eve’ like a lineup for fresh lobster. “We’re getting 18 lobster for a friend and us,” says Kim Pare. In 2020, that lineup looks a bit different thanks to physical distancing and customers wearing masks, but the tradition still stands. Airports across the Maritimes lacked their traditional Christmas Eve crowds, with terminals nearly empty on Thursday morning. “As you can see its pretty quiet,” said Logan Tomkins, who was travelling to Ontario for Christmas. “I think this will be the first year in 46 years that we haven’t visited the grandparents on Boxing Day.”