WOMEN working as freelancers across the North West are accessing new opportunities thanks to a programme launched by IN4.0. East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce members IN4.0 specialise in providing digital skills consultancy and hope that the FreelanceHER 100 programme will help to address gender imbalances in the media, digital and technology sectors while also helping women who may have lost their jobs during the pandemic. A great example to women who join the programme is Naomi Timperley, FreelanceHER 100 programme director and Computer Weekly most influential woman in UK Technology 2020. She said “I lost my full-time job during the first month of the first lockdown and went back to freelancing.
LANCASHIRE businesses have condemned chancellor Rishi Sunak s decision to alter a youth employment scheme, which could now see less opportunities created. The £2 billion Kickstart scheme was originally launched in September 2020 to tackle youth unemployment by providing employers with up to £1,500, via regional funding gateways , to help support the costs of young people s work placements. However, fewer than 2,000 young people nationwide have started such roles as of January 2021, while East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce claims that some funding gateways have failed to provide the full funding to employers, seeing the scheme instead as a revenue opportunity for themselves. East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce CEO Miranda Barker said: “It is very disappointing to hear that other gateways have failed to see the principle behind this scheme, instead putting their own interests first.
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Celebrations at a past BIBAs event
The Be Inspired Business Awards – The BIBAs – has opened for applications for 18 categories from businesses of any sector or any size in Lancashire.
Due to the restrictions in place around Covid-19, all interviews will be conducted by teleconferencing to ensure the safety of applicants and judges.
Babs Murphy, Chief Executive of the awards’ organisers, the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said the categories would offer firms the opportunities to show how they have innovated their way through the pandemic.
She said: “The BIBAs has always been about recognising the best in Lancashire business, and this year will be no exception.
A NEW enhanced Brexit service has been launched to help businesses operating in Lancashire become Brexit compliant. It is designed to offer a comprehensive information and advisory service to businesses involved in importing and exporting, including workshops, training courses and one-to-one Brexit audits specific to each business. The service is delivered by the East Lancashire Lancashire Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub Chamber chief executive Miranda Barker said: “With so little time to absorb the fine print produced at the eleventh hour many companies will have seen their preparations hampered by dealing with the immediate threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
A NEW enhanced Brexit service has been launched to help businesses operating in Lancashire become Brexit compliant. It is designed to offer a comprehensive information and advisory service to businesses involved in importing and exporting, including workshops, training courses and one-to-one Brexit audits specific to each business. The service is delivered by the East Lancashire Lancashire Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub Chamber chief executive Miranda Barker said: “With so little time to absorb the fine print produced at the eleventh hour many companies will have seen their preparations hampered by dealing with the immediate threat of the coronavirus pandemic.