Blogs

Well what a year 2020 turned out to be but despite the odds, Project SEARCH continues to run at Dow Silicones UK Ltd in Barry! This has only been possible thanks to fantastic leadership support plus the creativity, agility and commitment of a brilliant Project SEARCH instructor and job coach, plus a team of 36 Dow mentors. Let’s just take a moment to reflect on 2020 achievements and celebrate the success stories! Project SEARCH Year...

Do you ever feel like you want to join the Procrastinator’s Club, but never quite get around to it? At some point in time, procrastination plagues us all, some more than others, but everyone at some point gets bitten. Introverts particularly have unique ways to procrastinate such as making a simple task more complicated by over-analysing, over-thinking, over-planning or even revising work just to make sure it’s perfect. We’ve all heard the quote, “Why put...

Talking of money, all high growth businesses need to manage cash. Most businesses swallow up cash; high growth businesses positively devour cash. In most cases, businesses that fail, do so not because of a lack of profit, but because they run out of cash. It’s an old but true cliché that ‘cash is the lifeblood of a business’. So treasure your cash. In particular, rein it in wherever and whenever you can. For instance: ​Try...

Taking place between 8 –14 February 2021, Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships, and the value they bring to employers and learners in Wales. Apprenticeships allow businesses to recruit new talent, hungry to learn, to fills skills gaps cost-effectively and enable learners, of any age, to increase their skills levels. Bringing together apprentices, training providers, parents and employers, Apprenticeship Week highlights the work being done across the whole apprenticeship community to promote...

"Work is what you do not where you do it" It’s a great phrase and a starting point for my reflection on the ‘accidental experiment’ brought forth by Covid-19. With a degree of normality returning, should one return to the conventional office or work from home (WFH)? What is clear is that agile working (office and home) will become the norm for most businesses based on a hybrid model (it will not be binary) with...

We have just had one of the strangest end of year, or Christmas, that most of us have ever experienced. As we begin 2021 we are still facing unprecedented times. The Coronavirus pandemic has revealed, and is exacerbating, deep-rooted inequalities and human rights concerns; and it has become even more evident just how entrenched racial inequality is in our society. Action is urgently needed to build a more equal Wales. With all the different current...

To stand out in your community or marketplace and give yourself a competitive edge, you first need to think carefully and creatively about how you can differentiate yourself. You will need to create a mindset that delivers original and innovative thinking. You need to prepare yourself mentally to generate the inspiration you need. Rather than the usual flashes of inspiration and innovative ideas, you need to try to discipline yourself and train your brain to...

An Aberaeron-based social and economic research company has become employee-owned, cementing its team-orientated ethos and business approach. Wavehill, which was established in 1992 with offices in Aberaeron, Bristol, Newcastle and London, has developed a strong reputation and proven expertise in the fields of social and economic research, evaluation and impact assessment. The company has moved to an Employee Ownership model with the support of the Employee Ownership Wales team at Social Business Wales, which offers...

When legal representation falls short: study finds diversity is lacking in law firms Only 29% of partner roles in large firms are held by women, despite women making up 47% of the UK workforce. Ethnic minorities are underrepresented in larger firms. Only 3% of people in law firms identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Only 3% of lawyers say they consider themselves to be disabled in comparison to 19% of the UK's working population. Diversity...

Against the backdrop of COVID-19, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Hannah Blythyn has announced a new campaign to strengthen the knowledge and understanding of workplace rights and responsibilities. Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn, said: "It’s never been more important for workers and employers to be aware of their workplace rights and responsibilities. This Welsh Government, has teamed up with our social partners the Wales TUC, FSB, CBI, Chambers Wales...