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BUSINESS 20 / Monday June 9, 2014 Company hits out at apprenticeship plans bournemouthecho.co.uk/business @bournemouthecho BUSINESS IN BRIEF REGION: More should be done to allow office staff to work from home, the South West Trades Union Congress says. A report from the Office of National Statistics shows the region has the highest home working rate in England at 17.1 per cent, but the TUC says this figure is skewed by farmers and over-65s. Nigel Costley, the regional secretary for the South West TUC, said: “Too many bosses still don’t trust staff to work from home and instead force them to trudge into the office so they can keep an eye on them.” Breakfast at meeting LYMINGTON: Lymington Chamber of Commerce holds a breakfast meeting on Thursday June 19, 7-9am, at Linden House in New Street. Details are at lymington.biz Networking at event POOLE: Poole Chamber of Trade and Commerce holds its next Chamber Xchange networking event on Monday June 16, 6-8pm, at Twin Sails Wharf. The event is free and will have a cash bar. New way to raise funds PURBECK: A new way to raise funds from building development has been introduced in Purbeck, officials have confirmed. Purbeck District Council says the aim of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is to “raise funds from new building development to provide infrastructure to offset the impact of the development.” A schedule listing the CIL charges is available at dorsetforyou.com Post Office gets revamp BEARWOOD: Bearwood Post Office, Magna Road, Poole, is being modernised to create a new open plan branch with longer opening hours. It will close at 5.30pm on July 16 for refurbishment and is scheduled to open on July 28. Staff work from home PLANS to make employers bear more of the costs of apprenticeships could hit small businesses hard, it is claimed. GF Electrical has hit out at proposals for the “co-funding” of apprenticeships, which were part of a government consultation that closed recently. Michelle Fuller, who established the company 10 years ago with husband Gary, said they had three apprentices among their 11-strong team based at Holton Heath. She was concerned about the impact on cash flow if employers are forced to pay fees up front for their apprentices’ training and claim back some of the costs through the PAYE system. It is not yet clear how much of the costs would be recoverable. “For slightly larger companies it’s not too much of a problem but for small businesses and sole traders, it really causes them a problem,” she said. “We’re still struggling from 2008-9 when the recession was out there, especially in this industry. We don’t need the hassle.” Apprenticeships in electrical contracting run for four years and require a lot of supervision from experienced staff. “In the 10 years we’ve been in business, we’ve always had apprentices, but it’s not profitable for a company in the early stages,” said Mrs Fuller. The company took on apprentices Matt Hughes and Jamie O’Shea last year through the training organisation JTL, which deals with coursework. Mrs Fuller said: “The guys have brought vitality to the company and have integrated really well into the team. “We’ve had plenty of positive feedback so we decided to take on another apprentice, Daryl Nimmo, last month.” Skills minister Matthew Hancock has said the apprenticeship system needs to be reformed “to put it at the forefront of economic growth for years to come”. A ‘trailblazers’ scheme which began last year saw the setting of new apprenticeship standards in the sectors involved, along with a new funding system which meant businesses received £2 for every £1 they invest in apprenticeships. Mr Hancock said: “Apprenticeships will deliver higher quality across the board, skills relevant to the future and give everyone in the country the opportunity to realise their potential. I am calling for businesses to come alongside us and we can go forward together.” CHANGES: The team at GF Electrical, based at Holton Heath DORCHESTER-based Dorset Cereals has been sold for a reported £50m. The proposed change in ownership is not expected to affect the company’s current manufacturing base in Poundbury. Associated British Foods, which owns the Jordans and Ryvita brands, has clinched the takeover in the face of competition from industry giants Kellogg and Weetabix. Dorset Cereal is currently owned by Wellness Foods, which is based at Chertsey. Wellness is a subsidiary of Erbium Capital Partners and is backed by horseracing tycoons JP McManus and John Magnier. Wellness Foods Limited, a health food group, purchased the award- winning firm in 2008. A spokesman for Associated British Foods said: “We can confirm that the Jordans & Ryvita Company, part of Associated British Foods, has reached an agreement to purchase the Dorset Cereals brand from Wellness Foods, subject to regulatory approval. “Until the acquisition has been cleared by the regulatory authorities, Dorset Cereals will continue to operate as a part of Wellness Foods, and it is inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage. “We can confirm that our intention would be to maintain Dorset Cereals' existing manufacturing base in Poundbury, Dorset.” Darren Slade CONTACT ME t: 01202 411297 e: darren.slade@ bournemouthecho.co.uk twitter: @echodaz Dorset Cereals sells for £50m
