Latest Updates From Surrey Chambers CEO – August 2024
31st July 2024
Since last month it has been all change on the political landscape, following the General Election. However, even though the government has changed, it is business as usual at Surrey Chambers of Commerce where we continue to represent businesses and work in partnership to create a business landscape that encourages business investment and confidence in the way forward. We are already sharing our business needs with the new government and will focus on influencing business policies.
Economy and Policies
Recruitment survey
We have recently published the results of our national Recruitment Outlook survey which reported that 74% of firms attempting to recruit in Quarter 2 were still facing problems hiring staff. It’s alarming that recruitment difficulties have increased in recent months across all sectors. People shortages and labour costs are ramping up pressure on firms and holding back growth. We need to prioritise help for people to get back into the labour market and remove the barriers to business investment in training. Better planning for skills is crucial. We look forward to building on our Local Skills Improvement Plan to maintain the strong partnerships between employers, training providers and others – ensuring people get the skills and support they need. But this will not happen overnight. As we transition to a better planned, high-skilled and high wage economy, we need to ensure firms can access global talent to fill urgent job vacancies. This requires a more efficient and effective visa system that can support sectors of the economy when they’ve tried everything they can to recruit and train locally. The Prime Minister launched Skills England last week and we look forward to this pulling together all the various initiatives to tackle the pressing issue of skills gaps.
Kings Speech
The recent King’s Speech included 40 bills covering everything from railways to tobacco sales but there was a great deal relevant for businesses. The commitment to an industrial strategy could put in place a framework to unleash the pent-up ambition of British business to grow the economy. Billions of pounds of private investment have been held back by businesses which have been watching and waiting for long-term certainty in the economy. The Government’s clear intention to speed up the planning system for large scale infrastructure can feed that business confidence.
The Kings Award for Enterprise
We have all been enjoying the recognition and successes of our Olympic athletes and we also have the opportunity to be recognised in the world of business. The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses. They are designed to recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in the fields of Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility). Winners receive a number of benefits, including the right to use the award emblem for marketing purposes, an invitation to a Royal Reception, and increased recognition and prestige within their industry. Award winning businesses have reported worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage, and boosts to staff morale. With a closing date of 12thSeptember 2024 it is not too late to apply for recognition. https://www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise/how-to-apply
Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, info@surrey-chambers.co.uk, @surreychambers www.surrey-chambers.co.uk We are always happy to help businesses find what they need to help them grow and prosper.