In summary
As we wave goodbye to January, plans are well advanced for several Expos, events and stakeholder engagement for the remainder of 2025 which will provide excellent opportunities for our members to network and pick up essential advice on a range of business issues. We are also on the lookout for a new Regional Chair (info below), so if you would like to get more involved in FSB in the East Midlands get in touch.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is responsible for the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, having been commissioned by the Department for Education in 2022. We are undertaking research focused on local digital skills. It is crucial that our work responds to the perspectives and expertise of local employers, business owners and leaders. We would therefore be grateful for your engagement with this survey. Please see the article below for more details on how to complete the survey.
Featured news
We are currently seeking nominations from FSB members in East Midlands to become our new, regional Chair with effect from 1 April 2025. Working alongside staff the regional Chair promotes and champions FSB to external stakeholders and audiences, supports our lobbying on issues important to local businesses and supports activity and membership growth within the region. To find out more, request a copy of the full role description, please contact [email protected] before Thursday 13 February. Selection will take place between 14 and 28 February.
To The Sky: Air and Space Institute Tour and Networking
Wednesday 5 March 2025, 4-6pm
Have you driven past the shiny new Air and Space Institute (ASI) as you go through or past Newark and wondered what goes on inside? We are planning a chance to find out!
Save Wednesday 5 March in your diary to join us at the new ASI (Newark), an international centre of excellence to train people to enter the air and space industry. Located in the centre of Newark and part of the Lincoln College Group, the education and training on site are delivered by industry experts with years of flying and aircraft engineering experience in the air and space sector. The Institute also aims to support businesses in the Air and Space supply chain with training and connections.
Join us and Newark & Sherwood District to take a tour inside this impressive, cutting-edge local asset, where you’ll see the on-site Airbus A318, check out the flight simulators and more. You’ll also get to know how the ASI supports SMEs in the area, hear from local speakers and enjoy networking.
Click here to book your space now!
In other news
Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
We are responsible for the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, having been commissioned by the Department for Education in 2022. The LSIP is an important plan of action that seeks to provide better education, training and skills provision across the two counties, and which reflects the needs of employers like yourselves. The FSB published the LSIP in August 2023. It identifies five key themes in order to improve the region’s skills provision. These are:
- Digital Skills
- Net Zero
- Essential and Transferable Skills
- Local Skills System
- Local Socio-Economic Conditions
We have now reached Stage 2 of the LSIP process, which is all about delivering the plan's objectives and monitoring how it works in practice. We are particularly interested in the digital skills theme, given its importance to future innovation and prosperity.
We are therefore undertaking research focussed on local digital skills. It is crucial that our work responds to the perspectives and expertise of local employers, business owners and leaders, as we need to ensure that actions set out in the LSIP are hitting the mark and having the desired effect for you and your employees. We would therefore be grateful for your engagement with this survey.
Click here for more information and to take the survey
University of Derby National Apprenticeship Week
As a part of the University of Derby’s 2025 National Apprenticeship Week wider activities they are offering a free webinar for employers to help with understanding how apprenticeships work, their impact of Apprenticeships on leadership, productivity and retention - how UK employers can offset costs against increased National Insurance contributions, and, how to access levy transfers for none paying levy businesses. This short, 30 minute Webinar with Q&A will commence at 12.30pm on Tuesday February 18th and registration is via the below link.
To register to attend the webinar, click hereStill in the news
Nottingham University Business School Masterclasses
Executive Education (Nottingham University Business School) will be hosting a series of free masterclasses over 2025, and we have just launched our first one on inclusive leadership which will be delivered online and is is open to everyone.
For more information on the Inclusive Leadership Masterclass, click here
Your Invitation to Annual Skills Conference
West Nottinghamshire College is set to hold its 2025 Annual Skills Conference on Friday 7 March 2025, and Nottinghamshire’s FSB members are invited to attend. In order to achieve WNC’s vision, the college aims to engage with a wide range of partners to ensure they understand how they can play their fullest part in raising aspirations, how they can build partnerships that support our communities, and how they can become an asset to those communities in supporting growth and inward investment. Holding these skills conferences helps to inform the college’s curriculum strategy which, in turn, drives curriculum developments and capital investments.
The event will take place in the afternoon (around 1-4pm) over MS Teams. If you wish to attend, contact [email protected] to register ASAP.
More news and activity near you
Get in touch
Your contact for Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire is Linsey Luke. If you'd like more information about the topics above, or if you have news about this area that you'd like to share, please get in touch.
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