58 communications Client Blogs

As part of our commitment to give aspiring professionals practical, relevant training and experience, and to support the government’s apprenticeship initiative, we have taken on our first Legal Apprentice. Emily Ward started taking ‘A’ levels at her local college, but found that she wasn’t enjoying the experience. A friend had chosen to pursue an apprenticeship, and explained how interesting and engaging it was. Inspired, Emily decided to approach  LMPQ Apprenticeship Academy , and with their help commenced a 1 year Legal Administration Apprenticeship. Emily then decided to change her Apprenticeship, swapping to the Paralegal option (through  Birmingham Metropolitan Colleges – BMet ), and successfully gained a place at Seymours! Emily loves the combination of days spent working in the office and others spent studying in college. “Everyone at Seymours has been so kind and welcoming – I feel as if I’ve settled in really quickly” Emily commented. To find out more a...

At MAKUP, trainee and work experience placements are fact, not fiction. MAKUP graduates have just benefited from the best experience any trainee make-up artist could ask for. For the last 5 weeks our students have been working as full-time paid trainees on Tim Burton’s live action remake of the classic Disney film ‘Dumbo’. Obviously, this is every trainee’s dream – not only did they get paid for gaining essential on-the-job experience, but they were also able to watch and learn from  some of the  UK’s top MakeUp Artists and Hairdressers. As an added bonus, they were able to network with makeup designers and supervisors, to help build those crucial contacts for future employment. You could be the best makeup artist in the world, but without the opportunity to meet people your career will take a lot longer to grow. Furthermore, students have had their details requested and some have already been offered further trainee positions on other really exciti...

The Jericho Foundation is a charity which breaks down barriers in society and supports marginalised individuals to become fulfilled, skilled and employed. Jericho works with a broad variety of disadvantaged people who are struggling including young people, ex-offenders, homeless people, survivors of modern slavery and those with complex needs. Jericho provides employment, apprenticeships, work experience and volunteering opportunities in eight eco-friendly social enterprises. Alongside this, Jericho delivers a holistic package of support, mentoring and training which is tailored to each client’s personal needs. Since 1993, Jericho has supported over 7,000 individuals and over 70% of beneficiaries to find sustainable employment and economic independence, enabling them to end any dependency on benefits and become an inclusive and integrated part of their local community. Our social enterprises are part of a network of around 70,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing ove...

Veronica McAleer was recently working as part of the core team in the Crowd Hair and Makeup Department on Tim Burton’s live action remake of the classic Disney film ‘Dumbo’, starring Eva Green, Michael Keaton, Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-07-16/colin-farrell-and-michael-keaton-confirmed-for-tim-burtons-dumbo-remake http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/disney-remake-dumbo-d23-release-date-tim-burton-cast-michael-keaton-eva-green-a7844581.html http://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/tim-burton-dumbo-cast-unveiled/ ] Veronica talked with some top Junior Makeup Artists on the ‘Dumbo’ set, who have successfully made it through their two-year training period. When working in film you are a Trainee for two years and then a Junior for three. So, in addition to your training, it takes 5 years of on-set experience to become a fully-fledged film hair and makeup artist (those in TV might progress a bit more quickly). So,...

As of January 2016 franchising contributed £15.1 billion to the UK economy, an increase of 46% over the past 10 years. 621,000 people are employed in franchising in the UK, of which 321,000 are in full-time employment (an increase of 70% over the past 10 years). The number of franchisee-owned businesses has increased to 44,200 in 2 years (by 14%). Those businesses are also becoming larger as the sector matures, with over half now claiming an annual turnover of more than £250,000 and with one-third now employing 10 or more staff.    97% of franchisee-owned units reported profitability, with 56% saying they were ‘quite’ or ‘very’ profitable. Ownership changes in franchisee business are correspondingly low (4.6%) and 91% of franchisees say they are ‘mainly’ or ‘definitely’ satisfied with their franchisor.   So what are the top 10 reasons people choose to take on a franchise? 1.      Be your own boss   – many people reach a stage in the...

A report on the BBC News website on 10 th  August claimed that modern slavery and human trafficking are now “…in every UK town and city.” According to the National Crime Agency, both are “…far more prevalent than previously thought.” The NCA said that previous estimates of 10,000 – 13,000 victims in the UK were the “tip of the iceberg” and that they believe there are tens of thousands of victims, with key sectors now including food processing, fishing, agriculture, construction, domestic workers, care workers and car washes. There are more than 300 live policing operations at the moment, the agency stated, with cases affecting “…every large town and city in the country.” Indeed, trafficking into modern slavery is now so widespread, that ordinary people are probably coming into contact with victims as they go about their normal daily life. The Jericho Foundation is among the leading organisations in the UK, with the experience, expertise and resources to deliver a program...

Your company might be the “best thing since sliced bread”, but if you don’t focus on your employer brand, attracting high-quality executive talent might still prove challenging. Strong employer branding  is becoming crucial in order to attract the best candidates. If their working style differs from your company culture, they may be reluctant to join you. If your company culture is completely unknown, this will be particularly true. Furthermore, today’s job seekers are looking for more than just a massive salary and bonus packages – however, this is excellent news if you are a smaller company. You may not have an enormous budget, but if you have a  strong, appealing employer brand  this can help you to win the top talent. When communicating your job vacancies, always ensure your  company values, culture and lifestyle benefits  are clearly visible. Doing this allows candidates to have a full understanding of what to expect if they were to join you. At ...