Jamie Ashwell and Louisa Mozzilli from the Royal Opera House plus Will Hatton and Mo Rahman from the National Skills Academy have benefitted greatly from being apprentices.

The days of making tea and left handed brooms are long gone.

Today, the apprentices are smart, independent, hungry to learn and forward thinking.

With 4000 businesses in Thurrock, it is now vital that companies come on board.

There is a special event at the Park Inn on Tuesday morning.

Go to the article on apprentices just below this one for full details.

Invitation to Park Inn by Radisson Thurrock North Stifford, Grays, Essex, RM16 5UE Tuesday 7th February 2012 8.30am – 10.30am

HELPING THURROCK BUSINESSES TO APPRECIATE THE BENEFITS OF RECRUITING AN APPRENTICE

Target Audiences:

All businesses who are interested in developing their workforce through apprenticeships

Aim of the event:

To enable local businesses to gain an insight and understanding of the apprenticeship programme and to appreciate how it can benefit their company in developing their workforce for the future.

Programme:
8.30am-10.30am:

Welcome & Registration (Refreshments provided) Informal networking opportunity

A presentation from the National Apprenticeship Service and training providers will take place to explain the recruitment and training process.

Informal networking opportunity to talk with Thurrock businesses who have already recruited apprentices along with meeting training providers who can discuss the specific training needs for your company.

Information on a number of financial grants that may be available to part fund the salary of an apprentice.

To book your FREE place, please email your contact details to: jellery@thurrock.gov.uk or call Joanne Ellery on 01375 413651

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment

Goldsmith is already a shareholder in the Swiss company and has shown interest in snapping up refineries in Cressier in the canton of Neuchâtel, as well as in Britain, Belgium, Germany and France reports World Radio Switzerand.

The company said it thinks the refineries are interesting and still sustainable despite market turbulence.

The refineries have seen a number of serious possible buyers with more than 40 for the lucrative British site and 10 or so for the Swiss site.

Petroplus was forced to shutter sites after lenders froze a one-billion-dollar credit line in the face of sluggish sales and demand.

The European Commission has today (Thursday 2 February) accepted its commitment to make an “appropriate response” to the crisis, setting up a European round table with those affected and responding to fears of permanent closures and the job losses that would result.

The move comes in a letter from European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger to the British, German, French and Belgian Governments, in response to a meeting of Euro MPs from regions where jobs are under threat convened by the Britain’s Richard Howitt MEP who represents the Coryton refinery.

The letter promises a response to a proposal lodged by Labour’s Richard Howitt MEP that the European Commission improves prospects of a successful buyer being found, by endorsing financial guarantees for “contingent risks” by British and other affected Governments as part of hoped-for rescue deals.

The Energy Commissioner promised to consult Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, who would be responsible for giving the green light to any such government assistance under EU ‘state aid’ rules.

In his letter to the British Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Commissioner Oettinger writes the Petroplus bankruptcy “merits attention and discussion at the EU level to assess if there is a need for a coordinated approach which guarantees that restructuring takes place while securing the supply of refined products in the EU.”

Richard Howitt MEP who is today meeting Energy Supply Minister Charles Hendry MP and representatives of the British Receiver from Price Waterhouse Coopers to discuss the prospects of a long-term deal says:

“We want to keep the jobs and business in Coryton and the Commissioner shared his own determination not to lose employment or capacity in the industry, so today Europe has become a full partner in searching for a solution to the Petroplus crisis.

“Governments in France, Belgium and Germany are seriously considering state guarantees which can help make a purchase more attractive to potential buyers without committing public funds in advance, and I hope the British Government will show the same commitment.

“At the heart of the argument is that Coryton is a competitive business in a strategically important location, and short-term action now can secure a long-term profitable business for the future.”

They spent the morning down at the Port of Tilbury developing tourism strategies with the port tourism chiefs.

At lunchtime, they set sail for Gravesend to visit the tourism centre and see how they promote the area.

Its UK sales fell by 4.5% in the three months to 21 January with like-for-likes down 0.5%, compared to the same time last year.

Lord Harris of Peckham, the firm’s chairman, said: “We expect that underlying pre-tax profits for the full year will be slightly below the lower end of the range of market expectations.

“Looking forward, I see no respite from the challenging environment over the next 12 months but remain confident the group will emerge in a strong position once demand improves,” he said.

Ministers today confirmed the regional allocations of the £500milllion fund, which is designed to boost economic growth by getting the required infrastructure built to enable the creation of new homes and jobs and get stalled projects moving again.

As a result of changes to the formulae used to allocate the funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships, the South East LEP will now receive just over £33 million. This is an additional £672,552 on top of the allocation originally announced last November.

The South East LEP will consider a shortlist of schemes for funding and an announcement on the first tranche of allocations will be made on the successful projects in the next few weeks

South East LEP Chairman, John Spence, said “This funding will help provide a shot in the arm for the economy of the South East and therefore the whole country.

“It is right that the government supports the businesses and local authorities from across the South East LEP to develop local solutions for local challenges. The LEP will add value by prioritising the schemes which have optimal impact on enterprise and growth for our area and the country as a whole.

“We are clearly geared up to put this funding to work as quickly as possible and will respect the principles of subsidiarity in ensuring that our local partners – both private and public sector – use it to drive real growth across the LEP.”

Around thirty prospective members attended the meeting to hear all about this exciting local initiative.

The meeting was opened by Janice Hills who is heading up the launch and presentations were given by Sandra Allen (New club formation officer), Neil Muir (District Governor) and John Banks(RIBI Extension Officer).

They explained the objects of Rotary and spent time answering many questions in connection with the formation of a new club and the ‘bigger’ Rotary picture involving local and International fundraising projects and closer to home local business networking opportunities. It is proposed this new ‘twilight’ club will meet on Mondays at 7pm in the future, the next meeting being Monday 6th February 2012.

At the close of the evening over twenty potential new members expressed a desire to join next week. Anyone unable to attend is welcome at future meetings.

Labour’s Richard Howitt MEP said the deal will buy important breathing space, but says government guarantees could play a vital role in Britain and other countries to attract potential buyers.

A lobby of Euro MPs led by Britain’s Richard Howitt MEP will this evening tell Commissioner Gunther Oettinger that despite today’s deal production at Coryton in Britain and in Germany remains at threat, and will ask the European Commission to show its willingness to back financial guarantees of “contingent risk” if they are offered by the British or other governments under EU “state-aid” rules.

Labour’s Richard Howitt MEP who has held direct discussions with the Receiver, Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and British and European trade unions in the run-up to today’s announcement said:

“It is an enormous relief and credit to everyone involved that an oil tanker moored at sea and workers desperately waiting for delivery have both had their long wait ended.

“But every day counts and what is important now is that the extra time with the refinery in operation is used to negotiate a purchase or a new investor which secures Coryton and its workforce for the long-term.”

Speaking about the proposal for financial guarantees to be put to the European Commission tonight, Richard Howitt MEP added:

“This is not a hand-out but a guiding hand, and one that could make all the difference between Coryton securing a new buyer or risking long-term closure.

“The European Commission must recognise the strategic importance of Petroplus for oil supply in Britain and across Europe, as well as the devastating impact of loss of jobs on this scale and they must act now – before it is too late.

“Any new buyer will still have to take on normal commercial risk, but in an operation with high complexity and costs, a state-backed ‘insurance policy’ against unexpected losses at the time of purchase could oil the wheels of a deal at a time it is desperately needed.

Pressing the case for the Essex Coryton refinery in particular, Richard Howitt MEP concludes;

“Having visited the Coryton refinery on several occasions, my message to Commission Oettinger today is that this is a profitable and efficient refinery with a capacity of 220,000 barrels a day which must pay a key part of Europe’s economic recovery.

“The Coryton refinery cannot end up being the fall guy for a Swiss pipe dream but must have a new future as a British and European industrial champion.”

Forth Ports has been a one third shareholder in TCS since 1998 along with partners DP World and ABP. TCS is located on the River Thames within the Port of Tilbury, which is wholly owned by Forth Ports. TCS currently handles approximately 320,000 container boxes per annum and has a significant trading position with the North/South reefer (refrigerated container) trades, primarily South America and South Africa with a strong presence in other deep sea trades. The Port of Tilbury also runs a short sea business which provides regular links to Continental Europe and to other UK coastal feeder locations.

Commenting on the acquisition, Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: “This is an important acquisition and a major step forward in our plans to grow and develop our ports business. We believe that stronger links between our container and distribution customers will provide benefits in the supply chain through our London Distribution Park and further underpins our portcentric strategy.

With 100% ownership of TCS we plan to combine our existing Short Sea container terminal at Tilbury with TCS and create a brand new container business which will handle close to half a million containers.”

Peter Jones, Chief Executive of ABP said: “The TCS facility lies within the Forth Ports freehold at Tilbury, and it makes absolute sense for this business to be consolidated with Forth’s other container activity. Much as we have enjoyed our involvement at TCS, ABP’s focus is now on investment within the 21 ports we own, principally as landlord but also as operator where this will deliver stronger growth in key trades.”

Kiddicare already has one store, in Peterborough, which is the largest of its kind in Europe and is said to attract shoppers from more than 100 miles away.

The new store is set to open by the autumn reports the Daily Mirror..

The firm is hoping its online success – based on top-notch customer service and a broad range – transfers to a physical store. It has also won favour with parents for its next day delivery and one hour slots.

Kiddicare’s expansion is likely to worry its rivals, not least Mothercare which has suffered its far share of teething problems. It is closing 110 stores in the UK, mostly on the high street, after plunging into the red.

Kiddicare’s new megastores will be going head-to-head with Mothercare’s out-of-town parenting centres, which the firm is banking on to help revive its fortunes here.

The Corringham refinery’s administrators, Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC), said after discussions with suppliers and customers, who include BP, they had started shipments of refined oil products with immediate effect, easing fears over fuel shortages.

Administrators PRML entered into agreements overnight to allow oil to be shipped from the site.

Administrator Steven Pearson said: “I am pleased that we are able to resume fuel supplies in the region.”

A GMB official told a paper: “The administrators told union members that they consider the site to be viable and that they would continue to operate it, albeit with some cut-back in jobs.”

Unite regional officer Russ Ball said: “Unite remains in constant dialogue with the administrators, and the UK Government. The union is doing everything it can to support the refinery and the jobs that depend on it.”

Essex FSB Chairman, Iain Wicks, said: “Closure of the Coryton Refinery would have a major impact, not just for the 1,000 or so staff who could lose their jobs but also for many local businesses.

“Those staff and their families will, quite understandably, be already reducing their expenditure which will mean less being spent in local shops, pubs, restaurants and leisure facilities and if Coryton does close that knock on effect will escalate.

“But there are also other businesses in the supply chain for Coryton who will lose out, these could range from cleaning and maintenance contractors through to haulage firms and office supply companies.

“There is also the possible impact on fuel prices if Coryton is unable to continue as it supplies around one sixth of the fuel to the London and south east corridor so increased fuel prices mean increased costs for all businesses.

“Essex FSB wants to see swift action taken to find a new owner for the Coryton refinery and we have written to Members of Parliament in South Essex asking them to take what action they can to make this process happen as soon as possible.”

A number of potential sites had originally been identified for a new substation to connect the Gateway Energy Centre, a proposed new gas-fired power station, to the national grid, which transports electricity supplies around the country.

National Grid undertook a wide-ranging public consultation and completed exhaustive technical studies into the plans for connecting the power station to the transmission system (or National Grid if preferred). However, a recent review found that with fewer power generators than originally anticipated needing connecting to the grid in the area, the power station could be connected using the existing substation at South Coryton.

The new proposal involves a minor expansion of the existing substation on land owned either by National Grid or the power station developer InterGen.

Project Manager Brian Smethurst said: “National Grid always looks at connecting new generators to the grid using our existing transmission network and infrastructure first rather than building new infrastructure.

“This vital scheme will deliver the best of both worlds to people. It will help ensure they continue to enjoy safe and reliable electricity supplies with little or no impact on the local area.”

He added: “I would like to thank all those who took part in our public consultation, your feedback was greatly appreciated.”

A planning application for the new scheme will be submitted to Thurrock Council and it is hoped work will be completed by 2014.

For more information on the scheme call 0800 319 6165, email nationalgrid@easthurrockconnection.com or visit www.easthurrockconnection.com