Business

Four in ten (40%) HR directors in the South West of the UK plan to expand hiring, with their companies set to add new positions, in the first six months of 2015 according to the latest Professional Hiring Index1 (‘the Index’) from Robert Half UK.

Two points higher than six months prior, the research highlights that the labour market has firmly shifted into a post-recessionary cycle, where professionals with marketable skills hold the advantage as candidate demand outweighs supply.

The Index reveals that just 3% of HR executives believe their company will reduce their...

Plymouth-based architects, HLM, has announced the launch of ‘HLM Academy’, a £250,000 investment. The in-house professional excellence programme will help ensure that all employees have the opportunity and resources to reach their full potential.

The Training Academy will be available to all 240 staff — management, design and administration — based across the company’s six UK and two overseas offices and to the subsidiaries within the wider group. Every employee will be provided with a personalised career development plan, which will identify and enhance their strengths, whilst...

Over 100 delegates attended last month’s Exeter Initiative for Science and Technology’s (ExIST) quarterly event which was held at Sandy Park, home to the Exeter Chiefs.

January’s event had a sport theme as Exeter is proud to host the West Country's premier rugby union club and 3 of 2015's Rugby World Cup matches. As usual there were three business presentations and networking opportunities.

The first of the three speakers was Mark Twiggs, Head of Strength & Conditioning at Exeter Chiefs. Mark spoke to attendees about performance monitoring in Rugby Union.

...

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills is encouraging businesses in the area, as part of its Do More Online campaign, to form ‘Capability Co-operatives’.

The aim of the Co-operatives is to ensure that more small businesses and sole traders across the UK are making the most of digital technology. This will help boost their presence among potential customers and enable them to run a more efficient and successful business.

The Capability Co-operative sees digitally savvy micro businesses partner up with another local businesses in order to impart their online...