NW business briefs: Network Rail; Skills Network; Summer of Employ GM; Bentley Motors; Salford Red Devils; Everton FC
North West passengers and motorists are urged to check before they travel this September as Network Rail carries out a multimillion-pound bridge replacement.
Network Rail is investing more than £22m to rebuild a 42-metre-long, 2000 tonne railway bridge that takes trains over the M62 in Castleton, near Rochdale. For the first time in living memory, the M62 will be closed over two weekends.
The closures are on the eastbound carriageway between J18 and J20 and the westbound carriageway between J19 and J20: 9pm Friday 6 September-6am Monday 9 September, and 9pm Friday 20 September-6am Monday 23 September. Motorists are advised to avoid this section of the M62 during the two weekends by delaying journeys or planning alternative routes.
From Monday 9 September until Friday 20 September, there will be nightly closures of the M62 between J19 and J20 from 9pm to 6am. The railway will be closed from 6 September until the early morning of 25 September between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale. Rail replacement buses will be in operation. Passengers are advised to check their travel in advance as journey times will be significantly longer than usual.
The bridge, known as Castleton bridge, carries six per cent of the UK’s energy supply across the country, as freight trains carry material to and from Drax power station in Selby. Olivia Boland, Network Rail sponsor, said: “I’d like to thank passengers and motorists for their understanding while we carry out this work. It is a unique project that sees weekend closures of the M62 for the first time. Please, check before you travel on the M62 or between Manchester and Rochdale from 6-25 September 2024.”
Steve Mason, North West programme delivery manager at National Highways, said: “The collaboration between Network Rail and National Highways highlights our commitment to minimising disruption for both rail and road users during this essential project. We appreciate the understanding of passengers and motorists during this work and urge them to check travel plans for September 2024.”
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The Skills Network, one of the largest online education providers in the UK, has opened enrolment for the Skills Bootcamp for Early Years Educators, a Government-funded course, available to those in the Cheshire and Warrington area.
The Skills Bootcamp for Early Years Educators looks to improve local employment by creating better opportunities for work in early years education, providing a course that progresses directly into an accelerated early years apprenticeship programme.
Participants will receive sector-specific skills focused on four units including child development, health and wellbeing in an early year setting, safeguarding and child protection, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. On completion, any participant seeking a new job role will be guaranteed a job interview with an Early Years provider as part of the programme. Completion also provides an accelerated route to an Early Years apprenticeship, which will have a reduced length of study time.
Over the 12-week period, students will be overseen by a learning support advisor from The Skills Network that supervises them across group learning sessions and an online assessment. Wendy Dodson, Partnerships Director for Skills Bootcamps at The Skills Network, said: “We’re pleased to deliver a Skills Bootcamp in Cheshire and Warrington that can not only provide jobs, but also potentially increase the resources, and provision of education support for early years in this area.”
Philip Cox, Chief Executive at Enterprise Cheshire & Warrington, said: “Skills Bootcamps are based on what employers tell us they need and are a great way to bridge identified skills gaps across the sub-region.”
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A new campaign, ‘Summer of Employ GM’ is using labour market insight to help people explore their employment and skills development options ahead of September.
Delivered by The Growth Company on behalf of GMCA, Employ GM helps people find jobs, search for courses, and find localised support across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Michelle Leeson, the Growth Company’s Managing Director for Employment, said: “The weeks leading up to September are a typically busy time for many Greater Manchester residents considering their options. Employ GM is here to support them – whether it be with finding a job, accessing practical support, such as help with CV writing, or enrolling on training or skills courses.
“Understanding the local job market, from the high demand for teaching assistants to the anticipated growth in construction jobs, can help individuals make informed decisions about their future. In addition to the breadth of support Employ GM offers, we hope that, by working closely with GMCA to provide key insights into the employment landscape, we will provide an extra level of support for GM residents when considering their future options.”
Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Greater Manchester Lead for Technical Education and Skills, said: “This campaign is an excellent initiative that empowers residents to make informed decisions about their careers and skills development. By leveraging detailed labour market insights, we can guide residents toward opportunities that not only match their skills and interests but also contribute to the city region’s economic growth.”
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Crewe-based luxury car maker, Bentley Motors, has become the first automotive member of Leather Naturally, the global voice of the sustainable leather industry. The international, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) is dedicated to promoting the use of certified, properly-sourced leather as a natural by-product of a responsible circular economy.
The new partnership with Leather Naturally is just the latest environmental initiative by Bentley, underscoring the brand’s ongoing commitment to its Beyond100 strategy to become the global leader in sustainable luxury mobility. In 2021, Bentley was the first automotive member of the Leather Working Group, promoting responsible business practices and environmental compliance within the leather industry.
As a next step, the luxury British marque introduced the first, sustainable leather option for customers, utilising a sustainable leather tanning process that uses an organic by-product of the olive oil industry. Olive Mill Waste Water tanned Leather is produced with tanning agents free of harmful heavy metals, minerals and aldehydes.
Marc Stang, Technical Expert, Leather and Colour Development at Bentley Motors, said: “Leather is a timeless, luxury material that has always epitomised the elegance, durability and quality of a hand-crafted Bentley interior. It has a rich history that dates back decades in our cars and has always stood the test of time.”
Debbie Burton, Chair of Leather Naturally, welcomed Bentley to its membership, saying: “As a brand synonymous with both luxury and leather, this partnership underlines its commitment to furthering sustainability and ongoing improvement through its Beyond 100 vision.”
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Rugby League club Salford Red Devils swapped scrums for pulling buses to help end homelessness across Greater Manchester, raising thousands of pounds in the process.
Their coach, Paul Rowley cheered on a dream team consisting of his colleagues at the club, Krisnan Inu, Andrew Woolfenden, Chris O’Connor and, Jack Cairns, with the five made up by the charity’s CEO Fran Darlington-Pollock. They were challenged with pulling the iconic yellow Bee Network Bus along a 30-metre course at Manchester Central, all while raising funds for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, for which Paul Rowley is an ambassador.
They joined 48 other teams from across Greater Manchester, who all battled it out to become ‘Greater Manchester’s Strongest Team’. The combined efforts saw a total of £26,586 raised so far for the charity, which will go towards helping end homelessness across the city region, including the flagship A Bed Every Night scheme – with more still to be counted.
Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater Manchester, said: “The Bus Pull event is a perfect example of the generosity and spirit of Greater Manchester, and it was great to see it back.”
Paul Rowley said: “I’m super proud of being a small part of what was a great day for the charity. The lads and I had great fun taking part, but it was great to see so many different people coming together for one cause. I think we’ve all done Manchester proud today.”
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Vitalii Mykolenko, Beto and Dwight McNeil in 3rd kit
The imminent 100-year anniversary of an exhibition baseball game hosted at Everton FC’s iconic Goodison Park ground has provided the inspiration for the club’s new third kit.
On October 23, 1924, the players of the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants stepped out on to the stadium’s famous turf as Goodison Park became the Goodison ballpark. And, a century on, the curious contest has influenced the style and colour scheme for a kit that also celebrates the stadium’s place in wider sporting lore.
The shirt’s neutral colour palette and subtle pinstripe lend from a classic baseball look, while a flat-front waistband on the shorts and matching cushioned-heel socks complement the style. A contemporary charcoal V-neck collar with yellow pinstripe is repeated in detailing on the shirt sleeves, shorts and socks.
Everton is set to leave Goodison at the end of the current campaign and move to a new 52,888-capacity stadium on Liverpool’s waterfront. Tom Beahon, co-founder of the club’s kit maker, Manchester-based Castore, said: “We have used Goodison as our inspiration for all three of this season’s kits. The home kit is a classic Everton look but with a nod to the club’s first ever crest. The away kit is inspired by great Goodison night matches and the famous atmosphere created under the lights. This kit is about acknowledging Goodison’s versatility and the stage it has provided over more than 130 years.”
“We wanted to remind people that it has not only hosted the great Everton teams of decades gone by, but been a part of the wider sporting fabric and story.”
