The new immigration removal centre will replace Yarl’s Wood as the only dedicated immigration removal centre for women.
Today, Tom Pursglove MP, the Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, announced the opening of Derwentside immigration removal centre for women in County Durham.
Derwentside, in County Durham, will provide safe, secure and fit for purpose accommodation for women. The population will include both time-served foreign national offenders and immigration offenders, while we prepare to remove them from the UK.
The new centre is anticipated to create approximately 200 permanent jobs in the local area when the centre is fully operational by the end of the year.
Ahead of visiting the centre, Tom Pursglove MP, the Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, said:
Those with no right to remain in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to remove them. Immigration detention plays a vital role in tackling illegal migration and protecting the public from harm.
This is a fundamental part of our Nationality and Borders Bill and the New Plan for Immigration which will make it easier to remove people who have no right to be in the UK.
Mitie Care & Custody Ltd has been appointed to manage Derwentside immigration removal centre, with a 2-year contract that was signed on 4 June 2021.
The new contract takes into account Stephen Shaw’s 2 reviews of vulnerability in detention, with increased staffing levels, a higher ratio of female custody officers and a range of dedicated welfare services.
The Nationality and Borders Bill is going through Parliament and has 3 fair but firm objectives: to increase the fairness of our system so we can protect and support those in genuine need of asylum; to deter illegal entry into the UK – breaking the business model of people smugglers – and protecting the lives of those they endanger; and to remove more easily those with no right to be in the UK.
Published 23 November 2021
Leading Glasgow employer launches recruitment campaign
Leading Glasgow employer, the Student Loans Company (SLC), has launched a recruitment campaign to encourage technology professionals in the central belt to apply for a range of technology and technical roles with the Company.
Launched as the organisation adopts the Young Person’s Guarantee, the campaign includes a new recruitment website and social media activity featuring current SLC colleagues talking about why they enjoy working at SLC.
SLC, which recently announced it is moving to a state-of-the-art development at Buchanan Wharf in Glasgow in 2023, houses one of the largest public sector technology operations in Scotland. Its technology division, which is comprised of over 500 technical experts, is responsible for the underlying systems that process student finance for approximately 1.5 million students annually, advance funding to universities and colleges, and manage repayment services for graduates across the UK. In 2020-21, SLC paid out £11bn in tuition fee loans and manages a loan book worth £177.9bn.
The new technology and technical roles are critical to transforming SLC to become a more agile organisation through digital technologies and data transformation.
SLC’s Chief Information Officer, Stephen Campbell said: “SLC offers a dynamic working environment in which technology professionals are encouraged to unlock their potential. We want people to join us who are passionate about shaping our future technology capability as we continue to embed industry leading systems to help us enable opportunity for future generations of students.
“Successful candidates will have the opportunity to develop their skills and experience working on a range of exciting technology projects. Our technology footprint is similar in scale and complexity to a retail bank and the new roles will be critical to designing systems that deliver an outstanding customer experience for students, graduates and further and higher education providers across the UK.”
As well as offering a competitive salary, SLC offers a range of benefits and rewards, including Civil Service pension scheme. SLC has introduced blended working, allowing colleagues to combine time working remotely with days in our office to support collaboration and team development.
National Apprenticeship Week theme ‘Build the Future’ announced for 2022
• The National Apprenticeship Week 2022 theme of ‘Build the Future’ continues from 2021, and focuses on the benefits apprenticeships can have on individuals, businesses, and local communities • A toolkit on how to get involved is now available
The theme of “Build the Future” continues for its second National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), which will take place between 7 and 13 February 2022.
The 15th annual week-long celebration will take place across England, encouraging individuals of any age to reach their career goals by building their skills and knowledge through an apprenticeship.
Peter Mucklow, Director, Apprenticeships, Education and Skills Funding Agency said:
National Apprenticeship Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the many benefits that apprenticeships bring to employers, individuals and the wider economy.
Apprenticeships build skills supply now and for the future, and form an important part of many organisations’ recruitment, skills and business strategies. We want employers to showcase how they are realising the return on their investment when apprentices are brought into the business. Apprenticeships offer outstanding access to skilled careers across a wide range of occupations and industries. We want current apprentices from all sectors and of all ages to get behind the Week and to demonstrate the positive impact of apprenticeships on their careers, families and communities.
I encourage employers, providers, partners, and apprentices to begin planning for National Apprenticeship Week 2022 now so we can spend the week collectively celebrating the impact of apprenticeships on individuals and our great businesses and public services.
To support National Apprenticeship Week 2022 individuals, employers, training providers and communities can get involved by encouraging everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help #BuildTheFuture. A toolkit is available to support the apprenticeship community with planning their activity for National Apprenticeship Week 2022.
Uzbekistan is the first beneficiary of the UK Enhanced GSP Scheme
World news story
On 22 November 2021 a press conference was held to inform the media of the benefits and opportunities of being admitted to the Enhanced Framework GSP.
The event was organized by the British Embassy in Tashkent, in partnership with the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan. Kenan Poleo, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who arrived in Uzbekistan on his first official visit participated in the press conference along with Sardor Umurzakov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan was officially admitted to the UK’s EF GSP on the 1st November 2021, after intense efforts by both governments to conclude the process in only 6 months. One of the factors in granting the beneficiary status of EF GSP was that Uzbekistan successfully ratified 27 key international conventions in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and good governance. Uzbekistan has become the first country admitted to the scheme, which sends a hugely positive signal of intent from both countries to turbo boost the UK-Uzbekistan trading relationship, particularly now that there will be ZERO import duty on more than 7,800 products made in Uzbekistan.
The GSP provides Uzbekistan with access to the world’s 5th largest economy and the most international consumer and retail market in the world worth over £437 billion. For the UK, it facilitates access to a fast-growing and developing market, which is a key hub to access the wider Region, as well as Uzbekistan’s unique textile, agricultural products, and many more.
In his statement at the press conference, Mr. Kenan Poleo noted:
The UK is committed to ensuring growing and developing countries can use trade as an engine for poverty reduction. The GSP plays a hugely important role in this by providing preferential access to the UK’s dynamic market. This, in turn, will support job creation and encourage entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan with its dynamic growing and youthful population.
Follow us on social media:
Published 23 November 2021
Introducing the Access to Mentoring & Finance Team (A2MF)
DASA is not only focused on finding and funding innovation, we also help innovators increase the pull through of their ideas towards commercialisation.
If you need help to establish the business behind your innovation, our Access to Mentoring & Finance (A2MF) team can provide you with the support and funding needed to take your idea to the next level.
How does Access to Mentoring & Finance work?
The A2MF team works closely with innovators to understand their business needs and aspirations. Their goal is to help companies become investment, market and supply chain ready. Engrained in the extensive business incubation and support community, the A2MF team use a smart brokerage model to help companies identify and access the expertise and funding required to overcome challenges to business growth and realise their ambitions.
How can A2MF help your business grow?
Business mentoring
Working one-to-one with innovators to understand the obstacles in the way of business growth and to provide insight on how to develop their organisation into a viable company for investment, partnering and procurement.
Market entry guidance
Helping innovators to understand the buying landscape, identify potential barriers to entry and develop their ‘go to market’ plan for addressable market segments.
Access to funding
Demystifying the funding landscape and supporting innovators in accessing the funding required to grow and scale as a business.
Introducing the Access to Mentoring & Finance team
The A2MF team covers the whole of the UK and are based in the regions they serve. They are highly experienced in helping businesses reach their potential.
Alan Scrase, A2MF Lead and London & the South
Alan has led the A2MF service for the last two and a half years and enjoys supporting our innovators. Prior to joining DASA, Alan was the Manager at SETsquared at the University of Southampton Business Incubation Centre where he supported and guided members to deliver growth and innovation.
He has also run a successful SME business and worked for Business Link. He was closely associated with a wide range of regional and economic development projects and programmes, and uses this experience and knowledge to help DASA support its innovators.
Alan said
I am delighted we have been able to create the Access to Mentoring & Finance team, which really understands the challenges of running a business. Their wide-ranging experience means we can support a broad spectrum of companies and their staff. Even though we are a relatively new team, it’s a pleasure to see the positive impact they have already had.
Tracey North, Northern Powerhouse
Tracey has over 34 years of experience in the Banking and Finance sector as a Business Relationship Manger. Tracey looked after a portfolio of clients and all their business needs, not just financial, assisting SMEs in growing their businesses and realising their aspirations.
She has a sound understanding of the challenges innovators face and the hurdles they have to overcome to commercialise their ideas, and is well placed to support them on their growth journey.
Anis Mourad, Scotland, Wales & International
Anis has spent his career working within the UK and European innovation and economic development ecosystem, in both government and private sectors. He has vast experience in providing hands-on advice and guidance to companies on subjects such as innovation funding, intellectual property, third-party collaboration and commercialisation.
Experience working with businesses of all shapes, sizes, ages and stages gives him a unique insight into the breadth of challenges faced by companies as they look to design, develop and take their products and services to market.
Hannah Tapsell, Midlands Engine and the Golden Triangle
Prior to joining DASA, Hannah spent seven years at the London Stock Exchange. During this time, she helped entrepreneurs and business leaders access the funding and expertise required to scale up their companies. She looked after a portfolio of businesses, working with them to understand their growth ambitions and supporting them through the fundraising process.
Hannah brings her hands-on experience of advising early-stage companies to DASA, and is dedicated to helping SMEs build the business behind their innovations.
New funding options
As well as one-to-one support, the A2MF team are developing a range of alternative sources of funding for innovators.
Defence Innovation Loans
In collaboration with Innovate UK, Defence Innovation Loans has up to £10 million to lend for innovative defence solutions.
Accessible to SMEs, and with a below market interest rate of 7.4% per annum, the Defence Innovation Loan provides an excellent opportunity to apply for affordable funds to help you commercialise your defence solutions. Learn more here.
Investor Showcase
Each year the A2MF team bring together a cohort of top innovators to pitch their businesses and novel technological ideas at DASA’s Annual Investor Showcase. The businesses receive dedicated training and support to develop a compelling pitch deck tailored to the investor audience.
Working with the A2MF team
DASA’s Access to Mentoring and Finance services are already helping innovators across the UK develop their businesses. Here’s some feedback from organisations who have already received support:
The range of different funding mechanisms is really making us think much longer term about how we fund, what we fund and working with DASA to make things happen.
Your support has been confidence building. It will help us review our approach in terms of how we best position ourselves strategically
Thank you for helping us think differently about our value proposition. Both for defence and beyond, we’ll use this methodology as standard in our business
It is quite extraordinary, and rare, to have this level of support, and in a process that is fraught with pitfalls and challenges, it is refreshing to have a team working with us and investing so much effort on our behalf. We appreciate it immensely.
Get involved with DASA
We are looking forward to helping even more innovators commercialise their novel ideas. if you have a mature solution for a defence or security challenge and are looking for additional business support, contact the team today: A2MF@dasa.service.mod.uk
