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Flexible Business Centres Go Electric!

Sam Whitear
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BusinessLodge, the contemporary flexi-business space provider offering innovative office solutions to business communities in Bury is delighted to announce the roll-out of fast Electric Vehicle charging for their tenants.

With buildings featuring high-spec serviced facilities as well as providing virtual offices, meeting rooms and conference suites, BusinessLodge are determined to lead the way, with continuous innovation a major part of their ethos. With a unique, community-focused approach, BusinessLodge clients benefit from a professional, friendly working environment including an on-site gym, catering facilities and chill-out zones, along with ample secure car parking. Electric Vehicle Fast Charging has now been installed to satisfy demand as the switch to EV’s gathers pace across the UK and more tenants are changing their petrol & diesel vehicles.

20220518 164004 169x300 1 “We wanted a comprehensive solution that would give us the option of multiple driver groups and charging rates” says Kate Holt, Managing Director at BusinessLodge. “The ability to tailor our EV charging pricing to allow clients to benefit from reduced rates is important to us, and also using time-based pricing to encourage off-peak charging, in-line with Government guidance” she added.

“We chose Charge-m8 after an extensive search as we were impressed with their proposal which included features we hadn’t considered and proved highly cost effective” said Lisa Kay, Centre Manager for BusinessLodge Bury. “From helping us with the OZEV grant application and holding on-site introduction and training meetings to explain the new system to our clients, Charge-m8 have made our introduction to EV Charging easy”.

BusinessLodge Clients can use the new 22KW 3-Phase Charge-Points by downloading the free Charge-m8 APP or by scanning a QR code on the charger display. “It’s really convenient for drivers with different options available to start a charging session” said Iain Hughes, Chief Technical Officer at Charge-m8 who designed and oversaw the installation of the scheme. “BusinessLodge also wanted to try to ensure a fair use policy was implemented to prevent drivers hogging a charging bay all day, so we built-in a charge for parking in the new EV Bays which only starts after a period has elapsed, giving drivers plenty of time to recharge and move their vehicle to a non-EV bay. It’s one of a number of features on our system that we can introduce for our clients” he continued.

With the UK Government widening the eligibility of EV Grant schemes to include landlords (residential & commercial) and small hospitality operators like B&B’s, the demand for professional EV Charger installation continues to increase. “As a vertically integrated charge-point manufacturer, installer and charge-point operator (CPO), with our own in-house fully qualified engineers, we can 100% guarantee the quality of each and every installation as we do it ourselves” says Julian Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Charge-m8. “We offer a growing range of EV Charging options for the Home and Workplace and as an OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) approved Installer for both Domestic & Workplace charge-point installations, we’re really focused on delivering affordable solutions for clients looking to make the first step into EV Charging or expand their current charging provision.”

The BusinessLodge charging schemes feature five Charge-m8 Delta Three-Phase 22KW Charge-Points at each site with dedicated electrical infrastructure to support maximum capacity charging, along with bespoke EV charging-bay signage and floor markings.

Law Society Personal Injury Panel Welcomes Express Solicitors’ Greenough and Flattery by Awarding Accreditation

Sam Whitear
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Manchester, United Kingdom (July 11, 2022) – Manchester based law firm Express Solicitors are proud to announce that two of their partners, Jonathan Flattery and Adele Greenough have been awarded the Law Society accreditation.

As of July 2022, only 204 lawyers in the UK possess the Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation. With the addition of Adele Greenough and Jonathan Flattery, Express Solicitors now has the joint highest number of members out of the 156 firms listed.

The Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation exists to ensure that those injured in accidents across the UK can find and choose a solicitor with confidence and know that they will receive the highest standard of representation.

Displaying the accreditation badge ensures that clients are easily able to identify competent solicitors and firms that have a specialisation in personal injury law. To ensure that all members are up to date and working in line with best practices, the Law Society requires its members to undergo re-accreditation every three years.

Gaining the accreditation is a great personal achievement for both the individual and their firm, requiring candidates to undergo a rigorous application process which can take up to 8 weeks.
Managing Partner, James Maxey said: “I am very proud of our two partners Adele and Jonathan being awarded the accreditation. It is a huge personal achievement and a recognition of the high standard of work they have both done.”

In order for a lawyer to be accredited and become a panel member, they must meet specific criteria. They are required to have conducted personal injury matters for a minimum of three years, in addition to demonstrating a high level of competency and knowledge in this specific area of law.

Furthermore, they must also possess additional skills such as the ability to negotiate and understand how to use an expert witness to aid their case.

Adele said: “I am very proud to have been accredited and feel it is a huge achievement to have my specialism recognised. I endeavour each and every day to utilise my experience to the best advantage of my clients and being admitted to such a prestigious panel reaffirms that.”

Jonathan said: “I am very proud to have been awarded panel status by the Law Society. In doing so I have joined a select group of Solicitors in the country who have gained that recognition, several of whom work at Express Solicitors.”

Express Solicitors recognise the value in this accreditation and the benefit that it has for clients in providing excellent care and legal advice. It also re-affirms that the firm is constantly striving to provide the highest quality of service for its clients, many of which have suffered extremely serious injuries and have complex needs.

For more information, contact Express Solicitors on 0161 904 4660 or visit www.expresssolicitors.co.uk.

About Express Solicitors:

Express Solicitors is an award-winning law firm specialising in personal injury claims. Founded in 2000 by Managing Partner James Maxey, Express Solicitors has built up its reputation to become one of the UK’s Top 200 law firms.

Our firm is built upon the foundations of education, dedication and unwavering customer service. We achieve this by taking on the UK’s finest legal talents, including our managing partner, who has been a Law Society Personal Injury Panel member for more than 10 years.

Finalists announced for the ‘Northern Gamechanger’ awards

Sam Whitear
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The finalists for Manchester’s newest awards programme have been announced today – with 40 local individuals and businesses in the running to becoming an ultimate Northern Gamechanger.

With the likes of TalkTalk, HideOut Youth Zone, Go Thrift, UA92 and The Juice Academy shortlisted, the awards, which will take place on 14th September, celebrate those that make a real difference in the region with a force for good.

Unlike most awards before it, the Northern Gamechangers will not have any defined categories – instead, all finalists will excel in a number of areas, including sustainability, decarbonisation, social mobility, diversity and inclusion, and charitable partnerships.

Judges, including Anna Gledson, Managing Director of The Manc Group; Tim Heatley, Co-Founder of Capital&Centric; Sharon Amesu, Founder of SA Consulting and Amer Gaffar, Director of Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, will name a total of 10 Northern Gamechangers in September’s ceremony.
The brand-new awards programme is the brainchild of north-west based business consultancy, Elevate, and was launched after noticing the little recognition available for those making a real difference.
“Seeing so many individuals and organisations across the region being nominated has been brilliant. We already knew there were plenty of people using their influence for good, but this has really highlighted the game changing attitudes of the north’s pioneering business community,” said Katie Robson, Co-Founder and Director of Elevate.
“We can’t wait to champion those people who are making a real difference – the main reason we wanted to launch Northern Gamechangers, was to shout about the fantastic work people are doing in the realms of sustainability, charity, diversity and many more”, she adds.
Hoping to bring together all walks of the business community, the ceremony will offer an accessible ticket price, as well as a fun and relaxed evening of celebration and networking (no white tablecloths in sight, promise!).
Programme sponsors include leading independent PR agency, The PHA Group, which last year launched its northern base; Manchester Central, the city’s thriving exhibition and conference centre; and Appleyard Lees, Intellectual Property specialists.
To purchase your ticket, head to https://elevategm.com/event/northern-gamechangers-awards/. A full list of the Northern Gamechanger finalists can be found below:
Abi Dunn, Sixty Eight People
Abigail Herron, Aviva Investors
Adam Farricker, HideOut Youth Zone Manchester
Adam Pope, Spencer Churchill
Agent Academy
Carl Walker, Go Thrift
Catherine Wilks, Slalom
Chris Roberts, Safe As Houses
Christos Tsaprounis, Autotrader
David MacDonald, Cullen ECO Friendly Packaging
Dr Ruth Brown-Shepherd, FSB West Yorkshire Academia-Industry Network
Duane Cormell, Realm Recruit
Emma Louise-Fusari, Inhouse Health
Fund Her North
Gary Woodhead, CurveBlock
Georgia Fitzgerald, Juice Academy
Grace Dyke, Yellow Jigsaw
Hannah Cox, BetterNotStop
Heard Storytelling
Helen McHugh, TalkTalk
Helen Seagrave, Electricity North West
Holly Holland & Laura Pomfret, Financielle
HOME Team
Husain Bensaud, HBL Associates
Isobelle Panton, University Academy 92
Jason Laing, ProMake
John Eckersley, Castefield Partners
Katie McIntosh, The Remedy Kitchen
Lauren Rosegreen, Invisible Cities Manchester
Lee Chambers, Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing
Liam Starkey, The Inclusive Hub
Lyndsay Hymas, Slalom
Manchester PA Network
Max Whiteley. Accounts & Legal
Rebecca Hartley, Saving Grace Events
ReCon^2
Simon Mellin, The Modern Milkman
Sophie Walker, Dsposal
The Royal Exchange Theatre
Tiffany Thorn, BiVictriX Therapeutics

Kuits advise on new concept leisure facility

Sam Whitear
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Kuits Solicitors’ specialist leisure sector team recently advised on and obtained the premises licence for The Foundry, Store Street, Manchester.

Joel Wilkinson, Dan Mullen, Adelaide Winter, and the team behind Swan Street Firehouse and Ramona, are bringing a new concept to Manchester, redeveloping a 200,000 sq ft former factory site to provide a creative neighbourhood. Remaining faithful to the industrial heritage of the site, inside you can expect to find creative studios, a tech hub, gym, as well as beer and food halls, an artisan bakery and deli, a tap room, and a night market.

Felicity Tulloch, Partner and Head of the Leisure team commented; “We are delighted to be working with Joel, Dan, Adelaide and the team behind the Swan Street Firehouse and Ramona, on yet another exciting and innovative project. This is a complex and ambitious undertaking that will see a fresh, contemporary life breathed into a commercially historic part of Manchester. It is a clear indication that, post-Covid, Manchester is very much ‘open for business’ and Kuits is excited to be playing an ongoing central role in its future.”

The team at Kuits are renowned nationally for their service and expertise in the leisure sector and are the only team in the North West ranked in the top tier of the Legal 500.

SALFORD OPERATIONS MANAGER JOINS MPS AND PERCY PIG FOR PARLIAMENTARY RECEPTION CELEBRATING TEN THOUSAND JOB-SEEKERS COMPLETING MARKS & START PROGRAMME

Sam Whitear
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Applications are now open to jobseekers in Salford to gain retail experience through next Marks & Start scheme

M&S Operations Manager & Pay SME, Kayte Houghton, who took part in of the M&S Marks & Start scheme in 2009, took her first trip to London to join Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey, Members of Parliament, senior leaders from M&S and The Prince’s Trust and even Percy Pig for a reception in the House of Parliament in Westminster to celebrate 10,000 young people completing the Marks & Start programme since 2013.

The event highlighted how M&S’ partnership with The Prince’s Trust helps support skills development and creates new job opportunities across the UK.

Kayte Houghton, M&S Operations Manager and Pay SME based in Salford, said: “I joined the Marks & Start programme at a very hard time in my life – I had just left an abusive relationship, was a raising my two kids on my own and living off benefits. M&S gave me the chance to better my life and that of my children.

“I started with a 12-week work placement in the pension team and I’ve been working at M&S ever since. These 13 years have been truly amazing, I’ve been able to work my way up the ranks to Operations Manager & Pay SME and now have a great team to look after.”

Marks & Start is a work placement programme that helps people from disadvantaged communities who face barriers entering the workforce. The M&S programmes don’t just give people an insight into a career in retail, but also create a clear, accessible route into work.

The current format of the programme has run since 2013 and gives young people (16-30 year olds) a chance to gain practical retail experience and customer service skills through a four-week placement programme. During the programme they are paired with a ‘buddy’ within M&S and also complete employability training, learning to equip them with the skills and behaviours to enhance future employment prospects. Those that successfully complete the placement are offered a 16-hour fixed-term contract. 81% of the young people who complete the programme go on to continue working for M&S.

Sacha Berendji, Group Property, Store Development and Technology Director at M&S commented: “We are delighted to have been able to celebrate the incredible Marks & Start milestone with our inspiring colleagues at Parliament.

“Our partnership with The Prince’s Trust has enabled us to level the playing field for all candidates and give young people the experience and skills to improve their employment prospects.

“We see first-hand the benefits and skillsets that employing young people from different backgrounds can bring to a business day in, day out which is why we will continue to develop our programme to help champion all our applicants.”

Jonathan Townsend, CEO at The Prince’s Trust, added: “It is a very proud moment to celebrate the 10,000 young people who have been supported over the past 18 years through the partnership between The Prince’s Trust and Marks and Spencer.

“Across the UK, there are too many young people lacking the confidence and skills they need, and who are not in employment, training or education. Therefore it remains crucial that we work with partners such as Marks and Spencer that, through the Marks and Start programme and more recently through the Kickstart scheme, can help disengaged young people develop the skills and experience they need to enter the world of work.

“We are grateful to Marks and Spencer for its ongoing commitment to our partnership and look forward to continuing to work closely together in the future.”

Electricity North West brings Electric Vehicle Experience to MediaCityUK

Sam Whitear
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Businesses are being invited to experience electric vehicles close-up at a free event hosted by Electricity North West at MediaCityUK this July.

The Electric Vehicles Experience will showcase a range of the latest electric vehicles and offers an opportunity to hear insights from industry leaders about the key role they play in net zero. Delegates will be able to test drive a range of popular electric vehicle models as well as find out more about sustainable travel solutions.

There will be talks from industry professionals on the importance of embracing electric vehicles as part of a business’s net zero journey, charging networks, the role of active travel, grants and tax incentives and support available for businesses to electrify their fleet, including from Electricity North West, the region’s electricity distribution network operator.

The Electric Vehicle Experience is at MediaCityUK Plaza from 8am to 11am on Thursday, 14th July, is free to attend and requires registration only.

The event is suitable for businesses operating fleets of vehicles and/or thinking about how to deliver new charging infrastructure, as well as rolling out schemes and incentives to encourage employees to make the transition.

Speakers on the day will include among others, Jonny Sadler, Strategic Decarbonisation Manager at Electricity North West; Laura Atkinson, Sustainability Manager, Peel L&P; Richard Hagan, Crystal Doors and Energy Saving Trust. The event is being delivered in partnership with Let’s Experience Electric and Elevate and some exhibitors on the day include Chorley Group, Volvo, Bolton KIA, eStar – Mercedes vans and RRG Lexus Bolton.

Jonny said: “Sales of new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2030 and businesses in the North West need to be urgently exploring the opportunity to transform their fleets and car schemes through electrification.

“The benefits are easy to understand. Electric vehicles mean lower emissions and support firms’ net zero strategies. Recharging an electric vehicle is cheaper than filling up on petrol or diesel, especially now, with fuel prices reaching record highs during June. There are big financial savings to be made for both companies and employees.

“The Electric Vehicles Experience is a great opportunity for businesses to try electric vehicles for themselves, learn how they can make rapid progress on their journey to net zero and get practical answers from our experts. We will also be tackling misconceptions and busting the ‘urban myths’ that still exist in this area.”

CLOUDM APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT AND ENGINEERING TO DEVELOP INDUSTRY FIRST SOFTWARE

Sam Whitear
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International cloud migration and management provider CloudM, has announced the appointment of Carlos Oliveira as Director of Product and Engineering. He will establish the company’s product vision for the next three to five years, ultimately deciding how the business will grow its current offering to meet the demands of an ever-growing and challenging market.

Oliveira boasts an impressive track record with more than 12 years’ experience in cloud computing, originally beginning his career in web development in Turin, Italy. Following a three year stint in Italy, Carlos moved back to the UK where he founded Shaping Cloud, a business that helps public sector bodies to achieve digital transformation using cloud technology. Clients included the NHS, local authorities and other government departments.

CloudM is the platform of choice for managing and protecting people and their data in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. The company currently supports customers including Spotify, Netflix, and Uber. Oliveira’s appointment cements the company’s commitment to product innovation and to deliver on their vision: to make it easy to manage Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace. Oliveira is tasked with strategic product planning, utilising his extensive market knowledge in Microsoft ecosystem to lead the company’s product vision. Using this strategy, Oliveira will ensure that the product team is empowered to meet a well outlined objective scope to solve technical problems as well as create new technological advancements to increase customer satisfaction and retention.

In addition, Oliveira will also focus on raising awareness of CloudM’s management product to align it with the existing reputation of the migration software encouraging customer retention, and growing SaaS revenue by adding innovative modules.

On his appointment, Oliveira said:

“The opportunity to grow and scale the business is massive. I see a huge amount of potential in CloudM’s software and I’m very excited to be a part of this journey. US growth and recent incorporation will be key as well as continuing to develop the product’s expansion into the Microsoft space. CloudM is full of incredibly talented and enthusiastic people so I feel confident that collectively we can make history with our industry-first technology.”

Managing Director, Gary Bennion, adds:

“I am delighted that Carlos has joined us. After just a 30 minute phone conversation, we instantly started firing off ideas about the software and its potential. Carlos is a natural fit with a new perspective and incredibly inspiring ideas which we are very excited to bring to life.”

CloudM has also appointed Josh Steinberg as the new General Manager in North America in which he has big goals to help CloudM to become the top Google and Microsoft 365 migration and management partner in North America. Josh brings with him 10 years of experience in the tech and business development sector previously working for Cloudreach, Logiworks and JP Morgan.

Plans submitted for iconic office building in MediaCity

Sam Whitear
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Peel Media Ltd has submitted plans for an iconic, new, highly sustainable 350,000 sq ft grade A office building in the heart of MediaCity, in Salford, Greater Manchester. These new plans signal the next phase for the creative, digital and tech destination’s expansion plans, and the first significant development milestone since Landsec’s 75% acquisition in November 2021.

Positioned opposite ITV and The University of Salford media campus, the plot already has detailed planning consent for a 117,000 sq ft office building backing onto Broadway. Nearly tripling the potential space of this building, the revised plans will also include 15,000 sq ft of leisure and independent retail space on the ground floor and a 283 capacity safe bike hub with changing facilities to encourage sustainable travel.

With a focus on green space there will be 28,000 sq ft of public realm to support the health and wellbeing of future occupiers and for the public to enjoy. New planting will maximise amenity and biodiversity value and will include multi stemmed trees, shrubs and herbaceous grasses.

The façade of the 11-storey building will feature attractive, green balconies on every other level as well as an outdoor terrace, for workers to enjoy, running across the top floor with floor to ceiling glass. The exterior will also feature aluminium panelling which is both architecturally striking and will be less carbon intensive in the design and construction phase.

The highly sustainable building will join the significant cluster of net zero carbon buildings currently within MediaCity’s portfolio. It will aspire to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, EPC A rating as well as be Net Zero Carbon, using the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Framework and achieve Well Gold, with the goal of reaching Platinum status.

Stephen Wild, Managing Director MediaCity said: “These revised plans will bring a striking, new and sustainable building to MediaCity which will be one of the largest grade A office buildings in Manchester. A considerable area within the development will cater for SMEs within our flexible workspace offer Arrive as well as larger office floor plates for businesses with a greater space requirement. Its design, spec and feel will very much reflect the innovative and cutting-edge immersive industries we will be targeting as we move into the next phase of MediaCity’s evolution.”

Mark Allan, CEO, Landsec said: “MediaCity is a unique destination, currently unrivalled in the UK for its breadth of offering, from global content creation and innovation, to waterside living and leisure. Mixed-use developments such as this, with a clear sense of place, are becoming an increasingly important ingredient in the fabric of our cities. This next step in MediaCity’s evolution demonstrates our commitment to Salford and the vibrancy of the office market in Greater Manchester.”

Subject to planning, the scheme has a start on site date of Summer 2023.

CUNNING PLAN DELIVERS BRAND STRATEGY AND CREATIVE FOR NEW WATERLOO SHOPPING CENTRE

Sam Whitear
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Manchester’s Cunning Plan Marketing has created the brand for a new shopping centre in London’s Waterloo International Train Station, which is due to open this summer.

The agency won the brief via a competitive pitch back in 2020 and were tasked with coming up with brand strategy, positioning, name and visual identity as well as website and social media strategy for the scheme.

Cunning Plan’s brand identity needed to appeal to local residents, commuters, day trippers and local workers.

In depth research was carried out with focus groups and interviews to help understand the expectations of the audience as well as engaging with the South Bank BID and its many high profile attractions to ensure the scheme and its brand fit into the South Bank and Waterloo landscape successfully.

The new scheme is named The Sidings, with the strapline ‘Waterloo’s Social Side’, inspired by the vision for the scheme to be a space to the side of Waterloo station where people can get together, take a break away from the busy station environment.

The Sidings is due to open this summer and will be housed within the UK’s busiest train station. 130,000 square foot, over three floors, it will be a mixed use scheme with retail, food and beverage outlets and entertainment venues. So far it has been announced that it will be home to the biggest BrewDog in the world plus a groundbreaking immersive experience; Alice’s Adventures Underground, courtesy of Labyrinth.

The Sidings will be part of London’s vibrant South Bank, opposite the iconic London Eye and close to other attractions including the London Aquarium, Tate Modern and The London Dungeon.

Cunning Plan launched the brand earlier this month with a teaser website to raise awareness of the centre as it counts down to its opening later this month.

Cunning Plan’s Managing Director, James Adam said: “The Sidings has been a labour of love for some time now, we’re excited for the brand to finally see the light of day. It’s been a complicated brief that required careful balancing of creativity with stakeholder engagement to ensure we got the best result. We’re very proud of how the brand turned out and we can’t wait to open this Summer.”

The Sidings Centre Director, Lynne Glover said: “Cunning Plan has a proven reputation when it comes to shopping centre and destination marketing. Their approach combines creativity with a structured process, which results in a brand that is impactful but also authentic. We look forward to working with them as our retained agency once the centre opens its doors.”

Essar calls for applicants to its Graduate Development Programme

Sam Whitear
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Essar is transforming for tomorrow and is looking for engineering, technology and finance graduates who want to play their part in leading the energy transition.

The North West based company is looking for eight exceptional individuals to take part in its three-year graduate development programme. Successful applicants will transfer between teams every 12 months to develop a breadth of skills and areas of expertise.

The scheme has been launched to ensure that the company continues to have the skills and talents needed as it works towards its ambition of being the UK’s first low carbon refinery and to play a leading role in the North West’s transition to become a low carbon economy.

A report from the Institution of Engineering and Technology last year found there was a shortage of around 173,000 workers in the STEM sectors and Essar wants to play its parts in ensuring the UK has the skills it needs to perform today and transform for tomorrow.

Recruits will have the opportunity to work within Essar’s teams as they focus on leading the UK’s transition to Net Zero. Essar will invest at £1bn over the next decade to support refinery decarbonisation and to build the hydrogen production plants that are at the heart of HyNet. HyNet is the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation cluster and is key to developing the UK hydrogen economy.

Located close to the cities of Liverpool and Manchester, Essar’s Ellesmere Port site puts it in a prime location for graduates from universities across the North West, although the scheme is open to recent graduates from across the country.

Deepak Maheshwari, CEO of Essar Oil UK, said: “We’re proud to be able to offer this development opportunity to ambitious graduates taking the first steps in their careers. We’re investing to lead the energy transition and the programme offers the chance to learn from the our experienced and expert teams.

“The scheme promises to be popular and competitive, so I’d urge anyone thinking of applying to do so soon. We’re looking forward to welcoming our next cohort of talent and to support the next generation who will be crucial to delivering our goal of transforming for tomorrow.”

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