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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">As the government brings in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-and-customs-brief-10-2020-temporary-reduced-rate-of-vat-for-hospitality-holiday-accommodation-and-attractions/guidance-on-the-temporary-reduced-rate-of-vat-for-hospitality-holiday-accommodation-and-attractions">temporary VAT cuts</a> and the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-discount-with-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme">'eat out to help out scheme’</a> to incentivise consumers to return to frequenting local business premises and spend money to get the UK economy on the road to recovery post-lockdown, Jillian Thomas, the managing director of Sheffield firm Future Life Wealth Management, has issued her own plea for people to play their part.Writing in her <a href="https://wealthmanagement.uk.com/blog/2020/go-and-buy-a-coffee/">blog on the Future Life website</a>, Thomas said: “As a financial adviser I spend a lot of time telling people to spend less and save more. One of my favourites is the ‘coffee cup challenge’ where I challenge you not to buy a coffee on the way to the office or while out shopping, as a simple way to save a few pounds a week.“In normal times five coffees a week at say £2.40 each meant you’d spend well over £600 a year just on coffee! In normal times I would say don’t do it.“But these are not normal times. And I am turning my advice on its head and saying: spend, spend, spend.”Thomas highlighted that prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, an average UK family would save around £140 in cash deposits. That figure had reached the dizzy heights of £900 by May.Thomas added: “Not only is that [saved] money sitting in accounts not earning much interest, but it is not helping the local economy recover.”With acknowledgement of the fact that consumers are understandably keeping funds back over job security concerns, Thomas sought to remind individuals of the role they must play in being part of the economic recovery and used the opportunity to champion the need for spending within local businesses.She wrote: “Now we are easing out of lockdown, we need to spend wisely and maybe spend a bit more.“If you spend £1 locally with a small or medium-sized business, the theory is that 63 pence stays local, compared with spending at a bigger company where only 40 pence stays local.“Those local shops probably buy their supplies from other local small businesses and all these small businesses create jobs. Eighty per cent of businesses employ less 20 people; but when added together, those businesses are the largest employer in the country.”In a rallying call, Thomas pointed out that in supporting the high-street, the knock-on effect results in more affluent communities and higher house prices, and implored people to go out and benefit their local area.“By getting away from the click culture and shopping locally you will help save the butcher, the baker, the shoe shop and the independent coffee shop from going under.“Take my new coffee cup challenge; go and buy a coffee and keep the coffee shop on your local high street.”</div>

As the government brings in temporary VAT cuts and the 'eat out to help out scheme’ to incentivise consumers to return to frequenting local business premises and spend money to get the UK economy on the road to recovery post-lockdown, Jillian Thomas, the managing director of Sheffield firm Future Life Wealth Management, has issued her own plea for people to play their part.

Future Life Wealth Management chief urges consumers to venture back out into high streets

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">In part of its plans to avoid mass unemployment in the UK, the government has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53301076">launched an initiative to provide 30,000 new traineeships</a> to get young people in England working to help breathe new life into an economy recovering from the impact of Covid-19.Traineeships tend to last between six weeks and six months and provide classroom-based lessons for pupils aged 16 to 24 in the areas of mathematics, English, and CV writing, along with 90 hours maximum of unpaid work experience.The Treasury said in a statement earlier in July: "Young people's employment prospects are expected to be disproportionately affected by the economic fallout of coronavirus."Expanding traineeships will be part of a wider package to support young people and to ensure they have the skills and training to go on to high quality, secure and fulfilling employment.”The £111 million scheme will see companies provided with a £1,000 cash bonus for every new work experience place they offer out up to £10,000.David Hughes, the chief executive of the Association of Colleges, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53301076">commented</a>: "We know that young people get treated very badly in recessions and will be at the back of the queue for jobs."What we want is a whole range of actions that the government can take: put money into colleges to give them a chance, incentivise employers to take on trainees, but also take on apprenticeships as well."We need really bold action now on both the labour market and on skills."The expanded traineeship scheme in England begins in September this year, with the Treasury indicating that employers must offer “a high-quality work placement of 60 to 90 hours” to qualify.Official figures suggest that three-quarters of 18 to 24-year-olds who complete traineeships move on to employment or further study within 12 months. Yet, the number of people taking up traineeships has been in decline over the last four years according to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships#apprenticeship-and-traineeships-annual-data">Department for Education</a>, peaking at 24,100 people in 2015-16 and dropping to 14,900 in the year 2018.An effort to reinvigorate traineeships could come as a major boost to training providers in the ilk of DMR Training &amp; Consultancy, a specialist provider for the construction sector.DMR delivers qualifications ranging from level one to level seven including NVQs, apprenticeships and, rather crucially, traineeships.The opportunity to lend hand in the economic recovery would certainly be one to relish for the firm’s owner, Dave Radley, after the height of the Covid-19 pandemic proved a real test for the business.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXtx2mhq9oM&amp;feature=youtu.be">Radley told the Leaders Council:</a> “Covid-19 has been a rollercoaster. We started to prepare in early to mid-March for getting whoever we could prepared to work from home out of those who did not have to go and work on sites. We informed staff of a three-month plan straight away to keep everyone on board and in work.“The biggest challenge for us during lockdown was maintaining morale, because one bit of bad news could really have an impact in bringing down people’s spirits.”For the future, Radley hopes that the firm can continue its trajectory of recent growth, and any support from the traineeship scheme could prove fruitful.He said: “We want to keep developing our people and we have reflected a lot on what we can offer during the lockdown and have looked to build on that. We have grown a lot in the last year, so I would like to think we can come out of this even more resilient and continue our growth.”</div>

In part of its plans to avoid mass unemployment in the UK, the government has launched an initiative to provide 30,000 new traineeships to get young people in England working to help breathe new life into an economy recovering from the impact of Covid-19.

Government’s new traineeship scheme could bode well for training specialists like DMR Consultancy

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">For the past 25 years, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/29/rina-sawayama-mercury-prize-ineligible-british-japanese-pop-star">Rina Sawayama has resided in the UK</a>. Yet, in spite of holding indefinite leave to remain, Sawayama is<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53580260"> ineligible for the Mercury prize </a>as she does not hold a British passport. Sawayama, who left Japan at the age of four, has retained her Japanese passport so that she might feel closer to her family who live in her country of birth. As Japan does not allow its citizens to hold dual nationality, Sawayama is unable to apply for British citizenship. The <a href="https://www.bpi.co.uk/">British Phonographic Industry </a>who are responsible for the organisation of the Mercury awards, stipulate that solo artists must have either British or Irish nationality in order to be eligible for the award. Official documentation of citizenship must be provided with each application. For Sawayama, “this definition of Britishness” is inaccurate and antiquated. While she considered renouncing her Japanese citizenship, she felt this will not “solve anything”. She continued that, as an immigrant “you get to a level when you don’t have to worry about your nationality and your status and whether you fit into this country. Things like that bring into sharp focus, like, whether I am even British. It’s just very upsetting.”A spokesperson for BPI said: “Both the Brit awards and the Hyundai <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/mercuryprize" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Mercury prize</a> aim to be as inclusive as possible within their parameters, and their processes and eligibility criteria are constantly reviewed.”Sawayama concluded: “If arts awards are creating their own sort of version of border control around their eligibility, I think that’s really problematic.”</div>

For the past 25 years, Rina Sawayama has resided in the UK. Yet, in spite of holding indefinite leave to remain, Sawayama is ineligible for the Mercury prize as she does not hold a British passport.

Rina Sawayama ineligible for Mercury award 

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53605691">The boss of IAG, the owner of British Airways</a>, has said that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the company harder than anything before. IAG reported a loss of around £3.8 billion in the first part of the year. It is believed passenger levels will not recover until 2023 at earliest. <a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2020/0731/1156607-iag-quarterly-results/">Willie Walsh said that</a>: "These are extreme times. BA has lost more in a quarter than a record loss for a year.”In the April-June period, passenger numbers fell by 98 per cent as a result of which, the airline is planning to cut jobs. Current loses for BA far eclipse those of both the aftermath of 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis. Prior to the pandemic, BA employed around 45,000 staff. More than half of these have been placed on furlough. Earlier in the year, the employer announced plans to cut up to one third of these jobs. They have been threatened with strike action by staff whose jobs are under threat. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53605691">Walsh responded to the claims of job cuts</a>, saying that: "We are in consultation with the trade unions. We want them to work with us to try to mitigate the measures that we have to take. "That figure of 12,000 is the maximum that would be required I'm would hope that it will be significantly lower than that." He concluded: "The industry will recover from this crisis, though we do not expect this to be before 2023, and there will be opportunities for IAG to capitalise on its strength and leadership positions."IAG, who also own Aer Ingus and Iberia, have announced plans to raise around €2.75 billion, and have indicated support from main shareholder Qatar Airways. </div>

The boss of IAG, the owner of British Airways, has said that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the company harder than anything before. 

Jeff Wilton-Love

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Future Life Wealth Management chief urges consumers to venture back out into high streets

Government’s new traineeship scheme could bode well for training specialists like DMR Consultancy

Rina Sawayama ineligible for Mercury award

IAG Boss: “The industry will recover from this crisis”