Taking on an apprentice can be a great way to bring fresh thinking and new skills into your business, give a young person the chance to gain valuable work experience and help the Kent economy bounce back from COVID. And as 2022’s National Apprenticeship Week (NAW2022) wraps up, Kent County Council (KCC) is reminding local…
Three suspected illicit tobacco suppliers were visited today in a joint operation involving Kent Trading Standards and Kent Police officers. Part of the wider Operation CeCe – a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC to tackle illegal tobacco – two shops in Cliftonville, Margate, and one in Ramsgate, were targeted. Officers seized 43…
Kent shops and consumers are being urged to put health first and check the vapes they sell and use respectively are legal. The warning comes after Kent County Council Trading Standards offices seized thousands of illegal e-cigarette devices, including Vapeman, Magic Bar, Elf Bar and Geek Bar Pro, in various operations over a fortnight. Out…
Young people in Kent and Medway needing a helping hand to get into work are being urged to apply for a potentially life-changing Kickstart placement by Monday 28 February. More than 3000 16 to 24-year-olds across the county are gaining valuable work experience through the national Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) scheme. For one…
Kent’s small businesses are being encouraged to make the most of support on hand to get fit for the online present and future. As well as developing brand, digital technology can help businesses more efficiently manage the books, build networks, collaborate and expand. The Government’s just-launched Help to Grow: Digital scheme offers eligible businesses up…
Boxes of suspected counterfeit e-cigarettes were seized from a concealed storage space above a ceiling at a Maidstone business as part of a nationwide crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade. The contraband was recovered at the premises in Knightrider Street on Wednesday (19 January 2022) during a joint operation involving police and Kent County Council…
Kent food businesses are being urged to get support now to comply with allergy labelling laws after spot checks by Kent County Council’s (KCC) Trading Standards revealed new rules are not always being followed. Under Natasha’s Law, which came into force on 1 October 2021, food that is pre-packaged on the same premises it is…
Kent County Council Trading Standards, supported by Kent Police, swooped on Swanley Market in a crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods. A joint enforcement team of 17 officers targeted several stalls following reports that fake products were being sold. Items seized, including adult and children’s clothing, bags, hats, sunglasses, belts and watches, filled 168…
A major upgrade of Kent’s continental border is needed to keep the UK’s vital supply and travel routes flowing. An innovative, long-term programme to create future-ready, and future-proofed, smart borders in Kent would also act as a catalyst for regeneration in the east of the county – helping to unlock jobs and housing, attract business…
Kent County Council is launching a new voucher scheme to enable local businesses to put a new digital or technology solution in place to help with future growth. The Technology Resilience Voucher Scheme is part of the C-Care (Covid Channel Area Response Exchange) project which is funded by the EU Interreg France (Channel) England programme.…
All new infrastructure and developments in Kent and Medway should have net zero carbon emissions and use resources efficiently, under new-look design guidance published by Kent County Council, Medway Council, and Kent’s District and Borough Planning Authorities today. Communities must also be well connected both digitally, and through an effective network of footpaths, cycleways and…
Businesses across Kent are being invited to apply for interest-free loans of between £100,000 and £500,000 to help realise their ambitions for growth and support Kent’s economic recovery. Kent County Council (KCC) is offering a total of £8 million in Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) loans to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Kent…