North Highland business success recognised at Caithness Chamber of Commerce AGM
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The success of businesses in the north Highlands was recognised at Caithness Chamber of Commerce’s 12th annual general meeting.
Around 40 attendees from across the business community were present at Mackays Hotel in Wick and were updated on the year’s activities by the chamber’s chief executive, Trudy Morris, and chairman, Stephen Sutherland.
They heard about the continued growth of the chamber’s membership, of the success of initiatives such as Developing the Young Workforce and of the chamber’s plans for the coming year.
The event also offered an opportunity to bid farewell to Bill Baxter, of Imenco, who has stepped down as vice-chairman of the chamber in light of his impending retirement. Stephen thanked Bill for his tireless work on behalf of the chamber over the years and wished him all the best for the future.
With Bill leaving, Louise Sinclair of Sinclair Bay Subsea was appointed to the post of vice-chair. Louise has been an active member of the chamber board since joining in 2017 and in her role as vice-chairperson will help set strategic objectives for the chamber in the coming years.
The final item of business at the AGM was the launch of the chamber’s new website, which is now online at caithnesschamber.com. This complete revamp brings the chamber’s digital presence and provides additional opportunities to promote its members and the north Highlands as a whole.
Following the AGM were the Developing the Young Workforce North Highland Awards, recognising the achievements of businesses and young people across the region over the past year. This year saw awards being given to three apprentices and two companies.
Emma Gunn, a fourth-year apprentice with Nuvia, was recognised not only for her excellent work with the company – including an integral role in winning work as part of a competitive tender exercise – but for her tireless efforts as a local STEM ambassador, which included organising and promoting a Discover Engineering event in partnership with North Highland College UHI and local engineering companies.
Rachel Miller, who is undertaking a two-year apprenticeship with Identity Hair Salon in Golspie, was also recognised for her hard work and rapid advancement. In addition to her duties within the salon and her work towards her NVQ Level 2 Hairdressing, she has already achieved an advanced qualification in Future Foundation Cutting at the nationally renowned Toni & Guy Academy.
The final apprenticeship award went to Emma Gunn, a fourth-year engineering design apprentice with Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd. Over the course of her four years Emma has completed an HND in Engineering Systems and is working towards a BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. She is an active STEM ambassador and has attended numerous events across the UK to represent Dounreay.
Nuvia was the first employer recognised at the event, having recently won the Developing the Young Workforce award at the Highland Business Awards 2019. The judges were particularly impressed with the induction programme, which not only recognises and accounts for the often difficult change from an educational environment to a work one, but which actively involves the apprentices’ families in the process.
Also recognised was Skibo Ltd, in light of its dedicated work to develop young people from across the north of Scotland and its active involvement with local schools, including its executive chef’s “adoption” of Dornoch Primary School as part of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ Adopt a School programme.
Following the AGM and the awards, the night was rounded off with a buffet courtesy of Mackays Hotel and a range of team-building activities.
