It was a pleasure at PMQs last week to draw attention to two Horsham success stories – a great Apprenticeship Fair organised by HDC and the extraordinary fall in youth unemployment we have seen locally over the last ten years. As discussed after my recent talk at Collyers it is incredibly important that we offer young people a range of opportunities on leaving school and that they get the chance to retrain through life.
On which point I am very aware from conversations with local businesses of how degree-level apprenticeships in particular could be made to work better and am pursuing this with the Ministers concerned.
Interaction with local businesses large and small is extremely helpful which is why I was so pleased to attend the launch of the new Horsham and Billingshurst Chamber of Commerce and grateful that John Lewis kindly played host. I hope it is the start of what will be, if the Billingshurst chamber is anything to go by, a great success.
Topically, one of the issues raised at the launch was the risk faced by all businesses from cyber crime. Sussex Police (via the regional serious organised crime unit) are offering businesses free Cyber Awareness presentations to help combat potential flaws that can seriously compromise their security.
Unfortunately the criminals are not just targeting business. Earlier in the year I visited TSB Horsham’s fraud awareness pop up shop in Swan Walk. I was delighted that the TSB were working alongside Citizen’s Advice and Sussex Police to provide accessible information about preventing crime online. Small changes such as choosing strong passwords, using security software, and regularly installing software updates can seriously reduce the risk of you becoming a victim of cybercrime.
The police also recommend reviewing privacy settings on social media accounts: at a time of such controversy surrounding social media, it is worth bearing in mind what information you might be posting in order to share it with family and friends but which may of value to a criminal.
If you believe you are the victim of cybercrime or fraud, Sussex Police recommend contacting the Action Fraud national helpline on 0300 123 2040.
Photo caption: With the TSB and Citizens Advice in Swan Walk earlier this year at their “pop up shop” providing advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of cyber crime.