BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: Loan schemes still slow to help many cash-strapped firms – but furlough scheme preventing redundancies

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal the majority of businesses surveyed ahead of changes to the scheme announced on 27 April did not intend to seek financial support through CBILS bank loans and most of those who had applied were awaiting a decision or had been unsuccessful. Share the latest results with your members on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Coronavirus testing

The UK government’s online service for booking a Coronavirus test is now live across the country. Share this important message with your members, emphasising that any employee who has to leave home for work, not just those classed as essential workers, can now request and get a Coronavirus test.

Letter from Adam Marshall to Chamber CEOs in England

Chamber CEOs in England will recently have received a letter to use with local decision-makers. This letter may be helpful to encourage Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to use the additional £10m in funding they have recently received to work with and support Chambers of Commerce. Contact the BCC policy inbox with any queries.

Updated FAQs on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

The BCC policy team, alongside our colleagues at Quest have updated the CJRS FAQs in line with the latest government guidance. Contact the BCC policy team with any queries.

DfE launches The Skills Toolkit

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a new online learning platform-The Skills Toolkit to build skills in the UK during the Coronavirus outbreak and beyond.

The platform gives adults easy access to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses at home to help them build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects. Courses on offer will help people gain skills that employers demand and help kick start the UK’s economic recovery.

Promote this new resource by engaging with DfE social media (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) and use DfE’s marketing toolkit to signpost The Skills Toolkit with your members.