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Young Manchester creatives given a ‘Foot In The Door’

Creative

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

Young Manchester creatives given a ‘Foot In The Door’

Six young Manchester creators seeking rewarding careers in the creative industries have unveiled their first ever outdoor advert telling what it takes to get that all important Foot In The Door.

The work, which appeared on Ocean Outdoor’s large format digital screen at The Printworks, was created by Aala (23), Divine (24), Frankie (18), Grace (21), Lysette (23) and Michael (19). The short film marks the group’s completion of a talent development and work placement programme funded by The Andy Taylor Foundation and Manchester social enterprise SharpFutures.

‘Foot In The Door’ was designed to develop the skills and opportunities for socially and economically diverse young people who live in Greater Manchester and are passionate about a career in content creation.

One component of the 12 week bootcamp was to create an advert for Ocean screens using a mixture of video, graphic design, branding and a call to action. ‘Now that we’ve got a Foot In The Door’ celebrates the cohort’s new found skills, closing with the upbeat message #bethenextus.

Scott Webster, Ocean Outdoor regional account director, said: “We all know how difficult it can be to get into the creative industries. Competition is stiff and non-inclusive selection processes often exclude those with the best potential. Being able to help mentor this cohort of young people working with SharpFutures and the Andy Taylor Foundation has been a privilege.”

During the programme, the cohort learnt about different production techniques, digital storytelling, creative ideas generation, writing and pitching. They also developed their communication and teamwork skills through a wide range of workshops and masterclasses with Ocean and other supporters.

The participants then spent six weeks of the programme developing their creative digital skills on work placements with digital publisher LADbible Group, Lime Pictures (the team behind Channel 4’s Hollyoaks), production company Studio Lambert North (Naked Attraction, The Circle, Gogglebox) and ITV Studios.

Aala said: “This course has been really valuable to me. I always have ideas but if someone had given me a job to come up with ideas, I won’t have known how to go about the process. We got to learn about so many different fields of media. I wanted to go into scripted drama, but there are so many other areas where I can now utilise my skills. This has really boosted my confidence and given me the skills to go further.”

Lara Taylor, chair of the Andy Taylor Foundation, said: “Congratulations to the Foot In The Door Class of 2022! We have been so inspired by these young people from the minute we first interviewed them. It has been a joy seeing them develop as they have progressed together on an incredible journey.

“This first partnership for the Andy Taylor Foundation has exceeded all expectations, largely due to our chosen delivery partners including SharpFutures, Ocean Outdoor and our numerous masterclass providers, plus the breadth of brilliant work placements. Foot In The Door has shown that the media industry recognises and supports our aim to improve the diversity of opportunity in the sector. Our next steps are to attract more great industry partners and find the next class of young people with huge potential but struggling to find opportunities.”

Lee Stanley, CEO of SharpFutures said: “The last 12 weeks have been an amazing experience for everyone here at SharpFutures as we have seen the ‘Foot In The Door’ group develop their skills, confidence and ability whilst being challenged to come out of their comfort zones and become the professional creatives they are now.

“We are very grateful to Ocean Outdoor for their support of ‘Foot In The Door’ through delivering workshops and setting the brief for the Manchester Printworks outdoor screen. I’m sure the group will be very proud of what they’ve achieved.”

Deloitte Manchester grows its financial advisory offering with new director appointment

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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Deloitte Manchester grows its financial advisory offering with new director appointment

Deloitte has announced that Stephen Lashmar has joined its real estate team – within the financial advisory practice – as a director in Manchester.

Specialising in land assembly, compulsory purchase and valuation advice, Stephen will have predominant focus on projects involving regeneration, levelling-up and infrastructure schemes in the North and Midlands.

He joins the team from Manchester-based surveying practice Roger Hannah and has more than 20 years’ experience with practices in the North West, including Keppie Massie and CBRE.

Stephen has been involved in many high-profile regeneration schemes, this includes advising the Manchester, Trafford, Stockport and Preston councils, as well as the North West Development Agency and English Partnerships.

As a Chartered Surveyor and Registered Valuer, Stephen has extensive experience in providing valuation advice for a range of purposes to a variety of stakeholders in the sector, such as investors, developers and lenders.

Stephen Lashmar, director at Deloitte Manchester, commented: “Deloitte has an exceptional blend of skills, encompassing specialist real estate, financial and strategic advice to public and private-sector clients. I am looking forward to bringing my experience to the team and to deliver regeneration, levelling-up and infrastructure schemes for our clients across the region.”

Graeme Lawes, director and head of land assembly and compulsory purchase at Deloitte said: “We are very pleased that Stephen is joining Deloitte in Manchester to further strengthen our national Land Assembly and Compulsory Purchase team. He has huge experience in advising both acquiring authorities as well as and will complement our established Planning & Development practice. I am looking forward to working with Stephen to further build our capability in Manchester in the coming months.”

Qualcomm Becomes Official Global Partner of Manchester United

Partnerships

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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Qualcomm Becomes Official Global Partner of Manchester United

Manchester United today announced a multi-year global strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

The arrangement will feature the Snapdragon brand. Snapdragon platforms power many of the world’s premium smartphones, PCs, gaming devices, connected cars, smart wearables and more.

Bringing together the world’s most popular football club with a global leader in technology innovation, the strategic collaboration will create unique events and experiences for Manchester United fans at Old Trafford and around the world, powered by the premium performance that Snapdragon® platforms deliver.

In addition, Qualcomm Technologies will advise Manchester United on planned improvements to mobile connectivity at Old Trafford, which will enhance fans’ experience on match days.

Victoria Timpson, CEO Alliances and Partnerships at Manchester United, said: “Snapdragon platforms will enable ground-breaking experiences for fans across the globe, deepening their engagement with the football club they love.”

“Manchester United has always pushed boundaries of what’s possible and we are excited to be partnering with a company at the forefront of innovation.”

Don McGuire, SVP of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and CMO of Qualcomm said: “We are proud to bring the power of Snapdragon together with one of the most iconic names in world sport.”

“We look forward to showcasing Snapdragon to Manchester United fans everywhere and joining the new era of technology innovation at Old Trafford.”

RAFT OF CONTRACT WINS PROPEL SCANLANS TO MILESTONE

Growth

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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RAFT OF CONTRACT WINS PROPEL SCANLANS TO MILESTONE

Property management and surveying firm Scanlans has reached a milestone after
securing a raft of block management contracts at sites across the country.
The spate of wins means Scanlans has surpassed 20,000 units under its
management for the first time.
Recent instructions have come at apartment blocks in West Yorkshire, the West
Midlands and East Midlands, Liverpool and Bournemouth.
The latest agreement, which enabled Scanlans to reach the milestone, came in
Birmingham.
Scanlans has been appointed by Elevate Property Group to manage 79 luxury
apartments at Priory House, a former forensic science laboratory in the city’s popular
Southside.
The 77,000sq ft building was previously home to the Forensic Science Service,
where experts analysed evidence from crime scenes for police forces in England and
Wales.
Scanlans manages over 300 residential sites nationwide, from listed apartment
blocks to new-build housing developments.
Other recent instructions include ones to manage 850 units across various locations
for Ground Rents UK, and a number of apartment blocks in Harrogate, North
Yorkshire.
Partner Ian Magenis, who heads Scanlans’ property management division, said the
firm has grown its portfolio by 10 per cent in the past 12 months, largely due to
recommendations from existing clients.
He added: “Reaching the 20,000 milestone is testament to the high standards of
service that our dedicated and professional team provides to clients across the
country, and reflects our growth as one of the largest property management firms
outside the London area.
“Leeds and Birmingham have been strong areas of expansion for us, but we have
also expanded our portfolio in a number of regions beyond our office locations.

“We have recruited in key positions and have developed the skillsets of existing staff
to cater for an expanding client base, while at the same time investing in our systems
and processes.
“Our staff are key to our development and, as a firm, we place great emphasis on
internal progression to nurture them and offer a clear career path from entry level to
experienced property manager.
“Alongside them, our senior management team have been with us for many years,
and this ensures continuity internally and for our clients.”
Ian added: “As a firm of chartered surveyors and as members of the Association of
Residential Managing Agents, we are well-placed to understand and lead our clients
through an ever-changing landscape in the property management industry,
especially in view of the new Building Safety Act which will mean increasing
requirements in relation to compliance and accountability.
“We believe our professionalism and the depth of knowledge of our team will prove
significant differentiators as clients seek out firms which are regulated by industry
bodies and possess these attributes to help them meet the demands of the new
landscape.
“With over 30 years of providing property management services, Scanlans is well-
versed in all issues and we have developed systems to ensure the greatest level of
efficiency. We’ve invested heavily in bespoke technology so residents and clients
alike can interact via our online portal to progress, repairs, make payments and view
documents.
“However, we do still recognise the need to provide a more intimate service, and
each development has an experienced property manager as its first line of approach.
“We are confident that our robust business model, vast experience and wealth of
knowledge stand us in good stead for the future in a highly competitive market.”
Alongside property management, Scanlans provides commercial and residential
property valuations and surveys, expert witness, building surveying and LPA
Receivership services.

Studio.co.uk Appoints MediaCom following competitive pitch across all digital and media buying

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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Studio.co.uk Appoints MediaCom following competitive pitch across all digital and media buying

Online value retail specialist Studio.co.uk has appointed MediaCom North as its exclusive media partner, vastly expanding the agency’s remit beyond AV media planning and buying to also include full digital delivery across PPC, SEO, Affiliates, Display, Paid Social and Data strategy.

Studio.co.uk, which retails a wide variety of products from fashion to homeware and garden furniture, made the decision to consolidate its paid media portfolio, putting the entire £22.5m portfolio up for pitch. The brand previously used a roster of media agencies, including MediaCom who planned and procured the brand’s above the line channels.

The three-stage competitive process saw a range of agencies selected, with a final decision made to award the account in its entirety to MediaCom. This was due specifically to the digital capabilities offered by the agency. It now has an additional £15m of digital media spend on top of the existing £7.5m annual media planning and buying budget.

The scope of work being implemented by MediaCom now includes pay-per-click, search engine optimisation, affiliate, display and paid social.

Having managed Studio.co.uk’s ATL media planning and buying from its Manchester office for the last five years, the agency has delivered strategic and partnership-driven planning and activation over that time. Earlier this year it also brokered Studio’s sponsorship of ITV’s ‘In For A Penny’.

Studio.co.uk has appointed MediaCom due to the integrated media approach and understanding of the data marketing required to deliver best in class activation across all its channels.

Paul Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of MediaCom North, said:

“We are delighted that our partnership with Studio is evolving and that we are helping them continue to build their business. A key part of our pitch was to show Studio how we could drive a significant increase in sales and effectiveness, through better use of first party data within platforms, managing the changing shape of their audiences. This, coupled with holistic planning across all channels to ensure creativity, is at the heart to brand communications has a multiplying effect.

“Our unique ability to optimise the consumer journey, to ensure spend is maximised, is key to a business that has a mix of new and repeat customers, like Studio.co.uk’s.”

Chris Chalmers, Customer and Digital Director at Studio.co.uk, said: “The consolidation of our media buying was key to enabling the optimisation across all channels to deliver effectiveness and to drive our continued growth and efficiencies.

“We saw a lot of great pitches, but MediaCom really stood out, presenting a range of both core and innovative ideas that excited the whole team.

“We have worked with MediaCom for several years and we are confident the team will do a great job for us in their new, expanded remit.”

Legal director boosts Manchester residential team at Gateley Legal

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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Legal director boosts Manchester residential team at Gateley Legal

Gateley Legal has appointed Nick Molloy as legal director within its Manchester residential team to support growth in the North West.

Molloy brings a wealth of residential and property experience to the team from his previous role at Countryside Properties.

His appointment brings the Manchester residential team total to seven, and will allow the team to support the increasing number of residential schemes and developments across the North West.

Paul Jefferson, office managing partner for Gateley Legal in Manchester comments: “Nick will be a great addition to the Manchester residential team as he has extensive experience with servicing housebuilder clients.

“There is a real buzz of regeneration activity within the North West and our team is currently acting on a range of exceptional residential schemes.”

Gateley Legal acts for 18 of the top 20 housebuilders in the UK, on either a regional or national scale, and handles around 15,000 plot sales per annum. It is one of few legal businesses in the country with a separate housebuilder team specialising in services for residential developers.

The national residential development team operates from offices located in Birmingham, Guildford, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Reading, and includes 22 partners and over 250 legal professionals.

Northcoders announces Government contract win

Growth

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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Northcoders announces Government contract win

Manchester-headquartered Northcoders, the independent provider of training programmes for software coding, is pleased to announce that it has been successful in securing further funding from the Department for Education Skills Bootcamps Wave 3 bid. This new round of funding provides Northcoders with £4 million worth of scholarships to train individuals on their market-leading bootcamp.

The new contract provides the company with revenue visibility into FY23, which is expected to be another year of significant growth. Signing contracts such as this, and Northcoders initiatives such as the new corporate Developer Incubator, enable the company to plan revenue further into the future than ever before providing comfort for future targets.

The funding has been awarded not only to teach software development, which Northcoders’ core offering, but can also be used to fund students in its new Data Engineering business unit. The Data Engineering unit to be launched in Q4 2022, is the next discipline within the company’s product growth plan. The scholarship seats are eligible for award anywhere in England, which therefore also provides an opportunity to further grow the company’s geographical footprint including in London and other areas of the south of England.

Chris Hill, CEO, commenting on the contract win said: “I am delighted that Northcoders been able to secure this additional £4 million government funding through the Department for Education. As well as providing the company with additional revenue visibility, it also demonstrates how well-regarded our technology training courses are in the UK.

“With one of the Company’s core values being to improve diversity and inclusion within the tech industry, Northcoders are pleased to continue to offer these scholarships that provide accessibility to people from all walks of life across the UK whilst helping address the significant UK digital skills gap.”

Greater Manchester SMEs to be offered affordable cybersecurity solutions through Siemens and Awen Collective collaboration

Cyber

Sam Whitear

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12/08/2022

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Greater Manchester SMEs to be offered affordable cybersecurity solutions through Siemens and Awen Collective collaboration

Siemens has partnered with cybersecurity software company Awen Collective to develop a new, accessible and affordable, managed OT security solution for SMEs.

The project has secured major backing from a consortium of North West-based organisations including the University of Manchester, the University of Salford, the North West Cyber Resilience Centre, BRIM and IN4.0 Group, who will support the project as it rolls out in the region, before looking to expand across the rest of the UK.

The collaboration will allow Greater Manchester businesses to buy into a managed security solution, protecting any networked, internet-connected technology starting from £10,000. Ordinarily, setting up and maintaining a security operations centre can cost a business hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The solution is built on Awen Collective’s Dot software, which has been developed with the support of Siemens, and performs asset and vulnerability discovery on operational technology (OT), which covers everything from coffee machines to large industrial robots, including ICS, SCADA and IIoT systems.

According to the UK Government: Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2022 half of small businesses (48%) and six in 10 medium-sized businesses (59%) report having been impacted by some kind of cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months[1].

Digitalisation and the growing networking of machines and industrial systems also mean that operational technology (OT) is at an increased risk of cyber attack. Indeed, new cybercrime incidents are reported every day by UK businesses.

Despite this, many SMEs do not prioritise cybersecurity support, thinking that they either cannot afford it or do not need it.

Paul Hingley, Product Solution & Security Officer UK and Ireland for Siemens Digital Industries, said: “Siemens has been working with the North West Cyber Resilience Centre since its conception. We as an industry have partnered with law enforcement and academia as such alliances are vital to the way the digital industry will evolve in the years to come.

“Cybersecurity sits at the centre of digital transformation, understanding and adoption of it into the industrial control concepts is a must now.

“Partnering with Awen and the consortium we will answer some of the concerns and challenges around cybersecurity the industry faces by delivering an IT and OT Operational Response Centre. This will enable SMEs to invest in a service that will provide cyber alarms when their control systems become compromised by cyber-attacks.

“The concept we have developed with the consortium has the potential to provide low-cost protection across the office and manufacturing space. It is a unique offering that will allow companies to build their cyber resilience while developing their business impact knowledge – a major step forward in improving the cyber maturity of our UK industry.”

Daniel Lewis, founder and Executive Chairman at Awen Collective, based in Wales, said: “Our software solutions reflect what the market is telling us. No single product is a ‘silver bullet’ – we must genuinely work together.

“We are very pleased to be building this partnership with Siemens to deliver quality solutions that help prevent the very real threat of cybercrime. In essence, we’re giving industrial organisations the capability to discover vulnerabilities that they may not have been aware that they had, and the tools to do something about them.

“Cybersecurity in Wales is thriving. We’re growing a strong community through one of the largest clusters in the UK and it has really laid the foundation for us to be able to work on major projects such as this, with forward-thinking businesses like Siemens. We can’t wait for what’s to come.”

Katie Gallagher, managing director of Manchester Digital and co-founder of North West Cyber Resilience Centre, said: “We’re really pleased to partner with Siemens and Awen Collective to be able to offer this new OT security solution to businesses across the North West.

“There are increasingly sophisticated threats to cyber security within operational technology so we will continue to work with businesses and our partners to help all businesses protect themselves against cyber attacks.

“Businesses often don’t realise the potentially devastating effects of a cyber attack on their business until it’s too late, so our work begins at educating businesses owners around the threats, as well as offering advice and security solutions.”

David Taylor, Chief Technology Officer, IN4.0 Group, said: “As specialists in Industry 4.0 technologies IN4.0 Group are delighted to be a key part of this consortium, helping to address the issues faced when securing OT environments. The cyber security threat landscape is constantly changing with new vulnerabilities discovered each day, staying on top of these vulnerabilities is vital.

“Threats to industrial control systems and the OT environment do not just result in the loss of data, they can halt production, impact the safety of employees, and even result in death. With a strong background in cyber security and our own UK based Security Operation Centres we are now best placed to provide a cost-effective solution that not only helps businesses to secure their IT but their OT environments as well.”

WEDO CONTINUES EXPANSION WITH DEAL FOR LUCID NETWORKS

Acquisitions

Sam Whitear

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11/08/2022

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WEDO CONTINUES EXPANSION WITH DEAL FOR LUCID NETWORKS

Fast-growing WeDo Business Services has expanded with the acquisition of
Manchester-based IT services consultancy Lucid Networks.
Lucid is being integrated into the group’s WeDo Digital business, which has a team
of more than 50 specialists providing digital innovation, design, development and
support services.
The acquisition of Lucid brings to the group a range of IT services, from complex
infrastructure projects and cyber security through to back-up hosting solutions and
day-to-day IT strategy delivery.
Lucid, which was founded in 2010, was owned by James Balderstone and was
based at Manchester Science Park. The business has built a long-standing customer
base across the UK. Its workforce has transferred to WeDo Digital’s offices at
MediaCityUK in Salford.
WeDo Digital is led by tech entrepreneurs Luke Pilfold-Thomas and Lee Turver, who
have more than 25 years’ industry experience between them.
Luke said the acquisition of Lucid further expands the capabilities of WeDo Digital
and bolsters the offering of the wider group. Further recruitment for the division is
under way in the digital business.
Luke said: “Lee and I recently joined the group to spearhead the development of
WeDo Digital, and we are thrilled to bring in the team from Lucid Networks and
managed IT services expertise as the next stage in our growth.
“We were looking to increase our digital offering to include more traditional IT
managed services and wanted to acquire a north west business with a strong record
of customer retention. Lucid has developed and maintained an excellent business
and client base over the years, with many of its customer relationships spanning
more than a decade, so it fitted the bill perfectly.
“We will continue to offer the highest level of service and technology innovation
across applications and infrastructure to its customers to help them build and grow

their own businesses, as well as being able to offer this expertise to clients of the
wider WeDo group.”
Andrew Livesey and Matthew Catterall, of north west law firm Taylors Solicitors,
advised WeDo on its acquisition of Lucid Networks.
Andrew said: “We were very pleased to be asked to continue to provide legal support
and advice to WeDo as it continues its expansion with the acquisition of the Lucid
Networks business.
“WeDo is continuing to make headlines with its innovative approach to business and
it is a great to be trusted advisers to the group. We look forward to working with the
team in the future as the business continues to expand.”
Founded in 2019 by Mark Lindsay and Chris Robinson with just four staff, WeDo
Business Services has grown organically and through acquisitions.
It now employs almost 100 people across its headquarters in Oldham and offices in
Colchester, Sheffield, Swindon and Salford.
The group provides a range of services to small and medium-sized companies,
including invoice and trade finance, start-up funding, HR, back office and payroll
support, as well as IT and digital services.

Greater Manchester housing association ForHousing secures £60m long-term funding

News

Sam Whitear

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11/08/2022

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Greater Manchester housing association ForHousing secures £60m long-term funding

Thanks to a proactive treasury strategy, housing association ForHousing, which owns and manages 24,000 homes across Greater Manchester, Knowsley and Cheshire has secured £60 million long-term funding to enable it to continue to invest in existing and new affordable homes. The housing association was advised by national law firm Bevan Brittan on the deal, which used an optimal, or ‘rolling’ charging strategy.

With the support of Bevan Brittan, ForHousing has completed the first £30 million draw down of the new £60 million facility with bond aggregator bLEND plc. The second tier of funding will be drawn in April 2024.

A team from Bevan Brittan led by Partner Jessica Church worked with ForHousing on the implementation of the rolling charging strategy in advance of the transaction.

“The focus of the strategy was on optimising chargeability and valuation and minimising transactional risks. We are seeing an increasing number of our housing association clients adopt optimal charging programmes as part of an effective treasury security risk mitigation strategy, to maximise borrowing capacity when housing associations are facing escalating costs and also take advantage of new funding opportunities predicated on quick access to markets,” said Jessica Church. “The initial project involved carrying out extensive due diligence in relation to a significant portfolio of 5,000 properties comprising a mixture of ex-LSVT and new build dwellings.”

The team at Bevan Brittan carried out an initial ‘red-amber-green’ traffic light analysis to identify viable schemes for charge at maximum valuation and established a programme of perfecting security to maximise valuation on charge at transactional stage.

Jessica Church added: “We are absolutely delighted to have supported ForHousing on this important funding project to provide long-term liquidity for their business plan, enabling them to deliver their strategic priorities.Taking a forward thinking approach to security preparation has enabled ForHousing to have visibility on security and valuation issues ahead of live transaction stage and to secure a clean portfolio of security to support not only the first drawdown from bLEND but also future funding transactions.”

Bevan Brittan’s specialist housing team has an in-depth understanding of the sector. The firm also has expertise in key related fields such as health and social care and energy.

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