I RECENTLY received an email telling me there were 94 days to go . . .

To go until what I wondered – my review, my birthday? No, apparently it was 94 days to go until Christmas.

Now I may be a traditionalist, but having just returned from my summer holidays with the holiday snaps only just processed, my thoughts have not yet turned to mince pies and Christmas trees.

Nonetheless, the email got me thinking about the oncoming autumn and how we can look forward to a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

This time last year the crash of Lehman Brothers in the US meant that the world’s economy was facing a crisis, the like of which we hadn’t seen before.

Newspapers were full of tales of apocalypse and the future seemed a big black hole.

Since then businesses have been facing extreme challenges and unemployment has risen to its highest level for a number of years.

The Bank of England has endeavoured to boost confidence in the UK economy, lowering interest rates to 0.5 per cent and continuing its quantitative easing programme to try to stimulate bank lending and consumer spending.

But can businesses really feel confident in the renewal and all-out recovery of the economy?

NECC recognises the challenges and the tough decisions that businesses are having to make and is keen to support them in any way it can.

The recently launched five-a-day campaign aims to help businesses with their staffing needs as well as to help a young, enthusiastic workforce.

The campaign promises to get five apprentices up and running every day between now and Christmas. It offers 14 to19 year olds an opportunity to receive training and qualifications while experiencing the world of work.

Employers can train their new staff in the skills they need to perform well within the company, and the new apprentices gain the kind of experience and training they could never get solely from the classroom.

So for companies looking to recruit fresh talent and foster a loyal workforce, just give NECC a call and give your business the boost it needs for a happy and healthy 2010.

■ Joanne Fryett is head of member relations at NECC.