Employer Interaction with Schools David Blagbrough Director, Inspire!

Inspire!  Education Business Partnership  Brokering relationships between schools and employers  Meeting the needs of schools  Supporting young people NEET  Meeting the needs of employers  Hackney, Camden and Islington  3,500 work experience placements  240 activities  800 Local and City companies  1700 employee volunteers  14,000 students

Current landscape  Teaching and learning  Institutional framework  Work related learning  External

What employers need  Future employees who  Are literate and numerate  Are able to communicate  Are team players  Can problem solve  Are flexible and adaptable  Have initiative  Are self aware  Have the right attitude  Can organise and time manage  Do schools deliver?

What schools seek from employers  Support for  Learning and enriching curriculum  Progression into and skills for work or learning  Raising aspirations and motivation  Informing career pathways  Development of social capital  Governance and professional advice  Continuing professional development  Funding

Closing the gap  Working with employers to provide  Work experience  Company visits  Continuous professional development  Preparation for work  Numeracy and literacy skills  Financial literacy  Presentational, CV writing and interview skills  Support for enterprise skills  Curriculum enrichment  Mentoring support  Careers education  School governance

Relationship models SponsorshipUBS & Bridge Themed supportLinklaters & Clapton Responsive partnershipFreshfield & Haggerston Borough focusHerbert Smith & Tower Hamlets Departmental supportOlswang & Haverstock Activity partnershipsMentoring

How can it go wrong?  Lack of teacher involvement  Curriculum pressure  Not embedded in curriculum  Volunteer drop out  Volunteers weak at engagement  Over promising: being realistic about employee support  Inadequate engagement of senior managers  Geography  Failure to recognise mutuality of benefit  Cultural divide  Lack of business networks  Lack of longer term commitment  Inadequate impact measurement

Ramping up  Delivery  Tailored WEXP  CEIAG and integrated packages  Languages  International  Networking  Supporting parents  Employee volunteers  Hidden skills/passions  Responding to diversity  Improve training  Employer engagement  Working with supply chain  More partnerships with schools  Policy  Starting early  Long term commitment  Support brokers  Employment  Apprenticeships  Nurturing future employees  Creating jobs  Risk capital for enterprise  Recruitment and selection practices  Impact measurement  Young people  Employer involvement

Where will it lead….?  Preparation for work, but there are no jobs….  SMEs  Drivers of growth  Opportunity cost  Support for SMEs  Voluntary and Community Sector  SMEs  Links with communities  Transition/pastoral support  Working for Youth