1. Effective Employer Engagement 27 March 2014 About Solent EBP Why employer engagement Applying a business model Market Place Products Operations Quality Sustainability Questions

2. About Solent EBP Skill Quest Trust (charity) –Runs 2 of the 4 Hampshire EBPs Mission: To help young people acquire the life-skills & competences necessary for personal development, future employment & active citizenship Employer brokerage, 5-19 school and college partnerships, careers education & WRL, statutory careers guidance, work experience, special projects, alternative learning & accreditation Turnover: £900K 2012-2013: 32,600 young people Income: SLAs, Competitive bids, Sponsorship, Grants, Trusts, European Funding

3. Why employer engagement? National concern about young peoples’ employability skills: CBI, UKCES, BIS, CIPD, Policy changes & funding cuts De-regulation of WRL – a loss of momentum Poor quality CEIAG blamed! Curriculum & Budget Tensions – a lottery of provision Youth Unemployment v wider economic issues We know employer involvement is critically important to making a student’s journey rich and relevant – skills, knowledge, experience, attitudes “young adults who recall four or more activities with employers whilst at school were five times less likely to be NEETs” – Dr A Mann (2012)

4. Market Place Different & Similar Drivers Economic competitiveness Local Labour market: Youth unemployment Skill shortages particularly in STEM Apprenticeships: supply & demand Aspirations: progress & achievement The curriculum V whole child needs Business survival v/=social responsibility Efficient and effective use of resources Managing expectations

5. Products Experience rich careers education Curriculum Development In and out of school/college events Business facilitators/mentors Work Experiences – visits, tasters, placements, shadowing Real business projects SLT & Teacher CPD What can you offer business?

6. Solent Skills Festival 2013 –2676 students –130 exhibitors –NCS & World Skills ESF “Have a Go Funding” –Twilight Jobs Fair & Apprenticeships –Students and parents

7. Cisco Red Button Challenge Sponsored by Cisco Business mentors Real business project 2 term challenge to design App using coding skills Present prototype & designs to judges Students win money

8. Alternative Learning & Accreditation: Learn & Grow Lottery funded School allotments Growing & selling vegetables Business mentors 300 young people achieving Level 1 qualifications Ashtrim Garden Centre

9. Quality Involve business in the planning Know about & play to their context & strengths Give business volunteers plenty of time to plan their involvement Give them options – annual schedule of events Make it painless Make sure paperwork high quality Hospitality Business volunteers are not behaviour managers Don’t waste their time Be flexible

10. Sustainability Understand business needs Broker & nurture the relationship Involve them in other aspects of your work Involve senior leadership Formalise relationship – Adopt a School Give theme evidence of impact PR and recognition

11. Angela Wright Chief Executive Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion Tel: 023 8072 5725 Emails: angela.wright@solent-ebp.co.ukangela.wright@solent-ebp.co.uk www.solent-ebp.co.uk