Investing in Worcestershire

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Investing in Worcestershires Workforce
Connecting Business With Education

• Worcestershire Employment Skills Strategy
• Redditch Business Leaders
• Cllr Jane Potter, Cabinet Member for Education
  Skills
• 7th December 2012

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Worcestershire Employment Skills Board

• Provide leadership on Employment Skills in
  Worcestershire and champion investment in the
  workforce by the private sector
• Plus advisors from the Skills Funding Agency,
  National Apprenticeship Service and Jobcentre
  Plus

Bill Munn - Director, Thomas Vale Construction Alex Cormack Director, Rockline Industries Ltd
Niall Quinn - HR Director, Goodrich UTC Kay Dovey Head of HR, Festival Housing
Louise Hewitt MD, Hewett Recruitment Patrick Jones - Manager, Menzies Hotels
Warren Gray MD, Machined Component Systems PLC Sean Austin VP, Kerry Ingredients Ltd
Chris King Headteacher, Woodrush School Eileen Stead Manager, King Charles I School
Jane Potter Cabinet Member, WCC Mark Richardson University of Worcester
Stuart Laverick Principal, Worcester College John Callaghan Principal, NEW College
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Worcestershire Employment Skills Strategy

• Six months of extensive consultation and
  development
• Focus on small number of key areas to enable
  joint working
• 100 organisations from public and private sector
  involved
• Key components
• Skills and Workforce Planning increasing
  apprenticeships, improving talent management and
  increasing private sector investment in skills
• Strengthening the relationship between schools
  and businesses building a clearer picture of
  skills required and harnessing opportunities
  created under academy status
• Increasing employability - addressing youth
  unemployment, developing graduate level
  opportunities and building better mechanisms to
  help small business to recruit locally
• Adopted by Worcestershire LEP as part of
  Strategic Business Plan initial delivery period
  up 2012-16

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Worcestershire Employment Skills Strategy

• 2016 Headline Targets
• 10,000 apprenticeships created inc 40 increase
  in advanced apprenticeships
• 5,000 individuals gain leadership management
  qualifications
• 1,000 new school work experience places created
• Min of 50 High Schools working with employers on
  new curriculum activity
• 25 reduction in youth unemployment (18-24yr
  olds)
• 1250 SMEs supported to improve and invest in
  skills, recruitment and employment activity

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Worcestershire Employment Skills Strategy

• Key Activities
• Development of employer-led engineering skills
  academy (piloted initially in Redditch)
• Establishment of new Cyber Security Professional
  Development Centre
• Launch of The Worcestershire Employer Skills
  Commitment
• Development of a Worcestershire Work Experience
  Programme
• Establishment of Worcestershire Business Central

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Connecting Business With Education

• What Have Businesses Said?
• Lack of work ready students entering the labour
  market
• Insufficient engagement by schools with
  businesses
• Curriculum content is not reflective of world of
  work
• Unclear what schools want from employers it is
  more than just cash!

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Connecting Business With Education

• Its Not Straightforward.....!
• Schools are increasingly autonomous organisations
• National curriculum means limited free space in
  the weekly timetable (mandatory subjects have
  priority)
• Schools now have responsibility for careers
  guidance and work experience for their students
• Schools say businesses have not articulated what
  they want or can offer!

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Connecting Business With Education

• What Does The Strategy Focus On?
• Development of a new streamlined Worcestershire
  Work Experience Programme (piloted by Malvern
  Instruments)
• Establishment of school-business partnerships to
  develop key curriculum areas STEM, computer
  science, design technology, enterprise, finance
• New careers guidance framework for high schools
• Governor recruitment campaign to increase
  business representation on school boards
• Business-led INSET Teacher Development Sessions

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Connecting Business With Education

• Moving Forward
• Business cases for each element of the strategy
  are being developed for the ESB to approve
• Investment and support being developed through
  WASH
• Key challenges
• How can we make it easier for employers to get
  engaged?
• What do you want from local high schools, given
  the restrictions they face?
• What can you offer as partners