Why going back to the classroom can benefit your business

OVER the past five years UK business has been the education system’s biggest critic.

Not only are young recruits incapable of a decent standard of reading, writing and maths, they are tardy, untidy and host unreasonable career and job description expectations.

But while much of the criticism over the country’s curriculum and teaching standards is valid, the business community’s approach to date has been more finger pointing than rolling up shirt sleeves and encouraging change in the classroom.

Increasingly however, firms are realising their role in preparing furture employees. Government schemes such as LEGI mean that entrepreneurialism in schools is now being taught and encouraged while the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is focusing on promoting trades in the form of diplomas (although the future of these is currently in the balance) and continued vocational training.

Apprenticeships are once again back in vogue and while admittedly their popularity has been boosted by the recession, Britain is starting to fundamentally address serious skills gaps in key sectors such as manufacturing, engineering and the process industry.

The realisation that moaning from the balconies is a fruitless cause has also been aided by the growth of corporate responsibility.

Responsibility in the community has helped cement academic/enterprise relations. As a result, business clubs are being launched in schools and teaching staff are benefiting from mentoring. 

In the US some firms have even gone so far as creating academies and setting up sponsorship arrangements with local education providers as a way of future proofing their business. The concept being that the firm will always have a local reliable, willing and enabled workforce in ready supply.

Closer to home more than 60 Yorkshire employers have signed up to help secondary school students develop the correct skills for employment.

The Young People’s Enterprise Forum (YPEF) is urging more businesses to support the process by completing a simple online register to offer mentoring, mock interview experience, help with enterprise projects, work experience or apprenticeships.

The pilot scheme, funded by the Edge Foundation offers a variety of options to help employers work in practical ways with schools and colleges to skill the workforce of the future.

Thousands of businesses already work with schools but feedback to YPEF suggests many more employers would do so if there was a easier way to match what a business can offer with what a local school and its students need.

Business and schools can find out more about working together and register by going to www.businessinschools.co.uk

YPEF is supporting an ongoing campaign by the Yorkshire and Humber 14-19 Challenge to increase and improve links between employers and education, and in particular to support Diploma qualifications which combine practical experience with classroom study.

Yorkshire and Humber’s Education Business Partnerships play an important role in bringing employers and schools together.

Bob Jones, regional director for Yorkshire and Humber EBPs, explains: “We are fortunate in our region that we have tremendous support from local employers. In excess of 30,000 are already involved, enabling young people to make informed choices about their future as well as gaining an understanding about the skills, knowledge and personal attributes employers are looking for.

“As members of YPEF we welcome any initiative that helps promote this and encourages even more companies to get involved.”

YPEF is speaking to the region’s key business organisations including The Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors, Yorkshire and Humber Chambers of Commerce and Business in the Community to encourage businesses of all sizes and sectors to register their interest.

Martin Hathaway, chairman of YPEF, says that employers who are working with schools are seeing so many benefits to their own organisation.

“Businesses are signing up because this is a way to help develop managerial skills in their existing employees and the only resource required is a little time,” he adds.

“Relationships are built which help future recruitment, young talent is spotted and companies find this a helpful way to deliver on corporate social responsibility commitments.”

The Individual Agency, a creative design and branding business based in Huddersfield has run workshops, guest lectures and mentoring schemes at a number of schools in West and East Yorkshire, since registering at the Business in Schools website.

Students from a sixth form consortium of schools, including Cottingham, Hessle and Wolfreton High Schools, Hull are being coached to develop a new sixth form brand.

At Horbury School in Wakefield another group of students are being shown how personal branding can boost self confidence and help them achieve their ambitions.

Michelle Edgar-Parsons of the Individual Agency believes that work-related learning can inspire young people to pursue a path they might not have otherwise considered.

“There are many young people in the region who lack motivation because their talents lie away from academia. They can succeed in the marketing industry without necessarily going through the university process,” he says.

The agency also takes part in mock interviews at Huddersfield schools to prepare students for the sort of questions that a potential employee will ask.

Edgar-Parsons continues: “The Business in Schools website has provided us with the opportunity to become involved in a range of activities in the Yorkshire area which will benefit our industry and the next generation in the long run.”