Businesses across Kirklees are being uged to sign up to a nationwide programme overseen by Prince Charles to help young people gain the right skills to enter the job market.

Business Class, run by the charity Business in the Community (BITC), has been designed to bring together companies and schools in some of the UK’s most deprived areas.

The aim of the initiative is for businesses to support schools in both the classroom and at management level by providing their corporate expertise, mentoring pupils, supplying volunteers and creating inspirational experiences for students.

To date, Huddersfield-based paving stone supplier Marshalls plc, which also has operations in Elland and Brighouse, has partnered with Almondbury High School and Specialist Language College.

Mary-Jo Daly, assistant head teacher of curriculum at Almondbury High School, said: “It is vitally important that we prepare students for the real world of work.

“To do this, we need businesses to actively engage in schools, raise aspirations and help students understand and focus on what is needed to get a job and keep it. Business class provides that focus.”

Chris Harrop, Group Marketing Director at Marshalls, plc said: “I am delighted that we are now partnered with Almondbury High School – the first Business Class partnership in Huddersfield.

“We’re already working with business studies students on a module about our company.”

Liz Needleman, area director of BITC England East, said: “Research highlights that 30% of UK employers attribute lack of skills in the workforce to difficulties when filling entry-level vacancies.

“The programme enables young people to acquire the skills employers need and provides a framework for powerful strategic collaborations between schools and local businesses.”

Business Class is a government-endorsed programme, created and run by BITC which provides a systematic framework for businesses to support young people facing social disadvantage by forming long-term partnerships with schools.

There are currently 340 Business Class partnerships across the UK and the aim is to build 500 partnerships by 2015 which will positively impact on the lives of over 75,000 young people.

To find out more contact Julie Cullen at Julie.cullen@bitc.org.uk or call 0113 2058200