A scheme to boost students’ employability and academic achievement has been launched in Kirklees.
Business Class is a national programme organised by charity Business in the Community which creates long-term partnerships between leading businesses and secondary schools.
The local scheme was launched at an event hosted by paving stone supplier Marshalls plc at its head office in Birkby, Huddersfield.
The company already partners with Park Lane Learning Trust in Halifax.
Five local schools – Almondbury High School and Specialist Language College, Moor End Academy, Newsome High School and Sports College, North Huddersfield Trust School and Royds Hall High School – have joined the scheme and a number of local businesses are interested in joining.
At the launch, Marshalls chief executive Graham Holden explained how businesses could help young people build successful working lives, while Jacquie Bamber, Business Class operations director for Business in the Community, gave an insight into the programme.
Gill Ellis, assistant director for learning and skills at Kirklees Council, spoke about why developing young peoples’ employability skills was important to the future growth of Kirklees.
Clare Gill, business development adviser at Wates Construction, and Ryan Hirst, leader of alternative provision at Bruntcliffe School in Leeds, spoke about their partnership and how they have developed it over the last two years.
Business Class enables a business to support a school in a three-year partnership – bringing business expertise to support headteachers to achieve their strategic priorities.
The aim is to accelerate school improvement and ensure that young people leave school with the skills they need to build successful working lives.
Business Class partnerships are brought together as a “cluster” – enabling participating businesses and schools in a local area to work together, identify common challenges and share ideas for improvement as a group.
Business partners support their school on a range of diverse issues in the classroom and at management and governance level by providing business expertise, mentors and volunteers as well as inspirational experiences for pupils.
Business Class aims to help young people – many from households where no one is in work – to learn from companies the skills and attitudes they will need to get a job as well as raising their aspirations and inspiring them about the variety of opportunities the world of work has to offer.
Mr Holden said: “I am delighted that we are now partnered with Almondbury High School – the first Business Class partnership in Huddersfield.
“Our first partnership meeting took place recently and we will be working with business studies students on a business module about Marshalls plc.”
Mary-Jo Daly, assistant headteacher 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 to raise aspirations and help students understand and focus on what is needed to get a job and keep it.
“Business Class provides that focus. We look forward to working with Marshalls plc over the coming months to develop a sustainable partnership which meets the needs of our students.”
