Chesterfield Skills

Recognition for Chesterfield Champions as finalists confirmed for Generation Next Awards

Some of the most promising young talent across businesses in the region has been recognised among the finalists of East Midlands Chamber’s Generation Next Awards 2022.

The shortlist includes Craig Evans of Chesterfield Champion business UKATA, who has been shortlisted for the Future Leader Award. The University of Derby’s Fred Gough also made the list of finalists for the Diversity & Inclusion award.

The second instalment of the awards, held in conjunction with headline partner the University of Derby, recognise young professionals and business leaders aged under 35, as well as organisations led by people in this demographic.

A shortlist has now been revealed across the 10 categories, ranging from a Breakthrough Award and Customer Service Award through to marking Excellence in Innovation and Technology and the Generation Next Future Leader.

New prizes for this year recognise outstanding contributions in diversity and inclusion, arts and culture, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

A virtual judging day will take place on 8 and 9 June, in which finalists will be interviewed by members of the chamber of commerce’s senior management team, Generation Next board and representative of the sponsor.

Winners will be crowned at an awards ceremony with a twist – featuring street food, cocktails and live music – held at Bustler Market, in Derby, on 14 July.

Lucy Robinson, East Midlands Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next lead, said: “The Generation Next Awards are a celebration of the rising stars of business who make outstanding contributions to their communities.

“We received some brilliant applications from a diverse breadth of individuals, and our shortlist of finalists offers a glimpse into the amazing young talent that exists here in the East Midlands.”

Finalists were announced at an event held at Cosy Club, in Nottingham, last night (25 May) in which two of the three founders of Derby-based doughnut delivery service Project D – who won the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the inaugural Generation Next Awards – talked about their journey to date and hopes for the future.

Winners will be crowned at an awards ceremony with a twist – featuring street food, cocktails and live music – held at Bustler Market, in Derby, on 14 July.

Tickets cost £65 + VAT for Generation Next members and £75 + VAT for non-members. Early-bird tickets are available at bit.ly/GenNextAwards

UKATA, University of Derby and East Midlands Chamber support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Generation Next Awards 2022 shortlist

Future Leader Award (sponsored by University of Derby)

Craig Evans – UKATA

Matilda Swanson – Loates HR

Mir Patel – Unique Window Systems

Theo Kirk – Express Recruitment

Emma Roberts – Derby Community Parent Programme CIC

Dan Heffernan – D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership

David Maran – MP Digital Limited

Rob Spence – Paragon Sales Solutions

Umar Razah – Mauricare Homes

 

Breakthrough Award (sponsored by Nottingham University Business School)

Alpha Geek

Dan Poynton – On Poynt Creative

Kate Johnson – Rate Social

Sophie Redman – Linford Grey Associates

Kevin Kapezi & Leo Worsley – Growthack Ltd

 

Customer Service Award

Danielle Harkness – Plastek UK

James Hardwick – Future Life Wealth Management

Anxhela Agaci – Gents of Notts

Arran Gessey – Bam Boom Cloud

Ben Wilkinson – MHA MacIntyre Hudson

 

Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Loughborough College

Emily Jacob – emh group

Frank Hemmingway – Plastek UK

Polly Oakes – Express Recruitment

Rebecca Houlston – Cross Productions

Ruby Birks – Purpose Media

 

Diversity & Inclusion Award

Fred Gough – University of Derby

Jake Wood – Jake Wood PT

Martin Croft – Barrister Link

Rob Spence – Paragon Sales Solutions

 

Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Fraser Stretton Property Group)

Adam Bamford – Colleague Box

Alpha Geek

Dan Poynton – On Poynt Creative

Kate Johnson – Rate Social

Katie Gilbert – TTK Confectionery

 

Excellence in Innovation and Technology Award (sponsored by Hardy Signs)

David Maran – MP Digital

Harsh Shah – De Montfort University

Jack Hall – Scenariio

Nicola Ciaessen – RSM UK

Rachel Saunders – Duncan & Toplis

 

Sustainability Award (sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson)

Carys Tetlaw – RSM UK

Daniel Kelk – Plastek UK

Jake Hall – Scenariio

 

Creative Award (sponsored by PPL PRS)

Dan Poynton – On Poynt Creative

Deng Yudan – Follow the Orient

Joey Lever – Another World Media

Katie Brennan – Cross Productions

Sophie Price and Tom Dennis – My Town Vision

 

Volunteer Award (sponsored by RSM UK)

George Hanvere – Paragon Law

Izzy Plummer – TTK Confectionery

Taylor Gee – 360 Autoleasing East Midlands

2021 Generation Next Awards Ceremony

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Leadership and Business Skills Courses Available to Chesterfield Organisations

Small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire can access support in developing leadership, management and business skills through three projects which have recently been launched by the University of Derby.

  • The Smart and Inclusive Leadership (SAIL) project will support SMEs in developing the leadership and management skills needed to drive productivity and growth.
  • Branch into STEM supports employees in developing problem solving, data and analytical skills, building confidence in their ability to create reports, plan finances or carry out other numerical tasks.
  • The brand new, Reskill and Recover programme will help businesses return to growth and increase their productivity following the challenges of the past two years. Participants will learn advanced level business skills and be encouraged to develop new perspectives, thinking and ideas.

All three projects are part of the European Social Fund (ESF) High Level Skills programme and are delivered by a consortium of higher education, further education and third sector organisations. Led by Nottingham Trent University (NTU), the consortium includes the University of Derby, Derby College, Nottingham College, East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Inspire Culture and Learning, and the Workers’ Educational Association.

The projects, part funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), will be bolstered by the same amount of funding from delivery partners, meaning there is no cost to eligible organisations that choose to participate.

Participants in the SAIL and Branch into STEM programmes are already finding the learning experience extremely valuable. Sam Hudson is part of the leadership team for Derby West Indian Community Association and participated in the SAIL initiative. She said: “The programme has supported me in developing so many skills. I’ve learned how to think on my feet, identify gaps in the services we offer, have difficult conversations, and speak up on behalf of our community.”

Robert Foryński is founder of Promedia Design. Speaking of his experience on the Branch into STEM programme he said “I have to analyse a lot of data every day. We use mathematical concepts all the time and I wanted to become more proficient in areas such as financial planning, management and forecasting and data analysis. The course really helped me to consolidate this fundamental knowledge.”

The programmes will all be open for enrolment in May 2022. To find out more about developing your leadership and management skills visit Smart and Inclusive Leadership Programme; for further information on problem solving, data and analytical skills visit Branch Out in STEM or to register your interest in developing advanced level business skills visit Reskill and Recover.

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Workpays Founder Helen Richardson Becomes an MBE

Helen Richardson, Founder of Workpays, has been awarded with an MBE for Service to Young People During the Pandemic, and was presented with her award at Windsor Castle last month.

Throughout the pandemic, Workpays remained open throughout the pandemic going above and beyond to offer extended pastoral services to our participants, in addition to skills and employability delivery. After creating an online learning platform from scratch in less than a month, we provided a laptop and WiFi dongles to those participants without the equipment to access online learning and virtual classes, these were hand delivered to their homes.

Anne Wright, Managing Director of Workpays said, “We are delighted to congratulate Helen for being awarded an MBE, it is an exceptional accolade that highlights the valuable work undertaken at Workpays during the pandemic. I’m extremely proud that the Workpays family became fully united and focused to continue our service and offer excellent support to our young people at a extraordinarily challenging time for them.”

Alex Glasner, Managing Director, said, “This is a huge accolade for Helen and Workpays and testament to the work our team put in day in day out. Workpays will always put our learners first no matter what the circumstances.”

As a skills provider in Chesterfield, Workpays helps people to access the skills & training needed to gain employment.

The company provides Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge to parents, teachers & students and assists employers to develop their workforce through work-based learning and apprenticeships.

Workpays has offices in Derby, Coventry, Chesterfield, Kettering, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Hinckley, Redditch, Corby & Market Harborough.

Find out more about the wide range of apprenticeships available in Chesterfield, along with the Made In Chesterfield scheme, which enables school pupils to gain first-hand experience of construction, manufacturing and engineering by taking part in site visits at local businesses.

Workpays supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Workpays Directors – Helen Richardson pictured centre

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Workpays’ Big Assembly Wins at the 2022 Annual Apprenticeship Conference Awards

Big Assembly, a project delivered by Workpays in association with its partners, has won the FE WEEK AELP Annual Apprenticeship Conference 2022 Award for Promoting Apprenticeships ‘Campaign of the Year’ at the award ceremony in Birmingham.

The annual event returned in 2022, with the broadcast informing thousands of young people about the benefits of apprenticeships. The live event enables schools, parents, students and employers to receive  information and advice about possible next steps in their careers.

For the 2022 event, The Big Assembly teamed up with companies such as Pret A Manger, Bakkavor, Disability Rights UK, the Co-operative Bank & Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.

Alex Glasner, Managing Director at Workpays said: “It’s a real honour to be receive the Promoting Apprenticeship Campaign of the Year Award. Our entire team works hard throughout the year to provide young people with information and real stories about incredible apprenticeships.

“I’m proud that the work we are doing has been recognised with a national award. We will always keep young people and their careers at the centre of what we do.”

Twenty-four awards winners were recognised at the awards including Workpays, revealed at the ceremony in Birmingham as part of the two day conference which is held annually.

There are many great opportunities to become an apprentice across Chesterfield, with more than 2,500 people currently taking part in an apprenticeship in the town.

Chesterfield is the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town – demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside business and the economy by retaining and developing young talent in the town in order to attract more employers to invest here.

Workpays supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Recruitment Event returns to Chesterfield Market

People searching for work in Northern Derbyshire are being invited to a recruitment event, where they can meet employers and find out more about local job vacancies and training schemes that lead to employment.

The recruitment event is on Wednesday 30 March between 10am and 12pm in Chesterfield market place. Following on from two previous successful events held last year, Chesterfield Borough Council and DWP Jobcentre Plus are partnering with Bolsover District Council and North East Derbyshire District Council, to ensure it provides the right opportunities for local job seekers.

Previous events, held in September and November last year, have led to around 100 job offers with almost 80 people starting a new job thanks to the recruitment events.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The events last year showed that job seekers want to engage directly with businesses to find out more about the opportunities available to them. We are pleased to be able to host events such as this, that can help individuals find out more about the jobs available locally. It’s important that we continue to help promote the many opportunities in the area to local people and working with our partners will help ensure we can bring more people and more employers together.

“If you’re looking for work, then this event is here for you. You will be able to find out more about current opportunities and may even find your next job on the day.”

Paul Munday, Employer Adviser at DWP Jobcentre Plus Derbyshire, said: “After the success of the last two recruitment events held in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council, we are very excited to be running a third on Wednesday 30 March with further support from North East Derbyshire District Council and Bolsover District Council. This event will be a great opportunity to support the DWP’s Way to Work Programme and give north Derbyshire Residents the opportunity to speak to local employers and find sustainable employment.”

Councillor Jeremy Kenyon, North East Derbyshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said, “We have hosted some fantastic online job fairs previously with our partners, helping to secure employment for our local communities.

“This next jobs fair is a great way for local businesses to take part and share their vacancies with us so we can help residents with employment opportunities and progress their career to the next level”.

Cabinet member for economic growth at Bolsover District Council Councillor Liz Smyth said: “It is so important to provide opportunities for people to engage directly with employers and learn more about what opportunities are out there. Holding this jobs fair in person means job seekers can meet recruiters and make those vitally important connections which could lead to employment.”

The drop-in event is open to everyone, with no need to make an appointment, but job seekers registered with Jobcentre Plus can reserve their place by speaking with their work coach.

There will be lots of opportunities available on the day from a range of sectors including, hospitality, social care, engineering, logistics, transport and many more.

As well as job opportunities there will also be several apprenticeship providers who are currently recruiting for new apprentices. An apprenticeship offers a great opportunity to earn while you learn and can help people at any stage in life.

Derbyshire Careers Service will also be attending the event to promote training courses but also advise job seekers on how they can get support with their CV and interview techniques.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

Junction Arts intern progresses into apprentice role

Chesterfield-based community organisation Junction Arts is continuing it’s growth, by promoting intern Martha Bramwell into a full-time Projects Apprentice role.

Martha is now aiming to become a full-time projects assistant with Junction Arts, following the completion of her apprenticeship.

Originally starting with Junction Arts back in December 2020, Martha was looking to gain hands on experience within community arts to support her Foundation Art Course at Chesterfield College.

However, Hannah Bowdler, Relationship Fundraiser at Junction Arts explained how much of an impact the young intern made since joining the organisation: “Martha has made a huge impact on the charity. During her time with us, she has worked with each of our team members getting a wider understanding of the running of a community arts charity. With each person, she has shared her enthusiasm and energy making Junction Arts a truly positive place to work.

“Her direct impact on the charity includes, redesigning our new office layout in West Studios, after we downsized. It is now a welcoming and practical workspace for us to use as a hub for all our projects and activities.

“Project wise, Martha has been a vital deputy during projects including the Chesterfield Lantern Parade. Supporting a project coordinator to run a busy and complicated celebration event whilst learning what’s needed to make a large scale project successful.”

Hannah added that she was delighted to see the continued growth of the charity: “It’s a very exciting time for the charity, whilst in our 45th year Martha has enabled Junctions Arts to take the next steps to increase our capacity. Through her supportive role within the charity and with this soon to increase, the types of projects and number of communities we can work with and support has really increased in the years leading out of the pandemic.”

Martha expressed her delight at being taken on in a permanent capacity: “I am absolutely ecstatic to be offered a permanent role with Junction Arts. I can honestly say receiving the Job offer from our Managing Director, Paul, was one of the happiest moments in my life. As I feel I have worked really hard and this area is something I am really passionate about and I’m so excited for my future with Junction arts.

“Every day I’m surrounded by a supportive team who have individually worked with me trying to give me the best experience possible over the last 15 months.

“I love having roles in events and being with local communities. In December, I played a part in creating Chesterfield’s first lantern parade. I had an overwhelming sense of pride seeing all the lanterns made by school children and members of the community walk together from Queen’s Park into the town centre and will treasure this memory forever. After a difficult couple of years, I’ve never seen so many smiling faces in one place. At 19 years old, I feel so grateful that my days are filled with creativity, exciting projects and great people.

“I love the community we have here in Chesterfield and I think that’s what makes chesterfield such a great place to live, work and enjoy! I am very excited to see Chesterfield in the future and how it will develop into a town with creativity in every corner and street.”

Hannah added that the charity is now looking to further support young talent in the region by taking on a new intern: “Within the next month, we will start the process for advertising for a 1 year Internship from July 2022. It is currently an unpaid role of up to 15 hours a week, depending on the applicates availability. Applicants are to be 18yrs +.

“The Intern is positioned at the centre of the charity, with opportunities to work with all the team, support on projects and events, access to training and involved in the planning of projects. This is an entry level role into the creative/community arts/charity sector.

“We are actively looking for funding to make this a 2 day paid for position, as an investment into young people and new careers within the area.

“As a busy charity, we are always looking for volunteers on our events and projects to help them run smoothly and have a positive impact on those to attend. More details of volunteering with Junction Arts can be found here: https://junctionarts.org/volunteer/”

Junction Arts supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Junction Arts at the Tapton Lock Festival

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“The nature of roles in the construction industry are changing”

Chesterfield Property and Construction group member and Associate Director of Nineteen47 Sarah Wills, has penned her thoughts on the importance of skills and employability initiatives in the town during National Careers Week 2022.

The property and construction industry impacts on all of our lives.  It is an industry that creates and changes the places in which we live, work, communicate, play and exercise.

The professions across the industry are diverse and it is a fascinating space to be when all of those different facets of the built environment come together to create places.  That said, the workforce creating these places that we all interact with every day, should represent the populations we are creating places for and currently, there is a distinct lack of diversity across the sector.

The Chesterfield Property and Construction Group are aware of our role to raise the profile of the industry and encourage and support people from all backgrounds to enter the built environment disciplines.  The forum has supported some fantastic initiatives in Chesterfield including Made in Chesterfield which highlights and celebrates manufacturing, engineering, science and technology industries and careers in the town.

The My Future virtual platform is an exciting resource to showcase careers and apprenticeships available in the local area.  In addition, a significant amount of time is being spent on expanding a mentoring scheme to support young people across North Derbyshire who are interested in pursuing a career working in the built environment.

As an industry, we collectively need to shout about how rewarding it is to work within the sector and make young people or those retraining and changing careers aware that being involved can help shape real places around them; can help tackle climate change, can address housing shortage, can allow biodiversity to flourish alongside new development and can protect our heritage and our future.

With new methods of construction and sustainability at the heart of current directives, the nature of roles in the construction industry are changing and there is a significant opportunity to engage those who have previously felt it was not for them or not been aware of the broad range of job prospects available across the built and natural environment.

I am proud to be part of the property industry.  Awash with real, genuine and kind people who are actively trying to make a difference to Chesterfield and the places that make it special.  I hope that the property and construction industry will be a more accessible, obvious choice for a broader range of young people in the future.

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“There has never been more opportunity for young people to build a career in hospitality in Chesterfield.”

Destination Chesterfield Chair, Peter Swallow has given his thoughts about exciting developments taking place across Chesterfield as we enter March.

Spring is in the air. I for one cannot wait for the longer, warmer days and, rather than staying indoors. I, like many of you, am starting to think about venturing out again in the evening.

Whilst some of us may have been hibernating during the winter months, it is pleasing to see that the hospitality sector in Chesterfield has not been. Despite the challenges that the pandemic has thrown at it, new bars and restaurants have opened in the last six months, and more are opening soon.

Most recently Vicar Lane Shopping Centre welcomed Pizza Pi and before that Albert’s Jüngerer Bruder opened in Rykneld Square in November last year. The town centre will also shortly welcome The Dirty Habit on Holywell Street, taking over the unit that once was the Rising Sun. This new bar will also have outdoor space.

The pandemic has helped us all appreciate the outdoors, and it is great to see more businesses using their outdoor space to draw people to their venue. It benefits not only their business but also the high streets and town centre too.

With the transformation of the former Co-op on Elder Way into units for bars and restaurants, which also has fantastic outdoor dining space, it is fair to say that Chesterfield town centre’s night-time economy is set to get livelier in 2022.

As well as boosting Chesterfield’s night-time economy, giving local people and visitors more choice, these businesses are also creating jobs and opportunity. Albert’s Jüngerer Bruder has created 20 jobs alone.

Outside the town centre, Chesterfield’s hospitality scene is thriving. The Batch House at The Glass Yard is shortly to open and will offer everything from Indian street food to craft beer. While Chesterfield’s four-star hotel, Peak Edge, has recently been awarded the best wedding venue in Derbyshire.

With more than 16,000 students in North Derbyshire set to gain their GCSE and A level qualifications in the next five years, there has never been more opportunity for young people to build a career in hospitality in Chesterfield.

It is not just the hospitality sector which offers opportunity to young people.  At the recent Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Skills and Employability Conference it was revealed that that green and digital skills are most in demand from employers. This highlights the need for businesses and education and training providers to work together to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills needed to get good jobs.

Looking to the immediate digital skills needed to support the local economy, however, the Chesterfield Digital High Street campaign has been instrumental in enabling retail, hospitality and leisure businesses across the town to get online and trade digitally alongside their high street presence.

Ensuring young people know about the opportunities available to them now and in the future cannot just be the responsibility of businesses and skills and education providers. The proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ comes to mind. It highlights the importance of community and what we can all do to support young people leaving education this year and beyond.

From offering work experience to simply telling young people about your job, we can all help them take their first step onto the career ladder and build their future right here in Chesterfield, ensuring the local economy thrives now and for future generations.

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Staveley Town Deal project aims to build skills for the future

A project that ensures Staveley residents can develop the skills they need to have great careers and bright futures has been given the green light.

The Construction Skills Hub will provide a practical platform for construction training, careers activity and work experience on a live construction site in Mastin Moor. Over ten years, it aims to provide training, careers insights, and work experience for over 5,000 learners.

The Skills Hub is one of the eleven projects that will be funded by the £25.2m Staveley Town Deal. Following formal Government sign-off, work to secure a training provider and develop the site can begin.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This is a fantastic project for Staveley as it will help residents to access the training they need to secure good quality jobs. It serves as a great example of what we hope to achieve through the Staveley Town Deal – the creation of new opportunities, open to all. We can now start to work towards delivering this project and encouraging people to register their interest.”

Initially the Skills Hub will provide training in site and bench joinery, brickwork, ground works and electrical installation but in time the offer will expand to include training in retrofit and green technologies. It will be open to school leavers and other residents seeking to train or retrain.

There will also be a careers insight programme, which will be developed in collaboration with local schools, and opportunities for work experience to help young people make informed decisions about their futures.

The project has received support from local construction companies.

Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “Establishing the right connections between construction companies, training providers and local people from the outset will be key to the success of this project. It is critical that the training provided meets the needs of the sector. We want Staveley to be a place where everyone has the opportunity to succeed – to start, to stay and to grow.”

A site has already been identified for the Construction Skills Hub in collaboration with the Devonshire Group who will be bringing forward a new housing development in Mastin Moor from the Autumn. This will allow trainees to develop their skills on a live housing site whilst in time there will also be opportunities to gain experience on other Staveley Town Deal construction projects.

A training provider will shortly be appointed to deliver the skills packages and operate the Hub. The provider will help influence how the Hub is developed to ensure that the space and facilities are optimised to meet the needs of learners and the sector.

The first cohort of learners will be engaged from September 2022 with the training compound expected to be fully operational from September 2023.

Staveley is set to benefit from £25.2 million of investment through the Town Deal. This investment will support eleven different projects across the town and provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to help shape the future by improving transport links, creating new housing, providing skills for local people, enhancing community facilities, and regenerating the town centre.

Find out more about Staveley Town Deal on the council’s website: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/staveley-town-deal

 

Meet the buyer

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New mentoring programme to support young people across North Derbyshire

The D2N2 Careers Hub, Led by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and funded by the Careers & Enterprise Company, are expanding an innovative mentoring programme to support more young people across North Derbyshire, in partnership with The Work-Wise Foundation.

The launch follows a successful pilot in 2021, initiated by leaders from Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Forum, in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council and D2N2 Careers Hub.

The Future Makers, Creators, Designers and Builders Mentoring Programme is designed to support people who may be interested in exploring or pursuing careers working in the built environment. This might include designers, architects, surveyors, structural engineers, builders, and construction workers.

The pilot, which ran from March 2021 to January 2022 and was led by The Work-wise Foundation, saw female students from local Careers Hub schools and colleges; St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Chesterfield College, Whittington Green School, Springwell Community College and Brookfield Community School partnered with mentors from Whittam Cox Architects, Woodhead Group and Chesterfield Borough Council.

As part of this, students took part in construction themed activity days at CBE+ in Chesterfield and had regular meetings with their mentors to introduce them to the world of work and enthuse them about a career in the industry. In January, The Work-wise Foundation visited the students in their schools/colleges with D2N2 Careers Hub and their mentors to award them with certificates to celebrate their achievements.

Hannah Higley, Hub Coordinator for the Derbyshire North Careers Hub at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership said, “It has been fantastic to see this programme develop over the last year. D2N2 Careers Hub and our local steering group are proud to fund the expansion of this successful model, in partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company cornerstone employers in D2N2, to support more young people in exploring what their next best step might be”

Cllr Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said, “I am really pleased to see the continuation of this project.  Improving the skills and work readiness of people in Chesterfield is our top priority because it will help ensure our ambition to create a thriving borough.

This programme is a great example of how partnership working can strengthen the links between education and business and help ensure that more school leavers are developing the skills they need to enter the workplace.  I am especially excited to see programmes that inspire with young women in sectors where they are underrepresented is key to ensuring success.

Women currently make up around 14% of professional roles within the construction industry, a number which we hope is set to rise with more and more women choosing construction jobs as a result of programmes like this.”

Following the success and positive feedback received from the schools/colleges, businesses and young people involved, the programme is launching to schools across the North Derbyshire region this month.

The programme will seek 15 mentees who may be interested in exploring or pursuing careers working in the built environment and partner them up with role models from industry who will work with them to build confidence, knowledge, and career prospects.

Over a 6-month period, mentors will receive relevant training which will help them work with their mentee on a bespoke project relevant to their mentors business and/or industry. The programme will finish with a showcase event on 8th July where students will present their projects and celebrate their achievements.

A launch event is scheduled to take place on Friday 18th March 2022 at Chesterfield College and any individuals interested in becoming mentors, or schools interested in their students’ becoming mentees, should contact The Work-wise Foundation at info@work-wise.co.uk or call Alex Gardner on 07726 362067.

To get in touch with D2N2 Careers Hub, contact hubs@d2n2lep.org

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Get up to Speed with STEM to inspire young people across North Derbyshire

Young People in North Derbyshire are set to find out more about careers in science, technology, engineering, manufacturing and construction at an annual showcase organised by The Work-Wise Foundation.

Get up to Speed with STEM is the area’s largest annual employer-inspired STEM showcase for young people, and organisers are encouraging businesses interested in taking part in this year’s event to sign up as soon as possible.

Taking place at Magna Science Adventure Centre on Wednesday 23rd March, the event gives young people the chance to see some of the UK’s most exciting STEM inventions and meet the people who design, build and operate them. Attendees can also speak to a host of businesses, inventors, apprentices and education providers on the future of these industries and the career opportunities within them.

Get up to Speed with STEM also gives companies taking part the opportunity to showcase their business, highlight career opportunities and current vacancies and meet with other businesses, whilst helping to address the skills gap in STEM-related industries.

John Barber, CEO of The Work-wise Foundation (organiser of the event) said: “We’ve had a fantastic level of support from businesses already this year and, with just seven weeks to go, we’re almost sold out of exhibition space!  We’re encouraging any companies to get in touch as soon as possible to book a stand, or to become a sponsor, and take part in what is one of the north’s leading interactive science and technology events for young people.”

For the first time, the Get up to Speed live showcase will also be followed by an online event where registered attendees can gain exclusive access to a digital platform. Here users can access virtual tours, demonstrations, career stories, inventions, company profiles and interviews, created by some of the UK’s leading STEM businesses.

Schools wishing to attend the event and gain access to the online platform, are also being encouraged to secure a place as soon as possible, with only afternoon slots now remaining for larger groups. Individuals can also register for the free of charge event.

John Barber adds: “Feedback from our online experience in 2021 was fantastic, so we wanted to ensure that this digital element wasn’t lost now the live event can go ahead again. Every year is a sell out and with the physical showcase and digital platform combined, we have no doubt this year will be our biggest yet. Already 3,000 places have been snapped up by schools, but we do still have afternoon slots available for any schools or individuals and their families that wish to register.”

For over ten years, Get up to Speed, which is championed by employers and organised by The Work-wise Foundation alongside key partners in the private and public sectors, has showcased engineering career opportunities to over 30,000 young people and their families.

The event is designed for young people, their families and teachers to see some of the UK’s best innovations first-hand, hear from and talk to those involved in their success and learn about the future of the sector and its evolution through technology.

Get up to Speed with STEM is open to young people, families, individuals, schools and employers to visit. For more details and to book places, go to www.getuptospeed.org.uk.

Businesses wishing to take part in the event or find out more about booking a stand and/or sponsoring, should email Emily Woods at emily@work-wise.co.uk or call 07847433088.

The Work-Wise Foundation supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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