Skills funding has "enormous impact" on schools' careers programmes

Twelve schools and colleges in Nuneaton & Bedworth, six in Rugby and seven in Warwick district are among those to share the latest injection of £112,000 of Warwickshire County Council funding to develop the employability skills of young people.

Those in Rugby include The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College where the financial support has enabled the school to appoint a member of staff to work more closely with students and give greater opportunity for one-to-one support.

This latest grant follows on from major funding received last year by the school which will continue to work with its partner organisation Kokoro, a nationwide, not-for-profit organisation which focuses on the development and achievement of young people.

Kokoro will be going in to the school to run some Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons and raise the awareness and aspirations of students.

Alison Davies, headteacher at Avon Valley said: “Securing our £3,000 grant from Warwickshire County Council will be a tremendous support for our students. We are proud to be able to provide our students with this crucial personalised support and guidance that will both develop and equip them for life beyond Avon Valley School."

In the north of the county, schools to benefit from the funding include Exhall Grange Specialist School, Ash Green. The cash has enabled the school to pay for support for its new post-16 work experience and placement curriculum.

This includes researching and brokering suitable work experience and placement opportunities for students, as well as face-to-face careers advice; and support and mentoring for students while they are carrying out their work placements.

Joshua Widdowson, (17) from Rugby has already benefited from the initiative. The Year 12 student undertook a week’s work experience at Premier Inn, Rugby and this month will return to the hotel to start a one-day-per-week placement while he continues his Year 13 studies at Exhall Grange.

The funding will enable Joshua to receive mentoring during his placement at Premier Inn.

Christine Marshall, headteacher at Exhall Grange, said: “This funding has had an enormous impact in creating future work opportunities for our students, some of whom have gained apprenticeships as a direct result.

"The funding has enabled us to broker strong and sustainable relationships with businesses and other partners – crucial to the success of our current and future students.

"We are delighted with the success of this venture and the continued support of our partners.”

Among the schools in Warwick district to have benefited is Campion School in Leamington.

Julie Gardner, head of careers education at Campion, said: “This funding is crucial to help our students develop their own career pathways and to assist us to work in partnership with local businesses.

“The grant has helped us provide work placements for more than 90 per cent of our Year 10 students. Extended work placements have also been provided for children identified as being at risk of exclusion, school-refusing or becoming NEETs (not in education, employment, or training).

“We have also been able to start to enrol all of our pupils in the first-rate careers website U-Explore, which is designed to help them research and plan for their futures, whichever route they choose.”

For more information about Warwickshire County Council’s Skills for Employment programme, call 01926 418027 or email: skillsforemployment@warwickshire.gov.uk