Warwickshire News Mine

Firms that work with Warwickshire County Council’s Education Business Partnership (EBP) were thanked for their efforts in working with pupils.

Companies large and small that give their time to carry out mock interviews and set business challenges for secondary school pupils picked up their awards at the first annual Quality Awards Conference.

Peter Jackson of EBP said: “This scheme is a huge help to students who are in Year 11 and considering their future options. Having people from the world of work come into their school gives them a practical insight into the experiences and challenges they are likely to encounter in later life.

“These awards have been held to thank and congratulate the companies that have given their time. Many of these businesses have set stimulating challenges for the students and have gained from their input. The contribution they make to over 6,000 students around the country each year is invaluable, and we are pleased that firms across north Warwickshire are taking part in this scheme.”

Awards include:
BMW Plant Hams Hall, based in Coleshill, won the award for the ‘Best Large Company Contributing to Enterprise Education’. The company has been very proactive in providing the Warwickshire EBP with support over the last five years and has recently joined other companies in setting problem solving challenges. These are actual tasks, which will benefit the company through the ingenuity of the young people who, working in teams, will tackle these challenges in schools over the next few months. Martin Lovell, Cara Delaney and Rebecca Hayward collected the award.

Xoserve from Solihull and Domestic & General Insurance from Bedworth, both of whom collected an award for ‘Best Practice in Company Strategy for Work-related Learning’.

Simon Langley and Meryl Griffiths collected the award on behalf of Xoserve, whilst Alistair Murray, Mark Garside, Betty Rhodes and John Lee represented Domestic & General Insurance. The awards for providing work experience for special needs students went to Noah’s Ark Pre-school and The Sycamore Tree bookshop and café.

Awards were given for people and companies contributing to ‘Reading and Number Partners and Mentoring’. Domestic & General Insurance won a second award as for the last two years their staff have been partnered with Race Leys Infant School in Bedworth.

Each week D&G Reading Partners visit the school to support two or three children individually with their reading and comprehension support. The partnership could not be successful if was not for the drive and commitment of Marilyn West, the Company Trainer. She saw the Reading Partners Project as an ideal way in which to develop staff and at the same time, engage with the community. The staff, she says, get a real “buzz” through taking part and the children benefit enormously.
Ends

Pictures of the awards being presented are available by calling Antony Hopker in the Warwickshire County Council press office on 01926 418606.

Link to WCC