Businesses team up with school in employers’ forum

North East employers have joined forces with Bede Academy to prepare students for life after education.

The academy in Blyth has teamed up with local companies to create an ‘Employers’ Forum’ to coach their pupils in the world of work.

The forum will welcome visiting lecturers and enterprise activities led by local business leaders.

Bede Academy offers its students enterprise and engineering specialisms and has strong ties with industry in the region.

Vice Principal Steve Nelson, said: “We offer our students an outstanding range of opportunities including joining a Tall Ship voyage, volunteering in Zambia and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

“Businesses can meet their own community aims by getting their staff involved through mentoring and volunteering alongside these projects.”

The organisations represented in the forum include Narec, Tynetec, Osbit Power, Tharsus, Archer, Innovation & Technology Group and Promise.

Charles Sellers, CEO of Innovation & Technology Group, said: “This academy gives an extremely positive image to visitors. It’s innovative and inspirational and giving children hope.

“Education doesn’t start and stop at school. I’m very interested in linking up Bede Academy with the enterprise agenda being developed at Northumberland College and Science City.”

It is hoped that the forum may provide students with the opportunity to take on work experience. .

Nick Oates, general manager of Newcastle engineering at oil well company Archer, said his company wanted to continue providing work experience placements.

He said: “There is a very big skills gap at the moment and we are keen to bring in apprentices.

“Through work experience we can quickly identify people who are punctual, look smart and have the right attitude.

“We set them different tasks and get a good overview so from both our and the student’s point of view it works very well,”

The Bede Academy Employers’ Forum is set to meet on a termly basis.

Assistant Vice Principal Alan Corner said: “This Forum is about helping each other – what we as an academy can do to support our students in terms of their employability whilst also supporting the success and sustainability of businesses in the area.

“We are delighted that so many organisations have joined us already and we hope to recruit more into the Forum in the future.”