Building education-employer links

Leaders of English maintained schools and colleges are invited to host business leaders in their institutions as part of the Visit our Schools campaign in October, to help raise awareness among employers of the need to work with and support schools and colleges. The campaign is run by the Education and Employers Taskforce, and supported by ASCL.

ASCL general secretary John Dunford is on the steering group along with senior business leaders, including the chief executives of Rolls Royce and Experian, and chairmen of KPMG, Deloitte and the Wellcome Trust.

The aim of the campaign is to persuade business leaders from all sectors to visit state school and colleges during the week of 18-22 October to have a practical conversation with school and college leaders, to hear from teachers and students about the work they do and to witness that work at first hand. It will bring employers and schools and colleges together to discuss how they can provide young people with the motivation, knowledge, skills and opportunities they want and need to achieve their potential.

Interested schools and colleges are asked to register on the website www.visitourschools.org by 18 June. Local employeeeducation brokers will then be in contact in the autumn to arrange a link and schedule a visit during the campaign week. The website will also provide guidance leaflets for both educators and employers on initiating and building strong links, and it contains information about other initiatives on offer.