Together we can Skillmakers Together we can

Crowd thinking

The Skillmakers Contents There are three work network brings streams, each led by Skillmakers with Crowd thinking ______1 education and specific roles: A menu for making employment closer Ambassadors a difference ______3 together. Champions Ambassadors ______4 It’s a fresh approach to Partners Champions ______6 skills, and training. Partners ______8 To succeed we need Corporate Social professional people who Responsibility ______10 can share their time and experience. Let’s talk ______12 Join us and we really could make a difference – to local lives and business productivity.

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A menu for making a difference

Ambassadors Be the to inspire the next generation with your insights from the working world.

Champions Let’s build a pipeline of young talent to drive productivity.

Partners Together we can make it easier to access advice on skills, employment and enterprise.

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There are many other ways to get involved. We’re open to suggestions The Skillmaker commitment Ambassadors or you can choose from any of these ideas: As a Skillmaker Ambassador you can look forward to • Hosting visits to your business practical help that includes:

When it comes to careers advice, • Offering practice interviews and job • Ideas for pitching talks to Be the one to nothing leaves an impression assessments teenagers on young people like an • Mentoring young people with a • Advice on mentoring inspire the next enthusiastic employer outlining particular interest in your career the latest opportunities. • Suggestions for hosting trips generation with • Supporting teachers and others and visits to your workplace If you’re able to volunteer time influencing young people to visit schools and we your insights from • Promoting apprenticeships can guarantee your commitment will make a real difference. the working world. Could you offer work You’re welcome to share stories experience? from your own career or focus on themes like the importance of Comprehensive support professional behaviour at work. is available from the start. We want this to be as Our links with education mean we can beneficial to you as it is for match you with teachers and students our young people. eager to hear what you have to say.

Your talks will be booked well in advance and we’ll make sure you have everything you need on the day.

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In addition to local priorities we can focus on the bigger picture. Let’s The Skillmaker commitment Champions get ahead by sharing ideas and best practice on: Skillmaker Champions recognise the role employers • Trailblazer Apprenticeships should take in shaping local skills and talent. Together • The new Employer Levy Let’s build a pipeline Skillmaker Champions are local we can: business people committed to tackling • Graduate and technician • Build a pipeline of work skill shortages and improving the recruitment of young talent to work readiness of young people. ready young people Corporate Social Responsibility • Inspire school pupils and drive productivity. Join us and have a direct say in how students we address these most pressing of Would your business benefit from business challenges. positioning Skillmaker activity as a • Promote the benefits of CSR project? If so we can help by: training to our business Guiding our thinking from the start community will be an in-depth understanding • Identifying projects centred on of local labour markets, based on volunteering extensive research that’s just been • Partnering you with people who commissioned. share your CSR ambitions From this informed position we’ll • Promoting your work through our prioritise the skills and sectors where Skillmaker PR channels we can have the greatest impact.

It’s not going to be easy but we can guarantee that you’ll be mixing with like-minded people determined to make a difference.

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Let’s find new ways of engaging local people, providing them with the skills The Skillmaker commitment Partners that businesses need. Skillmaker Partners believe Guiding our thinking from the start they can do more to connect will be an in-depth understanding young people with local of local labour markets, based on businesses. Together we can: The network of organisations extensive research that’s just been Together we can providing support to local people and • Direct services to local needs commissioned. employers is extensive. Collectively • Work across our make it easier to we offer: As partners how can we best use this communities • Careers guidance knowledge? Could it spark new ideas access advice on and suggest different priorities? • Build closer partnerships • Enterprise advice with employers skills, employment By sharing insights we can look afresh • Community support at what we do and how we work and enterprise. • Social housing together. • Education and training

As partners specialising in this work, are there new ways we could link these services together?

It’s about collaborating differently not replicating existing provision. By combining our talents we could make more of our expertise by: • Sharing best practice • Targeting high-priority skills • Clearly signposting our services

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Professional Code Corporate Social of Conduct

As a Skillmaker you can expect Responsibility appropriate support to maximise the benefits of your donated time and expertise.

In this spirit of shared success we ask that all Skillmakers abide by There’s a strong the following Professional Code of theme of Corporate Conduct. Social Responsibility Skillmakers shall: • Base advice and insights on the running through highest standards of relevance and accuracy Skillmakers. • Demonstrate best practice through their professional Scope for CSR activity directly behaviour and sensitivity relating to skills and employment • Maintain the highest includes: standards of trust and respect, safeguarding confidentiality • Careers events where necessary • Enterprise challenges

• Volunteering

• Fundraising

If this interests you, let’s share ideas and develop CSR projects together.

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Let’s talk Skillmaker Ambassadors Led by local colleges. Founder members: • West Herts College logo • Each Skillmaker Skillmaker Ambassadors work stream has Louise Geary Skillmaker Champions West Herts College a lead partner and 01923 812220 Led by local businesses. [email protected] Founder members: central point of Belinda Jenner • Freedom Communications Oaklands College • Clock contact. Feel free 01727 737000 [email protected] to call any of the Skillmaker Partners people listed here. Skillmaker Champions Led by community partners. Founder members: Lisa Clark Freedom Communications • Borough Council 01923 654090 [email protected] • Watford Community Housing Trust Skillmaker Partners • Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust Cherie Norris • WENTA 01923 278029 [email protected] Skillmaker Sponsor • Local Enterprise Partnership

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