One of Norfolk Chamber’s key priorities is helping to bridge the gap between business and education. Our Young Chamber programme is designed to help create stronger business engagement with schools and support the raising of young people’s aspirations and soft skills. There are many schools across Norfolk, who already do some great work achieving these goals, but how do you find them and what recognition do those schools receive for their hard work?
The new Young Chamber Enterprise Recognition Award is an award recognising and celebrating education establishments in Norfolk that are committed to improving the employability skills of young people in our region.
Bearers of this award will have evidenced a clear understanding of the local business needs and will be working to equip students with the necessary skills as well as creating opportunities for students to engage with local organisations. An education establishment with the Gold Tick award has shown the most commitment to student employability outcomes and has gone above and beyond in delivering a culture of enterprise.
The awards are free to enter and aim to provide a platform to not only to recognise the work already happening within education, but to create a springboard for new relationships between businesses and education.
The Enterprise Recognition Award scheme was devised and created by the Young Chamber Board, who worked in collaboration with stakeholders from both the business community and the education establishments. The Young Chamber Board members include: KakeCo, Aviva, and Norse Group.
Commenting on the new award initiative, Kieran Miles, Founder of KakeCo and Chair of the Young Chamber Board said:
“The Young Chamber is a fantastic opportunity to begin the breakdown of barriers between business and education. A lot of great work is being done on both sides, but we must bring these together for the success of our future workforce. By recognising the work already being done by education leaders in the county and local businesses rolling up their sleeves, we hope that the Enterprise Recognition Award will act as an invaluable tool in the region to celebrate, reward and support the development of these successes.”
Dr Simon Fox, Principal of Flegg High School said:
“We are delighted to be involved in the School Enterprise Recognition Award, and very proud to be one of the first institutions to participate in the scheme. The ability to receive recognition for all the excellent work we do to inspire young people into the world of work is a fantastic opportunity.
“The framework gives us the chance to test our own systems and provision and make sure we are doing everything we can to provide first-rate experiences for young people. It also acknowledges the strong links we have with local businesses, and let’s other organisations know we are proactive and keen to make connections, network and collaborate.”
Claire Holmes, Group HR Director at NPS Group said:
“As businesses we are proud to shout about the work we undertake with local schools within our community. We’re often asked to talk about what we do and the how we benefit local schools. I’ve heard the question time and time again ‘what are schools doing to work with local business?’ or ‘are schools doing enough?’
“In many cases, yes, they are, but where’s the forum for them to showcase this, to celebrate what they do, their innovations and to demonstrate where they excel in working with local business in the interests of their students? That is the backdrop against which we decided to develop and launch this accreditation. Many schools can be very proud of what they do, this gives the opportunity for all of the community to celebrate and share in that pride.”
Glyndwr Thomas, Finance Manager at Aviva UK said:
“I’m passionate about recognising people for the skills they have and making sure they have the chance to use them. Bridging the gap between education and business by creating opportunities to work together and collaborate is a big challenge; so we should recognise and reward the efforts being made by education establishments. With their excellent network of contacts, the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is very well placed to help make the connection between education and business.”
