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HotSW Careers Enterprise Co-ordinator and Adviser Service

HotSW LEP launches a Careers Enterprise Co-ordinator and Adviser service at 5pm – 7pm at Flybe Training Academy on Tuesday 8 March.

The Careers Enterprise Coordinator and Adviser Service is a new service for schools and businesses to work together to support young people in making well-informed choices about their future career and job opportunities.

Jointly funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company, Devon County Council, Somerset Council, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Development Agency; it will initially support 36 schools across the HotSW area.

CSW Group is contracted to provide the service, and they are currently recruiting volunteer Enterprise Advisers from the local business community to work with each school to bring market knowledge of skills needs into the schools’ arena.

The project aims to add value to the career-focussed activities already happening in schools, by providing support for teachers and school leadership teams to develop a closer understanding of skills needs, so that they can raise awareness amongst their pupils.

There has been a positive response from the schools invited to take part, which were selected based on leavers’ results, numbers of pupils on free school meals and the statistics of leavers not in education, employment or training (NEETS). The project aims to widen the offer to include other schools as more funding becomes available.

Heart of the South West Chief Executive, Chris Garcia, will speak at the launch event about the role of the HotSW LEP in raising local skills to meet the needs of business, thereby generating growth and investment. There will also be presentations from CSW, the Careers and Enterprise Company and the hosts of the event, FlyBe. Fifteen of the prospective volunteer Enterprise Education Advisers, who have been invited by CSW to become ambassadors for the schools, are expected to be in attendance.

Heart of the South West LEP Chair Steve Hindley said: “It’s a top-line aim of HotSW LEP to work with employers and education providers to fill skills gaps and open up worthwhile career paths for young people, so I welcome this latest tactic in our strategy to raise skills and aspirations in our community.

“We hear time and time again from businesses about the lack of skills in key areas of work – with many employers offering great opportunities for well-paid jobs in exciting sectors.

“The task we have in hand is to make sure that local young people are aware of these opportunities, so that they can make the right choices for themselves when deciding what qualifications and training to strive for.”

Claudia Harris, Chief Executive of the Careers & Enterprise Company comments:

“We are delighted to be working with the Heart of the South West LEP to launch the Enterprise Adviser network.

“Our aim is to build on the excellent work already taking place in the region and the commitment of the local business community to extend the careers and enterprise provision for young people. We will connect senior business volunteers to schools and colleges to increase the number of encounters young people have with employers before leaving education as we know this has a significant positive impact.

“Research from the Education and Employers Taskforce shows that young people who have multiple encounters with business while at school are significantly less likely to be NEET and earn, on average, 18% more than peers who haven’t.

“By simplifying the process for employers, schools and colleges to work together through the Enterprise Adviser network we can ensure that young people in the region are inspired, informed and have a plan to enter employment successfully.”

Paul Hobson, Chief Executive of CSW said: “We are delighted to be the contract holder for this exciting initiative on behalf of the HotSW LEP. We see Enterprise education as a vital component of a student’s school journey and will give the opportunity for local companies to impart their knowledge and expertise shaping the future of the workforce in the South West.”

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.