[C]umbria’s increasingly influential work in careers development and support for young people has been highlighted by three accolades at a national awards ceremony.
The county picked up ‘best in class’ careers provision honours – two regional and one national category win – at the Careers and Enterprise Company Annual Awards 2018 held at Newbury Racecourse.
Cumbria’s Enterprise Advisor Network is working across the county to deliver higher standards of careers advice and guidance. Its growing success is reflected by the latest awards.
Roger Wilson, a CIPD member who has been working with Queen Katherine School in Kendal, won the national Enterprise Advisor of the Year award for his outstanding work in delivering careers support. He also won the regional award for the North in that category.
Meanwhile, Carlisle based PPM Ltd, which specialises in property management, won the regional award for the North for Outstanding Small or Medium Enterprise of the Year. The award was made for the firm’s approach to delivering outstanding support to schools or colleges and enabling meaningful and inspirational encounters for young people.
Commenting on his national award, Roger Wilson said: “I’m so proud to have won the national award – it was really unexpected. It’s great working with the school, and helping to get other businesses involved. The big thing for me is that this is all about enabling young people to make the best possible careers choices in life. It’s also important that we get more business people across Cumbria volunteering to become enterprise advisors and sharing their experience in schools.”
Beth Nicholls from PPM Ltd added: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for the work we have been doing in schools and colleges throughout Cumbria. It’s crucial that we continue to invest in our future workforce here.”
Working in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company and Inspira, Cumbria LEP has established the Enterprise Advisor Network, working with employers to support the development of careers education in secondary schools and colleges across the county.
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership board member and employment and skills lead John Coughlan says: “We knew that Cumbria’s Enterprise Advisor Network programme had received two nominations at the awards. The double recognition is great news, and for Roger and PPM Ltd to both emerge as regional or national winners in their respective categories is even better.
“The recognition at these prestigious awards reflects all the hard work which partners are putting into the Enterprise Advisor Network in Cumbria, a strategic partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company which is being delivered on behalf of Cumbria LEP by Inspira.
“The growing relationships between the network and our local schools help to develop and strengthen employer engagement and will be an integral part of the new Careers Strategy for Cumbria.
“The new careers strategy is being developed to make sure that young people understand all of the career opportunities available to them in Cumbria.”
The strategy is in direct response to the issues raised by businesses sitting on Cumbria LEP’s employer panels, which are responsible for identifying the skills needs of each of the key business sectors in the Cumbrian economy.
For further information about Cumbria LEP, please visit http://www.thecumbrialep.co.uk
