Alistair Lord – Deloitte

Andy Martin – PPS Group

Antony Clark – f-Works

Ben Heald –  Sift

Brett Raynes –   Back-up Direct

Brian Dorricott – Meteorical

Craig Stoddart – Innergy

Dan Ellis – Enterprise Rent-A-Car

David Bozward – National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE)

David Brown – Bristol Port Company

Gonzalo Trujillo – Heron Capital

Ian Grimley – Roxburgh Milkins LLP

Julie Gallacher – Close Asset Management

John Boydell – Brabners Chaffe Street LLP

Julie Rands – Radio

Keith Beattie – Burges Salmon

Lucinda  Brook – Marketing Clout

Martin Simmelker – Fujitsu

Oakleigh Wood – Customer Service Measurement Ltd

Peter Whitehead – Radio

Richard Churchill – ITfin

Richie Jones – Yucca

Simon Reid – Babcock International Group PLC

Danny Gal –  Thomson Reuters

Lee Chant –  Hays IT

Simon Rose – Experian

Gill Wylie – Experian

Darren Worth – Experian

Andrew Day-Experian

Martin Leatherbarrow –  Experian

Chris Loake – Experian

David Bates – Experian

Kathleen Harrop – Experian

Students from Abingdon and Witney College took the Plunge last week by taking part in an innovative two day event, created by Working Knowledge.

Working Knowledge decided that the ideal way to deliver Work Skills Qualifications is to engage employers in the process. And there is no better way to engage employers than using a large event programme like THE PLUNGE to kick-start a relationship with a new employer.

17 local employers spent a day supporting 124 L3 Students for the second of their two day event. The students were 1st and 2nd years at Abingdon and Witney College studying Engineering, Business, IT and Health and Social Care amongst other subjects.

The employers represented both big (Fujitsu) and small local businesses keen to engage the 16-19 age group.

“This is my fourth Plunge, a splendid event stimulating for both the business experts and the students.  Just wish at the age of 16 I had had that opportunity.”  Tim Cowling, Cowling HR

“It’s fantastic.  I really enjoyed it, great to meet the young people and to feel as though we are contributing to their future.  The event was very slick, very organised, they had everything you needed worked out.  It’s been an unexpectedly inspiring day for me personally, as well as the students.”  Ruth Wells, Ruth Wells Consultancy

“An inspiring and enjoyable experience.”  David Gaine, William Martin Productions

“A truly brilliant day, assisting and watching the growth of students has been really enjoyable.  A very professional day all round, congratulations.” Phil Gibbs, Virtuoso Ltd

Working Knowledge organised and facilitated the event, which included recruiting the employers on behalf of the college.

Students gathered evidence during the 2-day event to achieve an NCFE Qualification for Demonstrating Enterprise.

Here’s what some of the students from Abingdon and Witney College thought about the experts that helped and encouraged them throughout the day;

“The experts were excellent, they were kind and full of advice.” – Rebecca

“It was good meeting the experts and being able to interview them.” – Chloe

For details about Working Knowledge, and how we can work with you on similar events, please call Dr James Lott 07980 589427.  Our new website is to follow very soon!

WORKING KNOWLEDGE – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

Please keep checking this page, we will be updating this with useful information as the event gets closer!

What happens at FLUX?

Take a look at these two video’s here and here that were filmed at FLUX 2010.  These will give you an insight into what to expect next month, and clues on how your team could possibly prepare for the event.

When is FLUX 2011 taking place?

Flux is taking place on 11th and 12th April 2011.

What is the prize?

At the Grand Final there is £500 cash prize for each member of the 6-person winning team.

How do students register?

Registration forms are being sent to the Champions.  These must be completed and returned by 25th March 2011.

What’s a Champion?

A Champion is the person at your university that is coordinating FLUX for you. They help to choose the team that goes to the Final and make sure you get there!

If I don’t have a Champion does that mean we can’t have a team competing?

You can compete without a Champion but we will need the name of the Student Team Captain whom will be responsible for their team. So if you want to take part, get a team of 6 together and then get in touch.

Venue Address

South Bristol
Skills Academy
The Boulevard
Hengrove Park
Bristol
BS14 0DB

Timings

11^th April 2011 – 1.00pm – 7.00pm for event.  7.00pm – 9.00pm – Networking with Experts
12^th April 2011 – 9.00am – 7.00pm for event.  After party until late!

Hotels

IBIS
Avon Street
BS2 0PS

This hotel is close to Temple Meads train station, and is convenient for bus stop that serves buses to the venue.

If you have booked into the Premier Inn South, please keep this booking as it is closest to the venue, but now full on those dates.

Transport Links

By car

Online street maps and sat nav

If using an online street map or sat nav when travelling to South Bristol Skills Academy, please use Constellation Europe’s postcode - BS14 0JZ. Constellation Europe Ltd is the building next to South Bristol Skills Academy on Whitchurch Lane.

By Bus

Current bus services to Hengrove Park are numbers 20, 36, 75, 76 and 90. There is a bus stop outside the Skills Academy.

By Train

Bus service 20 provides a direct link between Bristol Temple Meads railway station and Hengrove Park.

For further train service information, please call the National Rail Enquiry Line on 08457 48 49 50 or visit National Rail Enquiries.

Agenda

This will be sent to you closer to the date of the event

Can extra university staff attend?

Yes, there is a cost of £100 plus vat.  This will include access to the Enterprise Conference, all meals and refreshments, as well as experiencing the main FLUX 2011 event.

Does there have to be six in a team?

Yes, ideally.  This is a very intensive competition and your team could be at a real disadvantage with less than six people participating.

Do we have to name our team?

This will be done on the first day of the event

Dress Code

Casual for day one, business attire recommended for day two.

Food and Drink

Day One – Hot buffet in evening.  Drinks throughout the day.

Day Two – Buffet lunch, refreshments throughout the day.

A student took part in FLUX 2010, can they take part in FLUX 2011?

Yes!

Is the competition open to Graduates as well as Undergraduates?

The competition is open to full time students of the university, whether they are undergraduates or graduates.

Is there parking at the venue?

Yes

The local Employers left with a very positive view of the college and the quality of teaching and facilities that the students enjoy.

Jason Holland of Holland and Holland Enterprises said ”Great to see real life business based experience being brought to further education. Well organised, ability to attract quality industry expert support.”

What did the students think?

“More events like this would encourage more people into engineering.  I learnt a lot about what employers are looking for today.” Khalid

“I think the day was a great success.  It has helped me raise my confidence particularly when working in a team under pressure.” Karen

For a full copy of the report click here.

12 Bristol employers spent a day supporting 97 Students on 12^th January at the new South Bristol Skills Academy.  The students were studying a mixture of Catering and Hospitality, Hair and Beauty, Theatrical Make-Up and Holistic Therapy.

The employers were all from the local area and had backgrounds that complimented the subjects that the students were studying.

The employer’s that volunteered their day to work with the students were;

“It’s been an enormously enjoyable and rewarding day. A great way to share ideas with other business owners also.”  Susie Newman-Turner, Designrock

“Have learnt so much today, very motivated students, and found it a memorable day. Thoroughly enjoyed it and met some lovely people.”   Tina Lombardi, MODA Hairdressing

Working Knowledge organised and facilitated the event, which included recruiting the employers on behalf of the college.

Students met and worked with the business experts throughout the day, culminating in a presentation of their final business pitch.  The business ideas were all refined and worked on throughout the day, using the input from the local experts.  The winning teams all  received a very welcome cash prize! But more importantly than that, the students gained a valuable qualification in just one day.

Christine Vokins, Head of Faculty, Service and Leisure at City of Bristol College, said “My thoughts for the day are all very positive. I enjoyed seeing such positive interactive learning taking place, the students and staff both said they had enjoyed the day and found it so much better than they had expected.  Thank-you very much for all the hard work, your team are delightful and so upbeat, great to work with.”

Here’s what some of the students from City of Bristol College thought about the event;

“Full on course which bought up a lot of new ideas and ways of going about things if I want to open a business.” Emily

“Today has really opened my eyes to business and helped me to think outside the box.” Sabina

“Dealing with the experts has been really fun.  You get a first hand expert opinion on what they think of your pitch, and they give you their honest opinion.” Rob

The local Bristol Employers left with a very positive view of the college and the quality of teaching the students enjoy;

“Really great day, heard some fantastic ideas and great to meet so many motivated interesting students.” Louise Barnard, Baby Bites

“Great to be able to share business experiences and passion with the students. Very aspirational group!” Sarah Stone, Citybase

Working Knowledge partner with over 100 HE and FE and specialise in delivering events that achieve employability and enterprise skills qualifications for students while engaging local employers.

In the past 6 years over 8000 students have been introduced to 1500 employers at our events.

To find out more about Working Knowledge please email Dr James Lott at james.lott@twkg.net with your questions.

Working Knowledge: Enterprise Training for Student Success

Universities confirmed for FLUX2011 are displayed below:

University of Bristol

University of Winchester

Roehampton University

Anglia Ruskin University

University of Essex      

Aberystwyth University

Glyndwr University

Lancaster University

Manchester Metropolitan University

University College Marjon Plymouth

University of Bedfordshire

Lougborough University

University of Plymouth

Cardiff University

Canterbury Christ Church University

The University of Nottingham

Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication

University of Plymouth Colleges

Bangor University

Aston University

University of Central Lancashire

Birmingham City University

UWE

WORKING KNOWLEDGE – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

The students worked in teams of six to create, develop and present plans for new business ideas they came up with themselves throughout the event.

Natalie Norton, Enterprise Lecturer at the University of Winchester says “Running a business is hard work with short deadlines and elevator selling being inevitable. By adding pressure to the challenge, students learn time management, delegation and interpersonal skills, which are vital to running a business”.

Please click here for a full report on the event.

What did the business people think?

“What a fantastic day! It was an intensive learning experience for me – let alone the students! I would recommend it to both students and experts alike.” Kate Cloud, WCC

“An excellent all round opportunity for young entrepreneurs to test their business skills. Great atmosphere, great excitement, real buzz and enjoyable experience for us all.” Simon Robertson, Robertson Consulting Limited

Working Knowledge partner with over 100 HE and FE and specialise in delivering events that achieve employability and enterprise skills qualifications for students while engaging local employers.

To find out more about how we can work with you, please visit our website here.  Or speak to James Lott on 07980 589427.

WORKING KNOWLEDGE – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

The competition was endorsed by HRH The Prince of Wales, as President of the Royal Agricultural College; “Problem-solving and entrepreneurship have never been more necessary in agriculture. Therefore, what better way to come up with new, innovative and realistic solutions than by linking businesses and our current experts with the next generation who will secure our farming future? I wish you all a successful day.”

The team from Harper Adams University, Shropshire won the competition for the second year running.

Harper Adams Team Member, Thomas Woolman said  “We experienced a very challenging day, where our team work was put to the test. It was exciting to complete against our rival institutions and particularly satisfying to bring the trophy home to Harper Adams.”

See the full report here.

To find out how you can get involved in Grassroutes 2011, please contact Dr James Lott, 07980 589427.  Take a look at the Working Knowledge website to see who we are, and how we can work together.

WORKING KNOWLEDGE – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

31 local employers spent a day supporting 240 L3 Vocational Students in early November. The students were 1st years at Redcar and Cleveland College studying IT, Business Administration, Health and Beauty amongst other subjects.

The employers represented both big (TATA Steel) and small local businesses keen to engage the 16-19 age-group.

“The level of amazing business ideas that come from the Plunge. The standard seems so much higher than Dragons’ Den! I thoroughly enjoyed it.” Will Fatherley, Northumbrian Management Services Ltd

Working Knowledge organised and facilitated the event, which included recruiting the employers on behalf of the college.

Students gathered evidence during the 3-day event to achieve the Edexcel Workskills Qualification.

Here’s what some of the students from Redcar and Cleveland College thought about the event;

“The experts were really lovely and helpful. My future is bright thanks to The Plunge. I could now go into business myself.” Ebony Jane

“I realised at the Plunge that my fear of presentations was all in my head…I can really do them!” Sophie

For more information about this event visit the full report here.  For details about Working Knowledge, and how we can work with you on similar events, visit our website.

WORKING KNOWLEDGE – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

Trevor Lynn of Think3e said ‘Gabriel I believe wants to be an electrician, but we saw in him his huge potential as an entrepreneur; just the kind of person we are looking for at Think3e.  We can offer Gabriel a wealth of experience while he finishes his studies and the potential of great job opportunities in the future.”

How often does this happen?

It is happening more and more frequently at our events along with offers of ‘free-lance’ work, work experience, live projects, contextual learning, curriculum enhancement, professional development and internships.

Who is behind these events?

Working Knowledge are a Social Enterprise dedicated to bridging the gap between business and education.

Most Working Knowledge events are funded via the QCF by delivering Enterprise and Work Skills qualifications.  Working Knowledge coordinate the collection of portfolio’s of evidence for you.

Find out more about this event and watch video comments from employers and students here.

To learn more about Working Knowledge please visit our website and email James Lott with your questions.

WORKING KNOWLEDGE – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE