Posted: March 8th, 2011 | Author: clarewilliams | Filed under: News | Tags: employability, enterprise, Further Education, PLUNGE, SPLASH, team building | No Comments »
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
Posted: March 1st, 2011 | Author: clarewilliams | Filed under: News | Tags: competition, employability, enterprise, FLUX, SPLASH, Work Skills, XING | 1 Comment »
FLUX 2011 – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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
11th April 2011 – 1.00pm – 7.00pm for event. 7.00pm – 9.00pm – Networking with Experts
12th 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
Posted: July 13th, 2010 | Author: andrewhatcher | Filed under: News | Tags: employability, enterprise, Further Education, PLUNGE, SPLASH, Work Skills | No Comments »
The Guardian reported this month that an ‘aspect of the worrying trend in youth unemployment is that there are thousands of young people who don’t have the skills, confidence or qualifications to find their first job. They may have struggled at school or grown up thinking no one cared, and they are being driven further from the job market, as they struggle to compete with a backlog of graduates.’
So it’s clear that we need to tackle this entrenched youth unemployment now and that educators and employers must work together to give these disadvantaged young people the long-term support they need to escape unemployment for good. 1 million youth unemployed makes for a frightening headline.
One way colleges are responding is to offer the Work and Employability Skills qualifications this coming academic year to give their students an edge in the job market.
At Working Knowledge we partner with FE colleges nationally to deliver work, employability, enterprise and life skills on your behalf. We do all the planning delivery and portfolio collection for you.
We deliver the qualifications by running events that are exciting, challenging and fun. The events involve local and regional employers that we recruit on your behalf and who, in many cases, go on to offer students work placements, guest lectures and apprenticeships.
Students not only feel more confident about their career goals after our events, thanks to a large extent to the engagement with local business people, but also feel more motivated to complete their core programme.
Our partner colleges fund our programmes that last from 1-3 days either through the qualifications that we deliver on your behalf (including all portfolio collection) or through project funds such as Aimhigher.
Take a look below at what local employers and students thought about recent Working Knowledge events held in Bristol;
http://www.vimeo.com/13297266
http://www.vimeo.com/13297137
http://www.vimeo.com/13296812
If this is of interest to you, then please email james.lott@twkg.net for more information.
Posted: June 3rd, 2010 | Author: alisonlarkman | Filed under: Education, Higher Education, News | Tags: employability, enterprise, FLUX, Higher Education, XING | 3 Comments »
There have been some exciting developments with XING over the last few months which we wanted to share with you
What has been happening with XING?
• Social enterprise cards, team guides and scenarios are now available.
• New XING materials and prices guide – A new menu listing all the XING materials is now available.
• Scenarios for Chemistry – now available following a request from Plymouth University
• Date for your diary – FLUX 2011 will take place on April 4-6th. You can view highlights of FLUX 2010 here. Let us know if you are considering entering a team for 2011 or if you need further information.
News from XING users
Lancaster University will be demonstrating XING to students and lecturers at the Beijing University of foreign studies in China this June.
The University of Plymouth are hoping to use XING as part of a project funded by the British Council in Sri Lanka. They will be working with their partners, the Universities of Colombo and Kelaniya to develop collaborative delivery of enterprise education.
To find out how XING is being used at other universities click here.
XING in development
We are in the first stages of developing a new card set, glossary and case-studies specifically focussed on planning media projects. This is part of our development for the creative industries. Many of you have been in touch saying there is clear need for this.
The question is how far do we go? James was recently chatting with Chris Thompson at Ravensbourne College of Design and communication who suggested ‘not to water it down too much, we need to inspire not just freelancers and small agencies, but also plant the seed for our most talented to go on to create world class creative businesses as many in the UK have already done’. Let us know your thoughts.
XING is an ever-developing tool, so keep us updated with news about how you are using XING and suggestions for other areas we could target.
