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Engaging with Schools
The UK's growing skills shortage is dramatically impacting on many businesses' ability to recruit young people with the right skills and attitude for work.
Many students need to develop their key skills – communication, team working, IT skills, numerical competence and problem solving – which are essential for their future employment and for the benefit of business and the economy.
Why work with schools?
Through business and education links, students have the opportunity to develop the key skills and qualities essential for the world of work, increase their knowledge and academic achievement and help to promote life long learning.
What is work-related learning?
The critical importance of skill development is recognised within the school curriculum through the inclusion of work-related learning (WRL) elements.
Work-related learning is the 'planned activity designed to use the context of work to develop knowledge, skills and understanding useful in work'. (The Education Act 2002). This is a statutory element for all Key Stage 4 students (ages 14-16) in England and Wales.
In Scotland, both the Curriculum for Excellence and Determined to Succeed: Enterprise in Education emphasise the importance of learning being related to real-world contexts.
Successful delivery is dependent upon support and commitment from the business community and provides you with a fantastic way to engage with schools.
The following links will provide information on the benefits of work-related learning and delivery methods: