Richmond Business Association Joins Forces with Lower Wensleydale Business Association in Local School’s Ambitious Project to Halt Migration of Young People from The Dales
David Poole of The Lower Wensleydale Business Network (LWBN) and Charles Barnett, Assistant Head Teacher of Wensleydale School are to give a talk on how local businesses can work with the school’s Sixth Form Business and Innovation Centre.
The talk, which commences at 6pm on Wednesday 16th January, is hosted by the Original Richmond Business and Tourism Association (ORBTA) in Richmond Town Hall. Members and non-members of the Association are all welcome.
The LWBN have recognised that the migration of our young people from the Richmondshire area is having a negative impact on businesses, the business environment and the social environment. They decided that in addition to their responsibility to support local businesses it should put in place 5 schemes, to address the problem of young adults moving away from the Dales because of a perceived lack of employment. They had as their objective a mission to convince the young people, their parents and the education providers that career opportunities do exist and assist in providing those opportunities.
One of these schemes is to support the new Wensleydale Sixth Form Business and Innovation Centre, which is offering a new curriculum to sixth form students that aims to prepare them to succeed in the business world. The course gives students the opportunity to do a range of A-levels and Level 3 qualifications in subjects including business marketing, IT, sociology and a practical maths course looking at issues such as inflation, which are designed to prepare them for the world of commerce.
Students spend time learning in the classroom but, through partnership with the Lower Wensleydale Business Network, they are offered an internship and business mentor to help them develop more practical skills.
The establishment of The Wensleydale Sixth Form Business and Innovation Centre has opened up opportunities to give young people the skills and experience that employers are desperately looking for when they are recruiting in this area.
Charles Barnet leads the new centre and he explained, “Students spend time learning in the classroom but, through our partnership with the Lower Wensleydale Business Network, we offer each and every one of them an internship and business mentor to help them develop more practical skills.”
The Lower Wensleydale Business Network is working in partnership with the Wensleydale School and Sixth Form on a mentoring and internship scheme where it matches its members and local business owners with students.
Chair of ORBTA, Marcia McLuckie said, “Following our members’ meeting in November, which was attended by David Poole and Charles Barnett, members decided unanimously that they would like to work alongside their two organisations on this project. There was great enthusiasm amongst our members and several have already volunteered to act as mentors to the students. This is an ambitious project to retain young people in the Dales when they leave school and our members are keen to help with this.”
Charles and David are giving their talk in Richmond to let people know about their innovative project and to seek mentors from amongst Richmond’s business people, who would like to help and encourage young people to learn the skills required for our business and industry in our area.
Marcia continued, “The purpose of next Wednesday’s meeting is to open the opportunity up to members who were unable to attend the November meeting as well as inviting non-members to come along and hear how Charles and David are working together. This will be an inspirational talk on a subject that is dear to the hearts of most people in the area”.
The talk takes place on Wednesday 16th January in Richmond Town Hall. Admission is free and members and non-members of the Original Richmond Business and Tourism Association are all welcome.