THE BLBW AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME

We believe that every learner in the South Yorkshire should have:

• the opportunity to develop the enterprise and employability skills that matter in the world of work, which are also the key drivers of success at school and in life;
• access to independent and impartial advice and guidance about the work opportunities that exist in their community, South Yorkshire and beyond;
• experienced at least 100 hours/20 days experience of the world of work by the time they leave school/college/learning at the age of eighteen.

The 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes deliver that and more!

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS

The ‘Better Learners, Better Workers’ programme is a consistent and coherent, employer-led approach that develops, in young people, the skills needed for employability and the world of work. It reconnects schools and business/employers through Business Champions and builds relationships and an understanding of the world of work in schools. In simple terms, it provides:

• Businesses with home grown talent which will allow them to grow; and 
• Young people with the skills they need to gain employment and be the best they can be!

To find out more contact me at chris@brilliant-learning.co.uk!

BACK AT DON VALLEY ACADEMY TODAY!

My colleague Sarah Ward and I launched the 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programme at the Don Valley Academy this morning.

 We were both were impressed at how the students listened and behaved during the assembly and we are hoping for a lot of interest from these young people.

We will be back next week to run BLBW workshop for a select group of students who will then complete application forms and be interviewed for places on the BLBW programme.

AUSTRALIAN JOB CLUSTERS!

AUSTRALIAN JOB CLUSTERS!

MOVING BEYOND JOBS TO SKILLS!

 

THE NEW WORK MINDSET!

We have known for a long time that the way we work will be increasingly affected by three global economic forces; automation, globalisation and collaboration. If we want young people to capitalise on these opportunities and navigate the challenges brought by these changes, they need a set of transferrable employability, enterprise and world of work skills. 

TRUST MATTERS!

We need to create learning organisations and my visits to schools recently have shown me once again that it is essential that leaders and teachers are involved in the co-construction of learning. I visit so many wonderful schools where peer learning activities give all staff, including headteachers, the opportunity to engage in professional dialogue about teaching and learning. This can only happen in a culture of high-trust and only if a headteacher is prepared to model teaching and learning to her colleagues.

Delegation and shared responsibility are also important. In successful schools, all staff and particularly school leaders, will model learning-focused leadership by constantly talking about learning and teaching. All staff should be seen as part of a learning team with golden threads that link them to the students and learners in the school. School leaders should aim to create a culture where all staff and students are learning from each other and teaching each other.

DON VALLEY ACADEMY JOINS THE 'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS' TEAM!

I visited the Don Valley Academy in Doncaster earlier this week to catch up with their new principal, Richard Brooke, who used to work with the BLBW team in Sheffield when he was principal at Outwood Academy City.

Richard was a passionate supporter of the Sheffield programme working with us on the engineering programme and the pilot of the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue programme. Richard's leadership and vision challenged and helped shape the developing programme and some of his students achieved remarkable results as BLBW ambassadors. I am looking forward to working with Richard again with a  great team and some great young people in Doncaster.

IMPORTANT STUFF...

BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH!

The 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programme started six years ago as 'Made in Sheffield' with four schools and 48 students. ​By 2015-16 we were working with 12 schools and colleges and around 400 ambassadors.

We have made progress in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham working with some great new schools and we are now working with 30 secondary schools, academies and colleges and around 500 BLBW ambassadors from across South Yorkshire. An enrichment programme was agreed with the CEC to reach an additional group of young people from the BLBW Lead Schools (Centres of Excellence) we established in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. These students we​re offered a WOW Factor programme: a ‘lighter’ school-based version of BLBW, which enabled​ us to test the wider transferability of a BLBW Enrichment Programme to all BLBW​ schools. This was hugely successful and we will be rolling this out to all new BLBW schools this year​. Exciting times... watch this space!

DARTON COLLEGE JOIN THE 'BETTER LEARNER,BETTER WORKERS: MADE IN BARNSLEY' TEAM!

I visited Darton College this afternoon to talk to Kate Davies, the principal, Sean Guy, the assistant principal, and Dave Bond, the CEAG coordinator about the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' programme. It is a quite amazing place and I was really impressed at the atmosphere and behaviour while I waited to see the team at the end of lunchtime. The building is fantastic and Kate and her team are clearly doing something very special for some very fortunate young people. ​
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I am really pleased that Darton College are joining the 'Better Learners, Better Workers: Made in Barnsley' team and know that they and their students will bring something special to the programme. I am looking forward to returning to Darton College to talk at the Y9 assembly on Wednesday next week and then to do the workshop and interviews to select our new ambassadors.
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BARNSLEY, DONCASTER AND ROTHERHAM BLBW SCHOOLS VISIT THE LIFEWISE CENTRE

I had a great day yesterday, at the Lifewise Centre just off the M18, working with a fantastic group of Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' Ambassadors from Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham!