Business support is planned for Mansfield schools

The Business in the Community charity has gained funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to bring its Business Class programme to Mansfield.

The programme aims to forge close working links between businesses and secondary schools, to raise pupils’ aspirations, achieve more and help young people understand and prepare for the world outside the school gates.

The launch event will take place tomorrow (Thursday) at Mansfield’s Civic Centre, with school heads and business leaders set to be joined by representatives from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, the Mansfield Learning Partnership and mayor Tony Egginton.

There are currently more than 200 Business Class partnerships across the UK, and the charity aims to build 500 partnerships by 2015, impacting on over 75,000 young people.

Businesses who sign up will work with a school on areas including leadership, curriculum, enterprise and employability.

The partnership works through a cluster system, with businesses supporting schools in a close geographic proximity to their base, the charity said.

“Activity could include a CEO mentoring a head teacher, providing practical HR or finance advice, or supporting groups of students that need additional focus,” said a spokesman for the charity .

“Working with a local school gives a business a unique insight into the talent pipeline and a chance to develop their existing staff by using their skills in different ways.”

Each school will be partnered with a business that will support it over a minimum three-year period.