Research showing how well Lincolnshire’s employers are engaging with local schools and colleges will be discussed at a special event during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).

Organised by Unleashing Enterprise, the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) supported enterprise programme – in partnership with the Institute of Directors and East Midlands Business Champions, ‘Unleashing Enterprising Employers’ will take place at Lincoln’s Think Tank on Tuesday 17 November.

Led by Unleashing Enterprise with Yarborough School, the research highlights the current state of employer engagement with schools and colleges around the enterprise skills agenda and showcases examples of best practice.

Chris Shaw, Regional Manager for Unleashing Enterprise, said, “Government has launched some exciting new education and employer initiatives in recent times, the Backing Young Britain Campaign and the Employer’s Guide – Working Together with Young People published by the Education and Employer’s Task Force – are two excellent examples. But our research demonstrates the need to develop messages for both educators and schools at a local level, which can help build practical and supportive partnerships.

“Unleashing Enterprise aims to promote these key messages during the next 12 months and help employers and educators find their way to all the helpful tools and resources that are out there.”

A number of events will take place across the county as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week – a worldwide campaign that aims to encourage people to become more entrepreneurial.

As Phil Bramhall, emda’s Skills Development Manager explained:  “GEW is designed to help develop a year round culture of enterprise and through our Unleashing Enterprise programme, we are joining forces with many partners to support event like this across the region. It will be interesting to see what this research says and how it can be used to boost enterprise activity in Lincolnshire in the future.”

Speakers at the event include Ron Lynch, Regional Director for the Institute of Directors (East Midlands), Phil Ball, Head Teacher of St.Mary’s Junior School and Chris Shaw, Regional Manager for Unleashing Enterprise.

Ron Lynch, Regional Director for the Institute of Directors (East Midlands) said, “The Institute of Directors is an entrepreneurial organisation and its members invest heavily in training and development. It also understands the need to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and potential employees. Having the right mechanisms in place to foster better links between schools, colleges and employers is therefore absolutely vital. The Unleashing Enterprising Employers research findings help us to understand more fully what employers are saying about engagement and supporting schools and colleges.”

The event will run from 8.30 – 10am at Think Tank and is free to attend, with breakfast included. For more information on the event and to register visit http://unleashing-enterprise.eventbrite.com or contact Chris Shaw, Regional Manager, Unleashing Enterprise by telephone on 0116 2795115.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of emda / Unleashing Enterprise by Lava. For further information please contact Matt or Louise at lava on 01522 842 800 / 07870 567 968 or matt@lavapr.co.uk / louise@lavapr.co.uk

To view all of Lava’s recent press releases or to sign up to receive them via RSS please visit http://www.lavapr.co.uk/press-releases or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lavapr

Notes to Editors:

About Unleashing Enterprise:

Through East Midlands Development Agency (emda) the Unleashing Enterprise partnership aims to further develop a clear and strong connection between all organisations actively involved in delivering, supporting or funding enterprise skills.

This Unleashing Enterprise website has been designed to underpin enterprise skills campaigns to include Enterprise Week now known as Global Entrepreneurship Week (held annually in November) and the Enterprising Streak Campaign (the East Midlands year-round campaign to support enterprise skills) which are specifically targeted at young people aged 14 to 30 years.

Whilst emda manages the project on a daily basis, the partnership is represented by the Unleashing Enterprise Steering Group.  This Steering Group has drawn members from across the region to reflect the diversity and richness of the agenda.  The key is to focus on existing activity and to capitalise on opportunity and reduce duplication.

Unleashing Enterprise believes that enterprise is a skill that can be taught, a skill that can be picked up, improved, honed and applied.  We recognise the depth of expertise across the region and seek to draw together practitioners to help develop these skills to help current, and future, generations become more enterprising.

About emda

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:

• Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
• Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
• Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
• Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
• A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times.

Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations.  The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved.

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

About emda’s support of Global Entrepreneurship Week

Since 2004 emda has been coordinating partners to deliver a regional response to the national Enterprise Week (now called Global Entrepreneurship Week) campaign as well as developing a year round culture of enterprise within the East Midlands.  emda aims to create a culture which supports enterprising people and recognises that making money and having a positive social impact can go hand in hand. Visit www.emda.org.uk for more information.

Unleashing Enterprise Partnership

Unleashing Enterprise is creating a partnership for all enterprise educators to pioneer a culture of enterprise across the East Midlands. The partnership is managed by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and developed in close partnership with educators, employers, enterprise agencies, policy makers and funding organisations.

The programme is helping to facilitate a more cohesive and planned approach to the development and delivery of the enterprise offer in the East Midlands. It is also helping to promote opportunities for all people, but mainly young people, to take up the enterprise skills offer in their schools, communities or places of work. For more information visit www.unleashing-enterprise.co.uk