Business in the Community – Education Preventing social background predicting a young person’s success at school and beyond

About Business in the Community

Business in the Community is the Prince’s Responsible Business Network. Our members work together to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to building a fairer society and a more sustainable future. We are a business-led, issue focused charity with more than 30 years’ experience of mobilising business. We engage thousands of businesses through our programmes, driven by our core membership of over 800 organisations from small enterprises to global corporations.

Students channelling the bard at Cambridge University Press

Our Education VisionA day when the worlds of education and employment are aligned and all young people leave school able to build successful working lives.

Students who designed best articulated hauler receiving their prize at Volvo

Education – The Challenge

Young people are increasingly becoming polarised into those who succeed at school and beyond, and those who do not because of their social background. This wasted potential increases the pressure on businesses, struggling to recruit young people with the right skills and attributes.

Over half of employers (53.5%) are facing difficulties filling vacancies1

Business can help develop and create economically viable, cohesive communities by supporting young people in schools. We ask all businesses across the UK to support young people in schools through a long-term, needs-led, collaborative partnership.

3.5 million young people live in poverty and only 1 in 8 children from low income homes go on to achieve a high income as an adult2

Research shows that business has a critical part to play: young people who undertake four or more employer engagement activities are five times less likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training)2 dramatically reducing the chances they will be unemployed, engage in criminal behaviour or suffer poor physical and mental health when they are older.

1 CBI Pearson Skills Survey, 20142 It's Who You Meet: Why Employer Contacts at School Make a Difference to the Employment Prospects of Young Adults, Education and Employers Taskforce, February 2012.

Our Education MissionFor all businesses across the UK to support young people in school through a long-term, needs-led collaborative business partnership, with a specific focus on those young people at risk of becoming marginalised.

Business Class

Business Class is Business in the Community’s flagship education programme because it creates effective and mutually beneficial partnerships between schools and businesses.

Over 450 schools have been involved in Business Class, supported by 1,000 businesses (33% of whom are SMEs), engaging 140,000 young people across the UK.

The relationships that are established are long-term and driven by the needs of the school and the priorities, resources and capacity of the business. Partnerships undertake activities in four areas;

leadership and governance curriculum enterprise and employability wider issues

Uniquely, Business Class partnerships come together to form clusters - an effective and powerful network which collaborates to increase reach and impact, develops new ideas and shares best practice and resources. As a result of the cluster mechanism 75% of students have experienced extensive benefits through collaborative events including career related knowledge, confidence and motivation to work at school.

Linton Village College students presenting their stuffing design for Dalehead Foods & Waitrose panel

Independent evaluation by Cass Business School, highlighted that participating Business Class schools and businesses identified:

38% improvement in academic achievement 40% increase in employability Optimism about sustainability of partnerships

increased by 57% and 32% for schools and businesses respectively

Businesses reported an improvement in meeting their CSR objectives by 23%

Interim research results from University of Warwick (published November 2015) suggests:

Students in Business Class schools experience higher levels of employer

engagement opportunities Increased ‘alignment’ between young

people’s aspirations and their attainmentBusiness Class in Cambridge In Cambridge, 180 business volunteers have contributed more than 326 HOURS of their time across 10 secondary schools this academic year.

3000 pupils in Cambridge have been involved with Business Class activities which can include;

Careers days for pupils about to take their examination choices, Careers Lab, STEM events, women into engineering workshops, functional maths, work placements, Dragons’ Dens, apprenticeship pathways, teacher development days, parental engagement, line management support for schools on performance management and much more…..

Apprenticeship Cluster panel: conveying the advantages of this route into work

“BITC’s Business Class programme has revolutionised the way business works with schools. Uniquely, it has enabled businesses, like the team here at Lloyds, to understand the needs of a school partner in terms of leadership & governance, enterprise & employability, curriculum and issues specifically impacting on that school. This means we can offer bespoke support and solutions.”

137 Shepherdess Walk. London N1 7RQT: 020 7566 8650 | www.bitc.org.ukPresident HRH The Prince of Wales | Chairman Mark Price | Chief Executive Stephen HowardBusiness in the Community is registered in England and Wales. Registered charity No 297716. Company limited by guarantee No 1619253

For more information on Business Class in Cambridge please contact Hannah Wild: 07843 336 487 or Hannah.wild@bitc.org.uk

David RichardsonRegional Managing Director Midlands, East & South, Lloyds Banking Group

“Business Class has made it easy for businesses to engage with secondary schools on a long-term basis. The structured framework, regular facilitated contact and the cluster network all contribute to the success of the programme. We have a complete 360 degree view of our partner school, understanding their key priorities not only regarding the employability and destination of the students when they leave school, but also around the leadership of the school and the curriculum. Having a full view of the school has allowed us to engage different members of staff from across the business with a range of skills and experiences.” Ketan Patel Finance Director, ISS Facility Services Ltd

137 Shepherdess Walk. London N1 7RQT: 020 7566 8650 | www.bitc.org.ukPresident HRH The Prince of Wales | Chairman Mark Price | Chief Executive Stephen HowardBusiness in the Community is registered in England and Wales. Registered charity No 297716. Company limited by guarantee No 1619253