Last week saw our region taking its place at major Skills Awards, with CAVC winning the WorldSkills UK Diversity Ambassador Awards, Bouygues UK supporting the ICE Wales Cymru STEM Ambassador of the Year Awards – and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Wales sponsoring the National Start Up Awards 2022 for the very first time.
It was also a week where age inclusion came to the fore, through the launch of fully-funded Get The Gen workshops being run for businesses in Newport and RCT – and WeMindTheGap continuing its wonderful work with NEET communities in North Wales …
Cardiff and Vale College Wins WorldSkills UK Diversity Ambassador Award
Cardiff and Vale College has won a prestigious national award for its work in opening up educational opportunities for young people – with the college securing a coveted EDI Ambassador Award at last week’s WorldSkills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusions (EDI) Heroes Awards.
The awards, in partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and NCFE, celebrate the individuals and organisations championing diversity and inclusion within the business and technical education sectors.
The college’s WorldSkills and Erasmus Officer, Emma Andrews, was also commended for her work helping to bridge the social mobility gap by providing opportunities for learners to achieve their full potential.
The award reflects CAVC’s hugely successful REACH+ initiative, which provides a central hub for the delivery of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses – dramatically improving delivery of courses and cutting waiting times to such an extent that the Welsh Government has rolled out the programme across Wales.
The college’s inclusion credentials were also celebrated for its pioneering work with the Velindre Cancer Centre to launch the UK’s first Health and Cancer Resource for black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
Funded Workshops in Newport and RCT help companies Recruit and Retain across the generations
Social Enterprise Get The Gen are offering the businesses of Newport and Rhondda Cynon Taff fully funded workshops to help recruit, retain and develop the best local talent from every generation, as part of the 360 programme supported by the UK Government Community Renewal fund, aimed at levelling up employment prospects for people of all ages.
Get The Gen works with businesses across the UK and internationally to offer a unique perspective into the challenges of managing a multi-generational and rapidly changing workforce – sharing good practice around how to create collaboration and cohesion to enhance business performance and employee engagement.
With four or even five generations now often working together, there has never been a more important time to embrace the skills and potential of all age groups – and this 2-hour ‘Tomorrow’s Workforce -Today’ workshop will run throughout March-June 2022, equipping employers with the knowledge, insight and tools to help them grow and get the best out of a diverse workforce.
ICE Wales Cymru Welcomes Support from Bouygues UK
Last week also saw Bouygues UK join with Institution of Civil Engineers Wales Cymru to sponsor this year’s STEM Ambassador of the Year Award – recognising the importance of promoting Civil Engineering as a career to young people of all communities.
STEM Ambassador of the Year is part of the prestigious Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Awards suite – celebrating the ambassador who has shown greatest commitment to work with schools and organisations to promote civil engineering as a career. Bouygues UK has a proud record of encouraging their employees to become STEM Ambassadors – with the company’s growing presence across Wales and the UK being built on the pillars of creating social value and nurturing sustainable talent pipelines.
Social Mobility Charity to Support Unemployed 16-25-Year-Olds
The emphasis on training and skills for all age groups has also seen Conwy Employment Hub partner with a transformative North Wales charity to run a virtual programme aimed at 16-25 year olds who are not in education, employment or training – helping young people overcome social isolation from the safety of their own homes, bringing new skills and confidence through a fun learning experience that’s encouraging and non-judgemental.
WeMindTheGap’s WeDiscover 10-week programme delivers tailored training, experiences, mentorship and employability support for 20 people, in a pioneering free programme supported by the European Social Fund through Welsh Government
Every participant will have access to guest speakers, interactive workshops, role models and mentoring advice, with sessions geared to improving confidence and self-esteem, before graduating to the ongoing support of WeBelong.
The scheme has been a major success in Wales and the northwest of England, changing the lives of more than 200 young people since 2014 – as well as delivering £5.5 million in social value and £2.4 million in public savings.
DofE Wales Sponsors National Start Up Awards 2022
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) in Wales is for the first time sponsoring a category in the National Start Up Awards – with the category open to any start-up whose founder has completed a DofE Award in Wales.
The StartUp Awards National Series recognises the achievements of individuals who have had a great idea, spotted the opportunity and taken the risks to launch a new product or service. Already established and thriving in Wales, the StartUp Awards National Series is now taking this passion and drive to celebrate new business – and celebrating it across the whole of the UK.
The judges will be looking for founders who have launched and grown their business by applying the vital skills learned through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – demonstrating the positive impact the DofE has had on their entrepreneurial journey so far, with the winner announced at a landmark awards ceremony to be held in June.
To find out more about the training and skills programmes supported by Venture across Southeast Wales, go to www.venturewales.org
