Hello! We hope January has gone well for you.

We're very excited to be so close to the launch of our latest research which uses the Skills Builder Framework with 5,000+ young people to understand who builds essential skills, how they did it, and what the effects are. We're excited by the results, and hope you join us on the 17 February to hear first-hand about the results, and hear opinions from a trio of sector experts. Reserve your place now!

We also have a new job opportunity available: if you're an outstanding teacher who wants to transform how essential skills are build in education and impact organisations, then we want to hear from you. Head to skillsbuilder.org/jobs to learn more and apply.

Finally, we're preparing to open applications for the Skills Builder Accelerator, our flagship programme for schools and colleges. Applications open on 1 March 2021, but you can head to our new website and register your interest to be the first to know about funded opportunities and other events.

Scroll down to see all the latest - including our new organisation and employer partners. See you next month!

Tom Ravenscroft
Founder & CEO, Skills Builder Partnership

New research launches on 17th February:
How do essential skills support employment outcomes?

We're just a couple of weeks away from the launch of our newest research on the impact of developing essential skills on employment outcomes for young people - and you're invited!

This study is part of a series of research to explore the relationship between essential skills and a wide range of outcomes.

Please join us on Wednesday 17 February at 9am to hear first-hand about the results of this exciting new research, to hear from our guest speakers, and ask your questions too. We have an exciting panel of experts to comment on the findings, including:

• Sam Butters, CEO, Fair Education Alliance
• Sir John Holman, Chair, the Essential Skills Taskforce
• Peter Cheese, CEO, CIPD

Reserve your place

Come and work with us!

Are you an outstanding teacher, who wants to transform skills education? We are looking for self-starters with a collaborative, entrepreneurial approach; comfortable influencing stakeholders to make positive change, and with a passion for education. We want individuals who will be dedicated to building and maintaining a network of partners and supporting them to embed our principles and framework into their organisations with outstanding impact. To build credibility, we are looking for evidence of high-quality teaching practice in a primary or secondary school in the UK in any subject specialism.

We are also looking for someone with strong evidence of relationship building, including the ability to influence senior leaders. Our Education Associates typically take on more responsibility with strategic and innovation projects as they progress through the organisation. There are opportunities to develop a broad range of skills and experience in different sectors.

Click here to learn more and apply

Our new Parents & Carers page

To support parents and carers educating children and young people at home, we've created a new Parents & Carers page that introduces the eight essential skills and why these skills are so important for to build. Here you can find helpful information and ideas for building essential skills in school, at home, through hobbies and interests, and through community connections.

It also provides easy access to the Home Learning Hub (which features Daily Challenges) and Skills Builder Benchmark, which can be used to build essential skills at home and assess skill progress.

Explore Parents & Carers

Register your interest now for the Skills Builder Accelerator 2021-22

Applications for the Skills Builder Accelerator - our flagship programme for schools and colleges - will open in March 2021. Register your interest to be the first to know about funded opportunities, plus early access to webinar events and application support!

Alternatively, want to build skills in your school or college this year? You can still sign up for Digital Membership in 2020-21 to access Premium resources on the Hub and Skills Builder Benchmark. We're running informational webinars this week - find out more here.

Register your interest now

New organisations have joined the Skills Builder Partnership

We're excited that a wide range of organisations have recently joined the Skills Builder Partnership, including David & Jane Richards Family Foundation, YourGamePlan, KingsGen Foundation, Greater Manchester Combined Authority - SEND Community of Best Practice, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, UpskillMe, Inspira and Concordia.

Check out all the organisations we work with

New reports from our partners on building essential skills

We're excited to share two insightful new reports from our partners, both of which centre on essential skills:

• Unifrog: Based on 6,000+ student survey responses and expert input from Skills Builder, PwC and teachers across the UK, this report looks at the pandemic’s impact on students’ skills development, and its impact on their attitudes towards future careers. Read it here.
• Children's University: This important and highly encouraging new report demonstrates the impact that the organisation is having on the essential skills of participants. It shows the effect a thoughtful, structured approach can have to building these essential skills. Read it here.

National Rail & Skills Builder partner to support Kickstart

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Network Rail to support the Government's Kickstart programme. We will be working together to place essential skills development at the heart of the upcoming work placement scheme at Network Rail providing a programme of training and support for candidates across the business.

We're deeply grateful for all your support so far.
Working together is by far the best way to effect real change -
so please do continue to spread the word about the Skills Builder Partnership.