The apprenticeship programme, run in partnership with Richmond upon Thames College, offers young people who want to work in sports the opportunity to gain experience, qualifications and be paid at the same time!
The Harlequins Foundation apprentices will leave their training with a recognised sporting qualification, as well as the experience and confidence needed to be a great coach. Like all their successful apprentices, they’ll be trained in Teamwork and Leadership, Speaking and Listening, Problem Solving and Creativity, and Staying Positive and Aiming High – essential transferrable skills which can be applied to almost any part of our lives.
Over the course of the programme, apprentices complete a Level 2 Community Activator Apprenticeship Standard and gain a Level 2 Multi-Skills Through Sport.
Furthermore, they all take part in the Essential Skills Academy, a series of workshops that support them to make measurable progress in employability skills, as they take part in the course alongside there 'on-the-job' training. Progress is recorded through Skills Builder Benchmark.
The Big Challenge (Years 7-9) aims to ignite entrepreneurial spirit through a city-wide competition that connects young people and employers through an immersive enterprise experience.
Students are loaned £25 start-up funding by their school and supported by Business Advisors, resources, and employer supported workshops to develop an idea to test in the market, reflecting on their experience as the programme completes in February.
The programme aims to encourage ambition, careers awareness and aspiration and provides an opportunity for young people to gain an understanding of the world of work through innovation, entrepreneurship and business start up.
The programme provides:
Please visit the BiG Challenge website for further information: https://bigchallenge.biz/
Bridge the Gap Malvern Ltd is a specialist Alternative Provision for 16- to 25-year old students who have an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan) and need a different approach to post-16 education. The organisation's goal is to help students to build the skills needed for independence and employment. They use the Skills Builder essential skills framework as the core thread of their curriculum and work with all their students. The initial focus is on the 4 skills that span self-management and communication skills.
All students do a baseline assessment of their skills as soon as possible when they join the programme.
The one-page Skills Builder 'Daily Diary' is used for individual reflection after each student session and, along with other pages from the Skills Builder reflective log, has been used to create a work experience log book.
City Year UK (CYUK) is a Leadership and Development programme which provides young people aged between 18 - 25 with training, opportunities and networks which will develop them as active citizens, leaders, and professionals. The programme combines real-world experiences and is underpinned by a comprehensive training, coaching, and networking programme.
CYUK believes that a participant’s year should also serve as a launch pad for their career. By making explicit reference to and using resources from the Skills Builder framework, the programme gives participants the time and opportunity to find out about their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for development. There is a clear skills match between what employers want and the capabilities young people can develop through full-time volunteering and social action. CYUK use the Skills Builder Universal Framework for essential skills as the framework of reference for young people's development. Through workshops, guest speakers and mentors, the volunteers progress in skills development and gain an insight into a range of careers.
Through CYUK's guided reflection curriculum and alumni programme, participants reflect throughout and after the programme to track and quantify whether progress has been made. One of their alumni said: "Use your City Year to think!”
Aimed at young people aged 11 to 15, Creative Briefs is an 8-week classroom-based programme designed to stimulate real-world thinking. With a range of resources and interactive sessions led by a mix of artists, cultural professionals and organisations across 12 creative industries, participants will gain essential skills through immersing themselves in a creative practice.
Each Creative Brief focuses on 3 essential skills: Aiming High and two others which are unique to that discipline's project. Students have the opportunity to practise and reflect on the skills they use throughout the project. Teachers are able to evaluate progress in the three focus skills throughout the project, supported by the Skills Builder Hub.
The Briefs and accompanying sessions are designed to be delivered remotely or in person, with the schools’ involvement being supported by Babylon ARTS.
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Cuffley Active Learning Centre incorporates the Skills Builder Framework to deliver adventure and personal development experiences that align with the Skills Builder essential skills.
The Centre liaises with teachers prior to their trip to ensure that learning goals are clear, with options for pre- and post-course evaluations to identify target areas for development.
Informed by teacher and / or pupil self-evaluations via the Skills Builder Hub / Benchmark, the Centre's skilled facilitators create opportunities to work with groups or individuals to develop targeted steps within the Skills Builder Framework. Challenges on High Ropes, Low Ropes or the Climbing wall are combined with problem-solving activities and a focus on wellbeing.
All activities are designed to give opportunities for review and reflection, so that students build their confidence and skills through their stay - be it a one-day course or a 5-day residential.
The team at Cuffley Active Learning Centre is very happy to work with teachers to design a programme that focuses on one or more of the essential skills - and can adapt as pupils progress through a visit. For details, please visit the website below.
Digital Innovators is an award-winning training provider that supports young people and employers by providing employability training and experience needed to meet current and future business needs.
The organisation helps young people and those not currently in education, employment or training, access career opportunities by providing them with the confidence, self-belief, leadership and digital skills to help them stand out.
Through focusing on personal and employability skills development, Digital Innovators helps students progress into meaningful employment with local employers or further education. As a member of the Skills Builder Partnership, Digital Innovators hopes to collaborate to ensure skills are further aligned with employers’ needs, including ensuring consistency with local educational organisations
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Digital Talent is a new programme aimed at ensuring underrepresented young people of colour and low socio-economic backgrounds have access to training, qualifications and work experience, helping them capitalise on the ever-growing demand in the UK Tech sector.
London Youth supports community youth organisations to deliver their programme and provide opportunities for young people. They provide capacity-building support and training to support members to be able to access and use Skills Builder platforms and tools. They've incorporated Skills Builder Benchmark onto the Digital Talent programme through the personal mentoring so that every young people can track their progress and use it for applying for jobs and apprenticeships. When delivering events and workshops, London Youth will be referring to the essential skills in their delivery and sharing the universal framework with programme partners.
This is an 18-month learning and developing programme, where individuals are taken out of their comfort zone and given the chance to develop their essential skills. Within this, they complete a 6-month skills module. Throughout they assess their skill sets, create informed skill development action plans and regularly check-in on their progress with their manager.
Horizons is a post-16 sixth form in Derby for students who need additional support and guidance to be able to access further education and work placement experience. It offers positive, progressive pathways for students with learning difficulties and additional needs towards a brighter future.
Horizons students study a Foundation Learning Programme and transitional pathway with the end aim of supporting students with Learning Difficulties and additional complex needs to become confident to make the choice of following a route into a suitable further education provision or employment. The transitional part of the course provides learners with variety a of vocational opportunities with different off-site providers and a tutor programme that includes careers guidance and Personal and Social Development.
Horizons 6th Form embeds the essential skills framework throughout the whole curriculum, leading to links in all subjects and a universal skills language. The framework is also used in the innovative enterprise space that is a platform for students developing employability skills. Through courses with alternative providers as well as on site learning, independence is supported and fostered as young people grow in confidence and recognise their own progression in essential skills.
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The 10-session Engage programme helps young people (in PRUs or at risk of exclusion from mainstream) develop 3 key skills: Staying Positive, Aiming High and Teamwork. Spiral believes that these are the 3 foundational skills they need to help them be able to interact positively with others, learn from and overcome challenges and see the point in effort.
These are the foundational skills they need to be able to reintegrate with education, make choices about their future and give them the platform to succeed.
Through interactive games, team-building activities and work based challenges, young people are guided through the programme by trusted and experienced youth workers. Each workshop focuses on key skills and step points (in line with Spiral's Theory of Change and Skills Builder steps). Each skill step is revisited and developed upon over the course of the programme, and clearly signposted to the young people.
Young people, whose skills are assessed by the teachers pre- and post-programme, learn these skills through doing, learning to reflect on, develop and communicate these skills using the language of Skills Builder.
By supporting them to do this, Spiral are helping young people develop the tools to act independently, to be able to interact with exciting professionals (who are not youth workers or teachers) and be the dynamic, driven and aspirational young people we know they can be.
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Envision is a U.K. based charity that empowers young people from less advantaged backgrounds to develop essential skills and confidence through tackling social issues affecting their community.
Young people work with trained Envision staff and a group of mentors from a local business to design, develop, and deliver an in-school youth social action project.
Working towards key milestones, young people build the essential skills and confidence that will help them succeed in later life.
The Essential Skills Academy is a series of ten workshops aimed at supporting groups of individuals to reflect on and develop their essential skills in the workplace. It provides in-depth insight into the eight essential skills and space for individuals to identify their existing strengths and areas for development. Participants complete a number of online self-assessments across the workshop series using Skills Builder Benchmark; the results of which are used to set and review skill targets which they focus on throughout their placement or in the workplace. The Universal Framework is embedded throughout the programme and Skills Builder Launchpad is an important tool used to help individuals build their knowledge in the skills alongside the workshops.
The overall aim is to support individuals to identify, demonstrate and articulate their skill set, ultimately making meaningful progress in the essential skills over the course of the Academy.
Hatch is an employability programme for motivated young people who are not in education, training or employment (NEET). The programme consists of 6 work-readiness modules, a work-experience placement, and a guaranteed interview with the programme funder, KFC, on completion of the programme.
Underpinned by the teaching of essential, transferrable skills that can equip young people to thrive at all stages of their lives, activities within the work-readiness modules include setting goals, continuous reflection, peer mentoring, workshops with corporate volunteers, social action, networking, and interactive games.
Through the safe space and trusting relationship youth workers provide, young people will be supported to overcome barriers to their participation. Youth workers will also receive bespoke training on the Universal Framework, supporting young people through work experience, and facilitating skills reflection.
KFC have also joined the Skills Builder Partnership, meaning the young people’s journey in the progression of sustained essential skills can continue right through to the workplace.
Educate young people about the climate crisis, enable them to take action by building a climate app and prepare them for future green jobs.
This is a course designed to be delivered in KS3 curriculum time by computing teachers. Throughout the course, students work in teams to build an innovative climate action technology app. They get to grips with the fundamentals of climate change, building their knowledge and understanding, whilst also thinking about what’s important to them and their communities.
They learn, practise and assess their progress across all eight essential skills, climate change and climate action as well as computing skills, and by the end of the course will have a technical prototype app to help bring their ideas to life. They also have the chance to interact with industry experts, receive feedback on their products and can submit their work for Apps for Good's annual end-of-year Showcase.
Deaf & Hearing Trailblazers is a Community Interest Company (CIC) who offer training courses to provide you with new skills and knowledge to improve your potential and enable you to progress further in your work or personal and social life.
Deaf & Hearing Trailblazers provide Kickstart Academy training to young people who are employed in six different organisations. They come together once a week to go through the Skills Builder Essential Skills Academy programme, reflecting on the core essential skills they have been developing through their placement roles.
The programme supports these young people to articulate the skills they have developed for themselves, using the language of the Universal Framework. This gives a structure to CV writing and interviews, allowing the Kickstarters to identify their own strengths and areas for development.
An employability programme offered to 16-24 year olds who are unemployed and on Universal Credit. It is a 6-month programme that aims to support them to find full-time employment at the end. The participants assess themselves against the Skills Builder Framework throughout the programme. Managers work with participants to create action plans to help them to develop those skills.
During the five-week programme (across 2 terms) PwC works with 90 schools and over 2000 students across all UK offices. Over 250 volunteers from across the business help deliver this programme nationally.
The programme consists of two parts, spaced a few weeks apart, to enable the students to get a chance to experience PwC offices and technology, gain skills (including Problem Solving, Speaking and Listening) and understand better the world of work. PwC work with the Skills Builder Partnership to ensure that they focus on these skills throughout the programme to help the students gain skills for the workplace.
PwC's UK-wide ‘New World New Skills’ Social Mobility Work Experience takes place in August.
PwC works with partner organisations to invite Year 12 or equivalent students to apply to join their paid week long experience.
Students must meet their social mobility criteria of attending a state school and attending a school that is above the regional average in terms of the number of students eligible for free school meals or; are or have been eligible for free school meals or; would be the first member of their immediate family to attend university.
Skill sessions take place in PwC's offices and virtually, including:
Students are set a group project which leads up to a showcase of what they have learned and proposal presentation to the rest of their local students and PwC ‘Dragons’.
The programme focuses on four of the essential skills with specific steps of the Framework as success criteria, spanning the Getting Started and Intermediate stages:
Students benchmark themselves against the Framework at the start and end of the programme. In 2021, all skill scores improved, with the highest progress made in Listening and Speaking.
OFOD is the firmwide annual volunteering day at PwC. They have created 3 skills sessions for PwC Volunteers to deliver to local schools. Schools can choose between Financial Literacy, Teamwork or Data Science and Analytics for their session. The sessions teach the students the basics of each topic to generate interest and gain an understanding that they can apply elsewhere. They have integrated the Skills Builder Framework throughout each session. At the beginning of each session, an overview of the 8 essential skills is provided to make sure the students aware of the skills they will be developing within the session. In the top corner of each slide, the related skill is identified and the skill stage is outlined. Students are able to reflect consistently throughout the hour in terms of how they are progressing and if they feel confident in mastering the specific skill stage. At the end of the session, students are asked to reflect on their learnings and their skill development both individually and feeding back to the room.
Each session provides activities to enable the students to put what they have learnt into action and apply the skill, such as Teamwork activities to solve a client problem.
To monitor the skill development, teachers are required to fill in a form to capture the skill level of their class before the session, on a scale of ‘Very Poor to Excellent’. This is repeated post-session to achieve two data points and understand the impact of the session. In 2022, 79% of schools reported a development in their students' problem solving skills after Financial Literacy session.
On 1 August 2017, Uxbridge and Harrow Colleges merged to become HCUC. The Colleges officially became part of the same organisation working together to provide the best opportunities to students, but retained their individual names and campuses.
The merger of the two Colleges into a single legal entity took place in order to maximise future opportunities for students, employers and local communities, through a combination of preserving current provision, and pooling resources and expertise to develop education and training. HCUC is ranked as the No.1 college in London for 16-18 year old achievement, based on DFE data for 16-18 provision in 2018/19, published March 2020.
In order to maximise future opportunities for students across the Colleges, tutorial sessions for some Level 1 and 2 courses have given students the chance to reflect upon their essential skills, look at opportunities to practise these and to capture their progression using the Skills Builder Benchmark self-assessment tool.
These Personal Development Tutorial Sessions also run alongside opportunities for other students to develop their essential skills alongside professionals through the Essential Skills Masterclass Workshops.
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Plan Bright Work Experience provides a unique cross-industry opportunity to join one of the world's largest Human Resources providers.
Plan Bright forms part of the Adecco Group's Creating Brighter Futures programme. As a global employer, the Adecco Group strives to work hand in hand to give young people access to information, advice and opportunities.
Students will practise and progress in the essential skills while taking on real work projects which address future global trends in employment.
Students will leave the programme with tangible examples of their skills and experiences of work, as well as a greater insight into a range of careers.
Its modular design allows flexibility to suit schools looking for work experience over a few days or up to two weeks.
To find out more about how your school or college can be involved, contact communityteam@adecco.com
Positive Pathways tackles the digital divide and supports young people to flourish in a post-COVID-19 world.
The brand-new Positive Pathways programme will see The Switch working with Inspire EBP (Hackney), 15 Billion EBP (Newham) and Southwark EBA (Southwark) over this academic year.
With support from JPMorgan Chase as part of the firm’s $350 million global commitment to the future of work, the project will work with 500 young people across the four boroughs to support them re-engage in their learning.
The programme seeks to increase motivation and confidence in their study skills and to raise awareness of education, training and employment pathways after compulsory level education. It will also provide each young person with a technology device and data to help address the digital divide issue affecting a large number of young people. This digital support will enable them to develop their digital skills, participate in project activities and engage in further learning outside of the classroom.
The programme activities will focus on four themes: academic support; personal development and wellbeing; employment, post-16 and 18 options; employability skills and career readiness, supporting our young people to achieve their very best as they participate in this programme!
STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related jobs across the UK.
As part of the outreach programme, there are 17 regional hubs across the UK, who empower over 37000 STEM Ambassadors to connect with young people, raising aspirations and broadening experiences.
Ambassadors are offered a free package of support, delivered directly by Skills Builder:
Entrepreneurs Unlocked CIC's vision is to "Change Futures Through Entrepreneurship". It provides a range of in custody and community based programmes that enables people to explore their entrepreneurial talent and become self employed, either as a small business owner of as a self-employed subcontractor in the construction industry.
Enabling an individual to identify their strengths, and to gain an understanding of how to develop further the essential skills needed for self-employment, is a key part of the organisation's vision of Changing Futures Through Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs Unlocked participants will now be able to assess and measure their progress on Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership and Teamwork.
By becoming a member of the Partnership, Entrepreneurs Unlocked will be using the Skills Builder Universal Framework to support programme participants in building the skills to become their own boss and lead crime-free lives. This collaboration will bring an explicit focus on essential skill development into custody-based programmes, broadening the reach of the Partnership even further to support those furthest from employment.
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Digital Membership is a Skills Builder programme for schools and colleges which includes impact measurement and teaching tools for the eight essential skills. Through Digital Membership schools and colleges can embed a comprehensive approach to skills development across their setting and access premium resources.
Every Digital Membership includes:
In addition to everything above schools and colleges can choose resources for:
On Skills Builder Benchmark, learners can benchmark their own skills against the Skills Builder framework and download personalised skill reports. Staff can add and manage groups, set assessment periods and download data reports to support learners to build their essential skills.
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The Global Accelerator is our flagship programme for schools and colleges across the world. Our team of expert teachers work with your school or college to embed best practices to build essential skills. This includes supporting a Skills Leader, training teachers, and providing access to top quality teaching and assessment materials, as well as a network.
To find out more, please visit: https://www.skillsbuilder.org/global-accelerator
Skills Builder Hub is an assessment & resource platform for building students' essential skills.
Skills Builder Launchpad is an online resource platform for individuals aged 14+ to build their own essential skills. The platform can support with specific development needs or guide individuals through a choice of courses based on the essential skills. Each course contains interactive modules to build every step of the Universal Framework. Each module is structured in 3 simple steps: identifying key concepts, practising the skill step and articulating understanding and application of the skill step through independent reflection, written reflection or discussion with a peer or mentor.
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The Skills Builder Accelerator is our flagship programme for UK schools and colleges. Our team of expert teachers work with your school or college to embed best practices to build essential skills. This includes supporting a Skills Leader, training your teachers, and providing access to top quality teaching and assessment materials, as well as a network.
To find out more, please visit: https://www.skillsbuilder.org/uk-accelerator
Allen & Overy launched the Smart Start Experience in 2009 with the aim of giving young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds access to high-quality work experience in the world of business.
Since its launch, the Smart Start Experience has supported over 1,569 young people. As the recipient of many prestigious awards, the Smart Start Experience was the first work experience scheme in the legal sector to have its programme Assured by City & Guilds.
Through a timetable of interactive workshops and team challenges, Smart Start allows young people to develop the skills necessary to succeed in education and the world of work. They develop knowledge of the main City job sectors, potential career opportunities and the importance of commercial awareness. They learn how to apply the eight Skills Builder essential skills: Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership and Teamwork.
Students will have the opportunity to practise these essential skills at the Getting started, Intermediate and Advanced Stages of the Skills Builder Universal Framework, and assess progress at the end of the week.
A few reflections from Smart Start's 2021 participants:
Allen & Overy has developed Smart Start over the years to include an e-mentoring programme, and on-going support through university, and they provide scholarships to some students to help with the costs of university.
In 2021 Allen & Overy partnered with Causeway Education to adapt the Smart Start Experience for online delivery. To find out more contact sue.wisbey@allenovery.com or smartstart@causeway.education
Street League is the UK’s leading sport for employment charity. We support young people who live in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK to learn the skills they need to overcome their practical and personal barriers and become economically active. Sport is at the heart of what we do and what makes us successful. We support young people holistically, recognising the inextricable links between wellbeing, health and employment.
We use the power of sport to help young people, aged 14 to 30, who face personal barriers to employment to improve their wellbeing, secure employment and have a brighter future. We work in schools, communities, and with employers to equip young people with the confidence, motivation, essential skills and qualifications needed to succeed in the world of work.
Our sports and employability academies for unemployed young people, is an exciting step in our journey to preventing – as well as ‘treating’ – youth unemployment and in-work poverty. Our programmes develop the life and workplace skills, self-worth and sense of belonging young people need to thrive and move into high quality employment, education or training.
