Education and Employers Taskforce: Employers' Guide and Teachers' Guide

The challenge

The Education and Employers Taskforce was officially launched on 15 October 2009. EdComs worked with this new, independent charity to create a dedicated Taskforce website as well as two new online guides.

The guides help both employers and school and college staff to understand:

  • the benefits of education-employer partnerships
  • the different ways that employers and schools and colleges can work together
  • how to get started and determine the next steps required to form such partnerships.

The guides demonstrate that through such partnerships, young people can obtain the skills, inspiration and motivation to achieve their potential.

Our approach

EdComs Programme Development worked with the Taskforce and their expert working group, which comprised many major employers and all the main employer representative bodies, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Key educators and educational institutions were also consulted throughout the process.

  • Business in the Community (BitC) played a vital role in developing the concept, and in providing the initial content and structure for the Employers' Guide
  • Seed core funding was provided by the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET) and IBM
  • The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) supplied the initial content for the Teachers' Guide
  • Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer supplied additional funding.

By holding regular working groups and usability groups, we were able to ensure that the guides met the Taskforce's objectives with schools and colleges and employers.

Outcomes

The Taskforce and the guides have received widespread approval since their launch, from Government figures, employers and educators.