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In conversation with Anne Casey, Regional Adviser at Academy Ambassadors

Thanks to Anne Casey, Regional Adviser, Academy Ambassadors for providing this blog about being part of a school leadership team:

Providing strong leadership is important for any organisation. It ensures stability, growth and a strategic plan for the future.

Schools demand the same, which is why we’re on a recruitment drive in the North East for non-executive directors to support the increasing number of Academy Schools opening in the region.

Academy Ambassadors is a non-profit organisation set up to bring inspirational educationalists together with talented business leaders to build better multi-academy trust boards.

We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the North East LEP to offer business leaders in the region the opportunity to support all established and future Academies.

We want to address the gap between the performance of schools in the North and South and we believe the business community can help us address that by providing strong leadership in our Academy Trusts, with business acumen, experience and strategic vision applied directly to academy boards through pro bono trustee roles.

We recruit from a range of different industries and disciplines including the corporate sector, HR, IT, marketing & PR and the financial services. It’s this range of skills that supports the work of CEOs and executive principals in Academies to provide the highest standard of education to our young people.

Academy Ambassadors has to date recruited more than 500 business leaders to non-executive directorship or trustee roles; around 134 of those are in the North of the country. Non-executive directors can sit on a trust board of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) which can have anywhere from two to 65 or more academies, with budgets ranging from £10m for a small trust to £100m + for the largest. With the potential for such scale – and associated accountability – the need for experienced business leaders is evident.

Some of the North East businesses already working with Academy Ambassadors include BT, Lloyds Banking Group and PwC, however we are also working with SMEs across the region.

We’re committed to recruiting the right kind of people, which is why we look to the business community who can provide the right kind of strategic skills modern Academies demand. We need Boards with diverse skills, an aptitude for governance and an understanding of the local and regional context. Boards should be diverse and reflect their local communities, which is again something the business community can support.

Experience of working in education is not a pre-requisite to become an Academy Ambassadors-placed non-executive director. The ability to think strategically, hold people to account and deploy resources efficiently to make a real difference to young people’s futures are just some of the skills we’re looking for in non-executive directors or trustees.

Academies are experiencing a period of rapid growth, from 200 to 5,000 in just five years. They demand real business acumen and a range of skills that business leaders in the North East have in spades.

If you’d like to know more about the opportunities available at Academy Ambassadors, please visit our website – www.academyambassadors.org – or contact me direct via the email address [email protected]

Academy Ambassadors works closely with Inspiring Governance to share knowledge and help build relationships. Like Academy Ambassadors, Inspiring Governance is a free, national matchmaking service specialising in connecting volunteers with schools looking for governors and trustees, though its focus is on the Local Governing Body (LGB) level, providing school governors as well as trustees. More information is available at inspiringgovernance.org

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North East LEP launches North East Ambition

Every student at every school and college in the North East will have access to world-leading careers guidance as part of a new initiative by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

North East Ambition, launching on Friday 14 July, will support North East schools and colleges in the region to adopt, implement and achieve the Good Career Guidance benchmarks; eight clearly defined benchmarks for high quality careers education that improve students’ transition from school to work by appropriately preparing them for their next stage.

A key part of the North East LEP’s refreshed strategic economic plan, North East Ambition follows the hugely successful Good Career Guidance benchmarks pilot, which saw sixteen schools and colleges in the North East LEP area trial the implementation of the benchmarks identified by Sir John Holman and the Gatsby Foundation.

Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East LEP said:

North East Ambition is about ensuring every single student in the North East can make fully informed decisions about their futures and identify routes into a successful working life.

We want to create 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024 and improving access to employment or training for our region’s young people is key to making that happen.

North East Ambition will support all students, including those who are the most vulnerable and those with special educational needs. This initiative brings education, business and other stakeholders together to deliver effective and innovative careers education fit for the 21st Century.

North East Ambition builds on the success of the Good Career Guidance benchmarks pilot in the North East LEP region, which has been recognised nationally as ‘transformational’. Improving outcomes for all young people, regardless of their starting points or backgrounds, and inspiring pioneering practice in schools and colleges, the pilot has gained significant national traction.

North East Ambition will ensure all schools and colleges across the North East can benefit from adopting the benchmarks.

The launch event on Friday 14 July will hear from Andrew Hodgson, Chair of the North East LEP, Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East LEP and leading figures from education and business.

Michelle continued:

As well as sharing best practice and examples from the Good Career Guidance benchmarks pilot, we’ll also be looking at current labour market trends and intelligence, the practical support and resources available to help schools and colleges deliver North East Ambition and the latest guidance on careers education.

We want to inspire schools, colleges, other stakeholders and the business community to join us in transforming the quality of careers provision across our region and ensuring a brighter future for all of our young people.

The launch of North East Ambition takes place at Crowne Plaza Newcastle on Friday 14 July. Attendance is free and places can be booked online.

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Scaleup and grow: North East LEP seeks entrepreneurs for mentoring programme

Entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their business are being sought for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP’s) Growth through Mentoring programme.

Six months after launching, a bank of experienced North East business leaders are ready and waiting to act as mentors for business owners keen to learn from others’ experiences.

Companies experiencing rapid growth or rapid growth potential need to learn to cope quickly with changing demands, but many find it hard to develop their managerial and leadership talent while their organisations are growing so fast.

It can also be lonely at the top and having someone to talk to outside of the business, that recognises and understands these challenges, can be invaluable.

The programme is led by North East LEP Mentoring Co-ordinator Helen Lee, who matches mentors with mentees based on each person’s individual skills and experience.

Helen said:

The programme is off to a great start with mentors actively working with North East businesses with high growth ambition.  Importantly, all the mentors we’re working with have first hand experience of growing and scaling business. There is a phenomenal range and depth of experience within our pool of mentors and the pool is growing.  If you are the leader of a growing business and would like to be matched with a mentor, we want to hear from you.

These mentors can help people to gain the skills and knowledge required to scaleup their businesses, which is vital for the growth of the regional economy and an important part of the North East LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan for the North East.

Pamela Petty, ex Managing Director of family-run business Ebac, is participating in Growth through Mentoring as a mentor and has been matched with Sam Wass, from the Great British Meat Company. Pamela added:

I’m really passionate about the North East, and feel that if I can help grow the economy by sharing my experience then I should.

I love people that are passionate about what they do, so working with people like Sam is a pleasure.

Sam Wass, Director of the Great British Meat Company, has benefited from Pamela’s background in manufacturing and selling online. The company is an online butcher, which has taken a traditional business diversifying into digital retail. As a result, they are currently on target to increase revenues by 50% this year.

Sam said:

After just one session I knew I had a good and positive match and in fact we’ve already honed in on an issue that we are likely to focus on.

It really helps when there are lots of comparable experiences, and your mentor has the same mindset as you – for us that’s in terms of manufacturing. I’m looking forward to continuing with the programme and seeing where this dedicated support takes the company next.

More details are available on the Growth through Mentoring webpage.

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North East LEP – Election response statement

Andrew Hodgson, chair of the North East LEP said: “How Britain negotiates its exit from the EU will have a huge impact across the United Kingdom and especially here in the North East.

“We will continue to work with all parties to achieve the best outcome for the region as the Government strives to secure the best deal for the UK.

“We remain committed to delivering the North East’s Strategic Economic Plan, which has already created an extra 58,200 jobs in the local economy, and which will inform our response to future Government policy.

“At this time of change and uncertainty we reaffirm our commitment to working in close partnership with the business community to ensure the North East’s strategic priorities remain high on the national agenda.”

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Helen Golightly launches our 2016-17 annual review

Our Executive Director, Helen Golightly talks about a year of change and achievement as we publish our annual review.

Presenting our annual review for 2016-17 gives us time to take stock of our achievements and look at how far the North East economy has progressed.

It is also a valuable staging post to examine how growth aligns with the longer term targets the region has set to contribute more to the prosperity of the UK economy.

Our annual review reports on progress made against targets set out in the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) – the North East’s roadmap to creating 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024.

Our senior team details work carried out over the past 12 months in key areas to fuel economic growth – finance and investment, business growth, skills, innovation and Enterprise Zones.

The SEP itself was given a refresh to recognise a changing economic and political climate since the first version was published back in 2014.

Newly revised and based on wide-ranging consultation with partners and the latest economic data, it sets out how we can make the North East economy stronger and wealthier.

Economic analysis shows us we are in an extremely strong position to continue driving the plan forward.

I am delighted with the results of the SEP refresh process. We have a strong strategy that is supported by robust economic data and presented in a way that works for all our stakeholders.

It’s pleasing to be able to report that as of December 2016, there are an extra 58,200 jobs in the North East economy – a major step taken down the road to our 100,000 target.

We’ve raised our sights to strive for 70% of these new jobs to be better jobs – that’s in posts such as management, professional and skilled roles.

Our annual review reflects greater collaboration with the region’s business community.

Their input into the refreshed SEP and on-going support for work to hit its targets is vital.

Andrew Hodgson, the LEP chair, and all our board members are leading the strategic direction and delivery of the SEP with widespread business backing.

In skills, Ryan Gibson, our Good Career Guidance Benchmarks National Facilitator was named Career Educator of the Year at a prestigious UK awards ceremony.

Resounding endorsement of Ryan’s work and the huge steps taken by the LEP skills team to embed opportunity into schools with business advisors, to give pupils the chance to realise the job of their dreams through the Gatsby Foundation National Career Benchmarks Pilot.

I was also delighted to see the North East Growth Hub go from strength to strength over the past 12 months, successfully delivering hundreds of referrals to finance and business support providers.

And securing the £145m North East Fund for exclusive investment into hundreds of North East companies was a hugely positive achievement for regional business and future economic growth.

Booming levels of employment and low unemployment mean the North East economy is well placed to drive the SEP forward.

Its aims are set high, but we believe are within our reach, with the region’s stakeholders united and focused on the job in hand.

Read the annual review online now

 

 

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Accelerating Opportunities for North East Teens

Ryan Gibson reports on how the National Citizen Service (NCS) is supporting schools and enhancing vital careers education – accelerating opportunities for young people in the North East.

At the NCS North East stakeholder group meeting last month, I was encouraged by progress toward a permanent statutory footing for this incredibly important programme. The move is especially welcome here in the North East, a region in which I am extremely proud to say a staggering 95% of our schools are working with NCS right now.

Now the biggest youth movement of its kind, NCS is for 15-17 year olds. Like the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks pilot, for which I am facilitator, its inclusive approach aims to create long-term impact that benefits individuals, schools and communities as a whole. Indeed, the NCS programme is mapped against the eight Benchmarks of ‘good career guidance’. Both programmes seek to improve social mobility, by ensuring that all young people benefit from extended networks of support – whether these are within the community, with information or with employers who can help them.

Many young people have internalised ideas about what ‘people like them’ might do and where they might fit into the education system and the labour market. For some it is about class, for others its ethnicity or gender. Good careers guidance, enhanced by the work of NCS, actively tackles these assumptions by allowing young people to challenge themselves and explore talents they never knew they had. Young people gain the confidence to apply their skills in practical contexts – meaningful experiences that will help them when it comes to applying for jobs or engaging in job, apprenticeship or university applications and interviews.

Through NCS, teenagers gain confidence, leadership and communication skills – as well as resilience and grit – which are vital for employability and life.

Last year alone, teenagers in our region gave over 214,000 hours volunteering through NCS – equivalent to £1million invested into the regional economy. Youth-led community projects offer teenagers compelling real world opportunities to develop and evidence skills that make CVs and UCAS statements stand out. The NCS enterprise agenda produces mature and capable young people.

In addition, when they enter the world of work or university, with all its diversity and challenges, young people are better prepared – thanks to the unique NCS social mix and its focus on stepping out of comfort zones. Wonderfully, the programme also nurtures British values such as tolerance, respect and inclusion; and offers positive outlets and role models for young people.

In our region, NCS is delivered by a partnership of youth charities; V•Inspired and National Youth Agency, working with 13 grassroots organisations right across the region. Since the partnership took on the contract in 2015, nearly 6,000 of our young people have taken part in the scheme.

A dozen North East schools have been lauded for their exemplary support for NCS through the exciting Star Schools Awards whilst over 20 others have scooped Champion School status. Good luck to the many schools already working toward these accolades in 2017.

This year, there are more NCS places than ever before: offering significant investment in developing learners across the region. Schools particularly benefit from the programme’s support with learner progression into work or studies, and they recognise the direct contribution NCS makes to Ofsted judgements.

It’s great to be working together with schools, stakeholders and other partners to help as many North East teenagers as possible access the life-changing experience that is NCS.

Thousands of North East teenagers have already booked their Summer NCS experience. Support young people you work with by engaging and finding out more at NCSNORTHEAST.CO.UK

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£9.7m in grant funding available for rural businesses through the Rural Development Programme for England

The latest round of grant funding from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area has been announced, with grant funding totalling £9.7m available to businesses in the food processing, tourism and rural business development sectors.

The RDPE provides funding for projects in England which create jobs and growth in the rural economy.

Applications are being sought for projects that will grow a business, create jobs or bring more money in to the rural economy. Grant funding can help pay for constructing or improving buildings, and buying new equipment and machinery.

Three grant funds are available: Rural Business Development Grants, Rural Tourism Infrastructure Grants and Food Processing Grants.

Rural business development grants will help fund the growth of small rural businesses, new or existing. This includes farmers who want to diversify in to non-agricultural activities.

Rural tourism infrastructure grants will help fund the costs of capital expenditure on tourism infrastructure. The aim is to support projects that will encourage more tourists to come, to stay longer, and to spend more money in rural areas.

Food processing grants will help fund food processing businesses to grow and create jobs. This is for food and drink processing businesses which process agricultural and horticultural products. Examples include meat, milk, grain and root vegetables. Fisheries projects are not eligible.

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP, said: “The rural economy plays an important part in the region’s overall economic success and we would urge businesses to take this opportunity to access the funding available which will help to grow and develop their business.”

The capital grants, which will be made available from the Rural Payments Agency, will fund up to 40% of a project’s costs with the minimum grant amount being £35,000. This means that a project’s overall cost would need to be over £87,500 to be eligible for the funding. To be eligible for the grants, businesses must be located in the eligible rural areas of County Durham, Northumberland and Gateshead or within the North East Rural Growth Network boundary, (see map).

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership works closely with Government to ensure that the European Funding allocation is aligned to projects that help deliver the North East Strategic Economic Plan. Priority sectors are manufacturing and engineering, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, and knowledge intensive business services and creative businesses.

Three workshops will be held for businesses to find out more about the funds. These are planned for:-

Tuesday 14 February – Kirkley Hall, Northumberland
One workshop covering tourism grants and a separate workshop for rural business development and food processing grants.

Thursday 16 February – Durham County Hall, Durham
This workshop will cover food business development and food processing grants.

To book a place at any of these events, click here

There is no deadline for applicants as the calls are open until January 2018, although applications will be reviewed every three months.

Full details of the calls and guidance notes can be found: here

Applicants are invited to submit expressions of interest via email to[email protected]

The grants are funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), which is part of the European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF).

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) supports European policy on rural development. To this end, it finances rural development programmes across the Member States and the regions of the Union. Programmes are designed in cooperation between the European Commission and the Member States, taking into account the strategic guidelines for rural development policy adopted by the Council and the priorities laid down by national strategy plans.

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Andrew Hodgson gives his view on devolution

In his latest column for the Journal newspaper, North East LEP Chair Andrew Hodgson gave an update on recent talks around a devolution deal:

As Chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, I’ve made it clear in the past and reiterate my belief that it makes economic sense for a devolution deal to encompass the whole of North East LEP area. For me it’s not about political ideology or money, it’s that making local decisions on local strategic issues is common sense.

The subject is very much back on the political agenda with talks taking place between the three local authorities North of the River Tyne – Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside – and Secretary of State, Sajid Javid, to strike a deal for their area.

It’s clear that despite a huge effort from the LEP and the business community, the seven North East local authorities are not in a position to progress devolution together at this time.

I also appreciate the importance of progressing devolution to a timetable where the North East is not left behind the rest of the country, which in the eyes of Government is to have a mayor by 2018 – a very challenging timetable.

Therefore, we will work with the three councils and any other councils who wish to move towards a devolution deal, to ensure a devolution deal in the North East has business-focused outcomes.

I have confirmed the LEP’s position with both the Government and the north of Tyne councils and insisted that the door must be left open for all, or any, of the local authorities south of the Tyne who may decide in future that they would like to pursue this current devolution opportunity.

I fully respect the decision made by local authority elected representatives and officials south of the Tyne that the terms offered by Government at present are not ones they feel they can recommend to the people they represent. We will continue to ensure businesses in the south of the region are not disadvantaged by the on-going discussions.

Any deal for the north of the region should have the delivery of the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) at its heart to boost economic growth.

We’ve been refreshing our SEP and are looking forward to profiling the immense progress that has been made in terms of its delivery and contribution to increasing our economy.

Taking local control over finance and powers for areas such as housing, skills and transport can only help our growth and successfully deliver the bold agenda set out in the SEP.

For example, securing £380m in North East Growth Deal funding, piloting the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks programme, funded by the Gatsby Foundation, with 16 schools and colleges, and creating a North East Innovation Board of industry leaders to steer major investment projects are all important milestones – but need to be built upon by any devolution deal.

We’ve come far and achieved much in a short space of time, but there’s still a long way to go for the North East economy to contribute its full worth to the Northern Powerhouse and UK.

 

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Swedish trade chiefs seek business opportunities on North East visit

The strength of the North East’s thriving digital and tech sector will top the innovation agenda of Swedish investment specialists looking for new business opportunities this week.

Investment, regeneration and start-up experts from the Vastra Gotaland region of Sweden have a packed itinerary on 23 and 24 January meeting business leaders and organisations spearheading the North East’s bid to be one of Europe’s innovation hot spots.

Hans Moller – the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Innovation Director – is part of the delegation meeting the Scandinavian visitors.

The Swedish-born former director of one of the country’s leading innovation parks before joining the North East LEP – he is ideally placed to showcase the region and understand where business and partnership opportunities lie for both parties.

The delegation are also learning about opportunities in the North East’s key automotive sector, and how its growing economy and investor strategy offer the perfect platform for UK investment from Scandinavia.

The Swedish delegation comprises representatives from Region Vastra Gotaland, Tillvaxtverket (the Swedish agency for economic regeneration), Vastsvenska Handelskammaren (Swedish Chamber of Commerce), Europe Enterprise Network Swerea, Business Sweden (inward investment organisation), Almi (investor in high growth start-up businesses) and Exportkreditnamnden, the export credit advisory service.

North East business leaders Jen Hartley, Dynamo North East’s Head of Tech Sector Strategy, Herb Kim, CEO of Thinking Digital and Lyndsey Britton, CEO of the Ignite 100 growth accelerator, head the list of tech business leaders showcasing the region’s strengths to the Swedish delegation.

Region Vastra Gotaland is in western Sweden. With 1.5m inhabitants, its largest city is Gothenburg.

It has the largest port in Scandinavia and is recognised as the country’s leading region for industry and transportation.

Hans Moller said:

This visit from Sweden’s top industrial region is a great opportunity for the North East to showcase its strengths and lay the foundations for new business.

Sweden and the North East share a strong focus on innovation in the marketplace and I’m sure the delegation of regeneration and investment leaders will see the potential for future collaboration.

Olle Jonang, of Tillvaxtverket, said:

We are delighted to come to Newcastle and be welcomed with such an ambitious programme.

We are convinced we will have an interesting exchange of information and economic opportunities which we hope will be the start of future business partnering, co-operation and collaboration.

Caroline Theobald, North East Honorary Swedish Consul and Chair of International Newcastle, said:

This important fact-finding visit by Swedish business leaders and economic regeneration specialists should lay the ground for significant bi-lateral business opportunity, such as the example set by D3Associates’ partnership with Swedish company Capital Cooling.

“This visit builds on the successful culture-led ‘Creative Links’ partnership between our two regions and will prepare the ground for a business matchmaking visit later in the spring.

The delegation will learn from Sarah Stewart, Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative about the NGI’s role in supporting inward investment.

North East Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive James Ramsbotham will tell the Scandinavian party why North East England is a great place to do business and the party will meet with Port of Tyne chief Andrew Moffat to learn about the port’s thriving business.

Paul Haverson, Director d3 Associates, will talk about partnership working in the development of sustainable energy and district heating systems while Dr Colin Herron, Chief Executive of Zero Carbon Futures, will talk about the North East’s hugely successful automotive sector.

The Swedish delegation is keen to exchange information and knowledge on economic opportunities, including opportunities for international trade between the two regions and to better understand the support that exists to do this.

The next step is for Swedish businesses from key sectors to come to the North East to explore export and partnering opportunities.