Work For Teachers

45 staff from Ysgol Rhiwabon spent the day with local companies on Friday November 16th 2012 as part of the school’s approach to working more closely with industry.

Business in the Community have been working with Ysgol Rhiwabon to ensure that links to industry are excellent and that local businesses become more involved in aspects of the students development.

The ‘Teacher in Industry’ days aim to help address the gap between education provision and the world of work and are part of the national Business Class campaign.

The objective of the day is to illustrate to staff the varied careers that exist within a business and how they link back to subjects taught in schools.

Alun Harding, new Headteacher at Ysgol Rhiwabon said, ‘’This was a significant and highly successful step for the school and we hope that it will be inspiring for our staff when they return to the classroom to lead our students with drive and enthusiasm for what local business can offer. There are many careers available to students and with a wider understanding of what is on offer, staff will be able to use that to raise the aspirations of our students’’.

Giles Evans, the Business and Community Manager at the school said, ‘’Our links to Business in the Community have been invaluable to the school in helping to raise the profile of what local business can offer our students. The involvement of many local companies has developed a wider appreciation of the role that business can play in education’’.

Business Class is Business in the Community’s (BITC) flagship education programme targeting schools in the UK‟s most deprived communities. Business Class helps to boost young people’s skills, ambition and confidence, while supporting schools with holistic business engagement tailored to meet their individual needs. Companies supporting the wider Business Class initiative include, Scottish Power, Toyota, Theatre Clwyd, Brother Industries, Kraft Foods, Ipsen Biopharm and Land Rover Jaguar (as shown in the photograph).

Guy Jefferson, Network Operations Director at Scottish Power (who chairs the North Wales Employers Forum, a key supporter of the Business Class scheme in north Wales) said, “What we’ve aimed to develop with the schools is a sustainable partnership, benefiting both the school and the pupils. Aside from this is the lessons we learn from the school help to make us a better neighbour and brings us closer to our community. This ultimately provides us with a greater understanding of the skills required of our future workforce.”

In an interesting coincidence the group at Brother UK Limited saw the production of the last ever typewriter made in the UK whilst on the tour of the factory in Ruabon, Wrexham.