An ‘International Women’s Hour’ online podcast was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nottingham city centre today (March 8), as part of International Women’s Day.
The event was organised by alternative provision free school, The Stone Soup Academy (based at High Pavement, Nottingham) and the Enterprise Advisor working with the school, Crowne Plaza Human Resources Lead Julie Oliver.
The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is a private sector-led Partnership which promotes economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. As part of its work developing skills and training in its area – to get people into sustainable careers and to ensure local employers have staff with the right skills – it runs (with the Government-backed Careers & Enterprise Company) the Enterprise Adviser Network (EAN). Ten Enterprise Coordinators aid over 90 Enterprise Advisers, all business community volunteers, who support more than 100 schools with careers advice, to widen pupils’ attitudes to the world of work.
Taking part in the International Women’s Hour’ podcast were from The Stone Soup Academy a current Year Ten student, a former student who has progressed to studying a University of Derby BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Therapies degree, Principal Kerrie Henton and Assistant Head of Engagement Rebekka Ashmore; plus the Academy’s D2N2 LEP Enterprise Advisor Julie Oliver and Enterprise Coordinator Claire Knee; and Detective Superintendent Leona Scurr from Nottinghamshire Police.
International Women’s Day (IWD) was used by the Academy and its guests to showcase their ongoing commitment to women’s career equality, to launch new ideas and career learning opportunities, celebrate women’s achievements, and suggest how things could be improved for female students in the future. The idea for the podcast had come out of a discussion between the Academy and its Enterprise Adviser, and took place on IWD, and in both National Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week.
Those women taking part gave an overview of their career and learning journey, referring to the disadvantages they’d had to overcome or were currently facing, so they could share those experiences with a wider audience.
Each participant made a pledge to the school and/or their own careers. Those pledges are:-
- Finnley, the former student, is going to launch a regular Young Women’s Hour at the school, supporting young women to imagine their career futures and make the most of opportunities available to them. She will be supported by Assistant Head of Engagement Rebekka Ashmore to create this new opportunity and will use it as part of her current degree learning.
- The current student pledged to achieve 100% attendance (being inspired by the success and positivity of Finnley). She is due to have a work experience placement at Crowne Plaza, using her photography skills to create an image-based set of visual standards for all hotel staff to work to.
- Julie Oliver, Enterprise Advisor, pledged to ‘give every student at Stone Soup Academy the opportunity to experience work at Crowne Plaza or through my business network, and to be available to students to openly discuss career opportunities and ideas’.
- Kerrie Henton, Academy Principal, pledged to continue to be open and innovative in her approach to careers and employer relationships, establishing Young Women’s Hour as her newest career offer.
- Detective Superintendent Leona Scurr pledged to introduce the Academy to her network of professionals from many sectors, ensuring young women can meet and network with local female role models from different workplaces.
- Rebekka Ashmore pledged ‘to keep giving, this event has made me realise that everything you do and every day at school makes a positive difference to your students’.
- Claire Knee, D2N2 Enterprise Coordinator for Nottingham City, pledged to continue to support the school to increase its business network and support the growth of their careers programme.
Schools and businesses wanting more information about the D2N2 LEP Enterprise Adviser Network, or to get involved, should go to web link www.d2n2skills.co.uk/d2n2-ean or contact Rachel Quinn – D2N2 LEP Careers, Employability & Inclusion Manager – on 0115 957 8757 ext. 2211 or email: Rachel.Quinn@d2n2lep.org
For more information on National Careers Week 2019, running March 4 to 9, see its website at https://nationalcareersweek.com/
To learn more about The Stone Soup Academy see its website at www.stonesoupacademy.org.uk/
Media wanting further information about the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Manager Sean Kirby on 0115 957 8749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
