Could you bring your skills and experience to a leading multi-academy trust? Do you want to ‘give something back’ and transform the lives and futures of children and young people?

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is looking to strengthen the partnership with the appointment of dedicated and high-calibre professionals to join their Local Governing Bodies across 14 schools.

They are particularly keen to hear from potential Governors from Erdington, in Birmingham, where they run three Ofsted rated ‘Good’ schools: Brookvale and Slade primaries and Stockland Green secondary school.

The ATLP is a respected and values-driven MAT serving 10,000 students, staff and governors, with an excellent track record of sustainable school improvement and a distinct model of education delivery and support that puts children at the heart of everything we do.

They are looking for community-minded individuals with talent and expertise and a commitment to raising standards and improving performance, to give children and young people the very best education possible.

They are seeking interested candidates from across business and professions, with the right skills and profiles to align with the ethos of the partnership. Above all, they are looking for dedicated and dynamic individuals with a passion for education who can offer challenge and support in securing strong school improvement.

These are rewarding volunteer roles, with the significant opportunity to make a lasting impact on the communities they serve.

They welcome a wide-range of applications to reflect the diversity of our schools.

If you are interested in making a difference email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a brief pen portrait of skills and experience.

The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce have members from many sectors reflecting how engagement and networking can bring great benefits. Representatives from King Solomon International Business School in Birmingham attended the Commonwealth Chambers anniversary dinner in March where we met Commonwealth Chamber President, Keith Stokes-Smith. This led to Keith being invited to speak to students at the school about the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth games coming to Birmingham in 2022.

Following a tour of the School Keith addressed 70 pupils comparing the Schools Core 9 Virtues with that of the Common Wealth’s 16.

Keith said “ I was pleased to see that the School provided students  with a moral compass for life, something which seems to be more and more lacking amongst society today; further, the school aimed to “ prepare students to effectively live, work and trade  in the global economy and ensure all students succeed” . Quite an ask but a great ambition”.

Keith spoke about plans for the 2022 Commonwealth games and the opportunities for students of the school to get involved in 3 years time by volunteering to help during the games. Over 10,000 volunteers will be needed.

King Solomon has state of the art sport facilities and looks forward to working with sports clubs and associations to promote sport for life as Birmingham gets ready for the Common Wealth games.

For further information contact Stephen Brooks This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or visit  www.Kingsolomonibs.com

Marking International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) on Sunday 23 June, HS2 Ltd has produced a short film which subverts the stereotype of what an engineer looks like, challenging the out-dated masculine preconceptions of an industry that is rapidly becoming more gender-inclusive.

The short film stars Clara Lenzi, a Project Management apprentice at Britain’s new high speed railway and was filmed on location at the future location of HS2’s super-hub at Old Oak Common. Demolition of the former sheds at the one-kilometre long site in London is now well underway, ready for construction of what will be one of the best connected rail stations in the country.

Currently, the number of female professional engineers in the UK is around 12 per cent, which is the lowest in Europe. However, 30,000 people will play a role in designing and delivering the new backbone to Britain’s railway, and HS2 is making steps to ensure that local people, under-represented and disadvantaged groups are among them, which in turn is helping to reduce gender disparities within the industry.

Mark Lomas, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at HS2 Ltd, said: “From procurement to training, inclusivity is at the heart of all that we do. Initiatives such as the establishment of a Gender Balance Network and a blind auditioning pilot have seen HS2 recognised this year as the number one gender-inclusive employer by Vercida for our approach to tackling these inequalities.

“Elsewhere, our education programmes and curriculum-linked materials are helping showcase the benefits of a career in science, technology, engineering and maths – or STEM – to young people up and down the country.”

As part of its drive to encourage more women to consider a career in the construction industry, HS2 Ltd has worked in partnership to deliver a six-week pilot employability programme in the West Midlands. Fifteen women signed up to the programme and two have already been offered full time positions within the construction industry ahead of their placements finishing next week.

Clara Lenzi from London was keen to spearhead HS2’s INWED campaign as she attributes the new railway’s role in attracting more women into traditionally male-dominated sectors as a reason for joining the project.

Gaining two years’ experience, in addition to a qualification, has helped the 21-year-old build her skills to progress in the industry, an advantage she feels she has on those coming straight from university.

HS2 Ltd Project Management apprentice, Clara Lenzi, said: “I am proud to be one of many apprentices working for HS2 who are women.

“At HS2 I’ve been given lots of responsibility, which has aided my progression and success as a Project Manager and allowed me to build invaluable relationships within the workplace. I am learning from some of the most experienced people in the industry.”

Clara is one over 320 apprentices who have supported HS2 since Royal Assent was granted in 2017 on Phase One of the railway between Birmingham and London. The most recent intake of apprentices working at HS2 Ltd was 43 per cent female.

HS2 will create 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities over the project’s lifetime, with both HS2 Ltd and its early works contractors already exceeding targets for the number of apprentices employed on the project.

INWED was established by the Women’s Engineering Society, a UK charity which started in 1919 at the end of the First World War when females who had worked in technical jobs during the conflict wanted to continue with this work. The membership organisation aims to support women to achieve their potential as engineers, encourage and promote the education, study and application of the field, and work with organisations to promote gender diversity and equality in the workplace.

The University of Wolverhampton is investing in new facilities to train the next generation of nurses at its Telford Campus and meet local healthcare demand.

A £180,000 new skills lab or ‘mock ward’ has been created at the Priorslee Campus after the University received approval to deliver nursing on-site from September 2019.

The University is working in partnership with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SATH), to develop more opportunities for nursing students to train and gain clinical placements within the Shropshire and Telford area.

Between 20 and 25 undergraduate nursing students and 20 trainee nursing associates will start at the Telford Campus in September after the University recently received approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

By March 2022, almost 300 nursing and trainee nursing associates will be training at the Telford Campus, and there are also plans to expand provision to include Paramedic Science.

The University, which is celebrating 25 years at the Telford Campus this year, has invested £180,000 to create the new skills lab, or ‘mock ward’ which includes hi-tech equipment and hospital beds.

The students will undertake placements in hospital and community settings in Shropshire and Telford alongside their studies.

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, said: “The University is committed to developing the health workforce in Shropshire and we are delighted to be welcoming our first nursing students to our Telford Campus from September.

“Working in partnership with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, we are developing quality learning opportunities for nursing students to meet local needs and increase skills among healthcare professionals.

“In addition, we are continuing to work with the Trust to roll out the clinical fellowship programme to boost the recruitment of doctors.”

Victoria Rankin, Workforce Director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We welcome the opportunity for our staff to be able to study with the University of Wolverhampton at their Shropshire site, and we look forward to working in partnership with them to increase the numbers of undergraduate nursing students from September.”

In 2018/19, more than 600 students joined the University of Wolverhampton to study a range of nursing courses at its Wolverhampton, Walsall and Burton Campuses.

This includes BSc (Hons) courses in Adult Nursing, Children’s Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Midwifery, Masters courses and Apprenticeships.

The University is also working with SaTH to roll out the successful clinical fellowship programme pioneered with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to boost the recruitment of doctors.

The clinical fellowship programme, which is aimed at UK and overseas doctors who are seeking clinical experience, a high quality training programme, enhanced qualifications and career progression, follows the successful model developed by the University with New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

There are also plans to enhance management and leadership through the delivery of continuous professional development (CPD) programmes.

For information about studying nursing at the University of Wolverhampton, visit: www.wlv.ac.uk/nursing or visit our next Open Day on Saturday, 15 June 2019: www.wlv.ac.uk/opendays

A University of Wolverhampton engineering student has helped design a unique exhaust component for a prestigious sports car.

Daniel Bird, 26 from Staffordshire, is studying for a Motorsport Engineering degree in the School of Engineering at Telford Innovation Campus.

The School of Engineering was approached to design and manufacture a bespoke exhaust trim for a Pagani Huayra car that will be driven to Europe to take part in an exhibition.

Working closely with commercial client, Torus Technology Group, Dan developed the design using Computer Aided Design (CAD) technology and prototype models to create a final product made from Titanium.

Paul Bates, Technical & Business Resource Manager at the University of Wolverhampton’s Telford Innovation Campus, said: “The design takes advantage of the Direct Metal Laser Sintering process that operates at the Telford Innovation Campus, to permit very complex and unique designs that cannot be manufactured using more conventional methods.

“Daniel worked closely with the client on the project outside of his academic and motorsport activities, gaining some valuable live work experience, to create the final product which was commended by Horacio Pagani, the founder of Italian speciality auto-maker, Pagani Automobili.”

Daniel said: “Getting the chance to work with Torus Technology Group on a sports car produced by Pagani, one of the greatest Italian sports car manufacturers in the world, was an amazing opportunity.

“Thanks to the skills and techniques I obtained through my studies and Motorsport activities, I was able to interpret the client’s ideas into a design best suited for the Huayra’s unique style. Then to receive the word that Horacio Pagani commended my work was truly something special to me.

“I am eternally grateful for the University and the facilities they have offer are amazing. The reason I chosen the University in the first place was to further develop my career prospects and I would urge other upcoming students to do the same.”

Daniel is now working on a second design for a Pagani Zonda.

Children from a Rowley Regis school celebrated at achieving their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at Buckingham Palace.

The students from The Westminster School are the first people with learning disabilities in the country to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

The Westminster School is Special School at Rowley Learning Campus off Curral Road in Rowley Regis which caters for pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties and is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The students were invited to collect their award at Buckingham Palace on 22 May, in the presence of HRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex and Prince Michael of Kent.

Students took part in a wide range of activities in order to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Award including voluntary work at St Giles Church in Rowley Regis, personal fitness programmes at Portway Lifestyle Centre in Oldbury and a four-day camping expedition to Edale in the Peak District.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an integral part of the school’s curriculum and undertaking the DofE award has enabled students to develop skills for life, boosting their employment prospects.

Head Teacher at The Westminster School, Christine Hill, said “We are very proud of our students and their groundbreaking achievement in earning the DofE Gold Award.

“Parents of the students have said it’s not only changed their child’s life, but also their own. It encourages them all to get out and about at the weekend, visiting nature reserves and areas of the local community that they perhaps wouldn’t have otherwise visited.

“Their hard work and enthusiasm, and that of the staff working with them in achieving this award, has been inspirational to the whole school community.”

Councillor Joyce Underhill, cabinet member for best start in life said: “This is an amazing achievement, especially as these young people are the first in the country with learning disabilities to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

“Thank you to all who have helped these students with their award. The students really are an inspiration to all.”