A University of Wolverhampton student has created a bespoke piece of art for Debenhams – the new retailer based at the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton.

Diane Silverton, 51, from Sutton Coldfield, is in the second year of her Fine Art degree at the Wolverhampton School of Art, and was contacted by Debenhams with an offer of a commission for a piece of artwork for the store.

Having already created one commission, Out of Darkness, for the Mander Centre in 2016, Diane took up the challenge and worked with the team at the store to create Wolf Pack, supported by staff at the University.

Diane said:  “This was a really interesting project to work on.  Alison and her team were great to work with – very friendly, positive and helpful.  We researched that the team was collectively calling themselves on Social Media and ‘Wolf Pack’ seemed to be quite prominent, this contributed to the inspiration and title for my artwork.”

“At the launch I invited staff and guests to add their own ‘wolf track’ print to the work using a combination of finger and thumb prints.

“As a mature student I’m seeing where the long awaited journey of discovery is taking me. The commissions have really helped me to understand on what it would be like working freelance, from the logistics of acquiring and moving large scale materials and equipment, to working with corporate organisations and good time management.”

Alison Young, Debenhams Store Manager, said:  “We were looking specifically for some artwork which could involve everyone – something which could build the team spirit as we worked towards opening the new store.

“We also wanted the piece to give a nod to Wolverhampton in some way. I’d seen Diane’s work hanging in the centre and it had inspired us so much that it’s now included in the store’s induction programme and has been key to creating part of the store’s culture. It seemed a natural fit to make contact with the University to commission another piece of work.”

Diane had been a primary school teaching assistant for fifteen years before deciding to study Fine Art at the University.  She is hoping to progress on to study a Master’s Degree in Fine Art and the new commission, Wolf Pack, is currently on display in the conference room at Debenhams.

Three mums from South West London who met through a mutual background as Business Psychologists and share similar concerns about how to educate their own children have crafted a week of ‘the best work experience ever’, launching this summer.

Believing work experience offers children the best opportunity to learn about the essential skills needed to thrive in any career, Lucy Standing, Sarah Jane Last and Jo Floyd set up An Alternative Education to provide children with insightful and meaningful experience for future success.

An Alternative Education is a Community Interest Company (CIC), a not-for-profit social enterprise where any profit generated will be donated to the Mayor’s Fund for London, which runs similar schemes for children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

“ In a dynamic world where today’s youth may end up in careers and jobs that haven’t been conceived yet, we need to foster skills which allow young people to adapt and thrive. Much of our education system is focused on passing exams, which leaves little time to focus on the critical skills needed in today’s workplace ”, says Sarah Jane Last, co-Founder of An Alternative Education.

As psychologists, Standing, Last and Floyd are aware of the mounting evidence to suggest that academic success at school does not necessarily result in success at work, or indeed in life. Designed for 16-19 year olds, the week they are crafting will feature around 10 different experts representing 5 different vocations and job contexts.

Attendees will meet real clients, work on real life scenarios and receive ongoing constructive feedback from career coaches on their key employability skills – such as listening, critical thinking, questioning, collaboration and communication. Furthermore, they’ll work on their LinkedIn profile and personal statement, develop a business idea, build their own website and deliver a Dragons Den style pitch to an expert panel.

The business people coming to work with the students include Entrepreneurs, Venture Capitalists, TV Producers, Engineers, Management Consultants and Branding/Marketing Experts. The main learning point for the students will be that despite the differing fields of work, the key skills needed to do well are, broadly speaking, fairly similar. A good doctor needs to listen and build relationships just as much as a good accountant.

By identifying the students’ real employability strengths, as well as providing clarity on the skills required to succeed in a particular field, they’ll be in a much stronger position to evaluate what type of career will best suit their individual and natural abilities.

Taking place at Birkbeck University in central London from Monday 25th – Friday 29th June 2018 (9am-5pm), the week’s education costs £795.00 if booked before 31st March or £895.00 thereafter.

A Wolverhampton school has demonstrated that it is a safe and welcoming place for all by becoming Wolverhampton's first School of Sanctuary.

West Park Primary School received the accolade from the national City of Sanctuary movement after showing that it extends a warm welcome to everyone, and that its students, staff and the wider school community understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary.

The award came about after the school invited the Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE, founder and president of City of Sanctuary, to West Park Primary last year to be involved in a project on the school’s history, on the same day that a number of refugees and asylum seekers also visited to share their stories with pupils. As a result, pupils and teachers decided unanimously to work towards becoming a School of Sanctuary.

To receive the accreditation, the school had to provide evidence of the excellent work it does with parents and the local community, and in particular around helping newly-arrived families, refugees and asylum seekers integrate into their new community. It also trains pupils as young interpreters who help welcome and settle newly arrived children into their school.

Its application was approved by Schools of Sanctuary National Development Officer Colleen Molloy. She said: "I endorsed West Park Primary wholeheartedly as a School of Sanctuary as it has shown enormous commitment and embedded in its curriculum and practice significant steps to include and engage asylum seeker families and the entire school body in awareness and support.

"The school sets an excellent example for others to follow and I congratulate the head, her staff and pupils for their achievements."

Headteacher Briony Jones said: "I am very proud of our children whose learning about racism and the history of immigration into the area inspired them to want the school to be recognised as a place of sanctuary.

"They now have a better understanding of what it truly means to respect another human being, and have enormous empathy for the experiences of people across the globe. They can now spread this message far and wide.”

Lisa Harrison, a creative practitioner and governor at West Park, said: "Much of the school’s Sanctuary-related work has been developing over many years.

“Applying for School of Sanctuary status gave us the chance to take stock and look at what we were already doing, what we could do better and how we can share and celebrate what we do with the wider community."

The award was presented to the school at a special assembly last month attended by representatives from the Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary Group, the Refugee and Migrant Council, Humans of Wolverhampton, Women of Wolverhampton, local faith organisations and councillors.

Presenting the award, Dr Bhogal OBE said: "This school community is something for the whole of Wolverhampton to be proud of. You truly are leaders – now you’ve got to go out and shout about this because this is the kind of world we want to live in, isn’t it? A world in which everyone belongs equally, feels welcome, can have hospitality and feels safe.”

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “I am delighted that West Park Primary School has become a School of Sanctuary and I hope that other schools in our City are inspired to apply for this status.”

A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all, especially those seeking sanctuary. This could be people whose lives were in danger in their own country, who have troubles at home or are just looking for a space of safety.

It is also a school which helps its students, staff and wider community understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the school community. It is a school that is proud to be a place of safety and inclusion for all.

Schools of Sanctuary is part of the City of Sanctuary Network, a movement spread throughout the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for refugees seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. For more information, please visit https://cityofsanctuary.org/.

Walsall College has helped dozens of local business understand how they can access their Apprenticeship levy funds, through workshops and bespoke one-to-one sessions. Employers are now using their understanding to recruit apprentices and to upskill their existing workforce.

In 2015, the College supported home assistance provider HomeServe in launching their apprenticeship programme.

Since initiating the scheme, Walsall College has supported HomeServe by recruiting over 60 apprentices, all of whom are mentored by a network of engineers within the company.

Walsall College have recently been helping one of the town’s largest employers HomeServe to recruit 16 new Customer Service staff for the organisation’s Claims Contact Centre.

Matt Hill, Director of Learning and Development at HomeServe, said: “As one of the UK’s leading home assistance providers, we’re dedicated to filling skills gaps across the plumbing, drainage and gas engineer  industry by investing in our future workforce.

We are using our levy funds to ensure the  next generation of engineers e are equipped with the skills needed to continue to provide our customers with the highest standards of service they expect from us. We recognise the value of training our team, and providing them with opportunities to enhance their career with HomeServe.

Apprenticeships are a great way of attracting new talent, increasing retention and productivity, and tailoring training to specific business needs.”

Walsall Council is also using the levy to upskill its workforce. In July 2017, the local authority re-launched its Apprenticeship programme to ensure staff have access to training to develop skills for their current role.

With Apprenticeship programmes ranging from level 2 to management degree level, the Council is developing its workforce so that it can meet the challenges and opportunities in the future.

“This is a new era of Apprenticeships and we’re redefining the perception of what an apprenticeship entails,” says Councillor Keith Chambers, Walsall’s portfolio holder for personnel and business support.

“Our programme, Endless Possibilities works with selected quality training partners, including Walsall College to deliver apprenticeships at all levels. Our staff, depending on their experience, can now access training programmes that will upskill them in their current role and give them the skills for future opportunities. The response has been fantastic.

“It shows that as a local authority, we’re moving with the times.”

The Council has 70 people now accessing Apprenticeship Training throughout the organisation, 20 of whom are with Walsall College. These include Business Management, Finance, Building Control, Print and Design, Team Leading, working with Children & Young People, and Supporting Teaching & Learning across Walsall school and nurseries.

Alongside recruiting more apprentices in the local region, Walsall College have also seen a rise in employer satisfaction. According to the Skills Funding Agency FE Choices Survey, 89% employers are satisfied with the apprentices trained under the College – an increase from the last year’s 75% satisfaction rate.

As one of the largest providers of 16-18 apprenticeship training in the West Midlands, Walsall College engages with over 500 employers with success rates 16% above the national average.

James Norris, Assistant Principal for Commercial Development at Walsall College, said: “We are proud of what we have achieved so far with our employers and apprentices. Since offering advice to business on making the best of their Apprenticeship Levy funds, we have seen a significant increase in the number of employers taking on apprentices, without compromising on quality. In turn, more young people are entering the workforce, whilst employer satisfaction increases.

Apprenticeships are vital in today’s job market. They provide young people with the opportunity to gain valuable skills and real work experience that will lead to greater employment prospects in the future.

“They are also a fantastic way for businesses to develop new talent and pass their knowledge on to the next generation of workers. It’s for this reason that we offer such a large range of Apprenticeships at Walsall College and work closely with our employer partners.

On National Apprenticeship Week, we hope to encourage more employers to utilise their Apprenticeship Levy Funds to enhance their workforce and productivity”.

Trainee chartered accountants in Birmingham have won a top award for students.

The Birmingham Chartered Accountants Student Society (BCASS) was praised for holding a series of events which attracted over 1,200 people.

The BCASS team was short-listed by PQ, a magazine for trainee accountants, for the Student Body of the Year prize in 2017.

This year they went one better and walked off with the award, which is sponsored by Avado, the on-line learning business.

The judges said: ‘We couldn’t fail to be impressed with the fact that these trainee accountants had organised 13 events over the year attracting in excess of 1,200 people.

‘The annual dinner was the largest in BCASS history. That’s a sit-down of over 600 people.

The judges also liked the way BCASS put out a friendly hand to other professionals, creating a fantastic future network for its members.’

Amy Burton, BCASS president, said: ‘We are delighted to receive this accolade which is testimony to the vibrant professional services industry in Birmingham. We are especially pleased for the recognition of our role in working alongside people in other professions in the city. Look out for our programme of events in 2018.’

Kellogg’s is celebrating 20 years of championing breakfast clubs by offering schools across the country the chance to get their hands on £1,000.

To mark the anniversary, the cereal giant will be giving a £1,000 grant away every school day of 2018.

Schools can apply for a Kellogg’s grant by visiting www.kelloggs.co.uk/breakfastclubs.

The scheme marks the 20th anniversary of the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club programme, which has provided £3 million of investment to schools and 70 million bowls of cereal since 1998.

Research shows that breakfast clubs help with everything from attendance and attainment to alleviating hunger and providing pre-school care.

They are a lifeline for many teachers as 68 per cent of teachers believe pupils would struggle to concentrate in class without their breakfast club, according to a report by Kellogg’s.

Kate Prince, from Kellogg’s, said: “We believe all children should have the opportunity to start the day with breakfast so we’re proud to have spent 20 years supporting so many schools across the UK.”

“The £1,000 we’re offering in 2018 underpins our pride and continuing commitment to our breakfast club programme.”

Kellogg’s currently has 3000 schools signed up to its network, offering them a range of resources and provisions to help them operate sustainable and effective breakfast clubs.