Get Up to Speed Skills for Sustainability

This year’s Get up to Speed (GUTS) with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing) ‘Skills for Sustainability’ event for young people was held at Magna. The event which was organised by the work-wise foundation was a huge success with over 5,200 visitors and over 100 local business exhibitors attending.

The event provided an opportunity to meet and speak to many of the region’s leading employers and get hands-on learning about their industry, jobs, and careers. Young people also had chance to explore some of our industrial history and heritage with the chance to see a Spitfire, Vulcan XH558 Engine, classic police vehicles, sit in a McLaren supercar, and interact with virtual reality equipment.

The GUTS theme for this year was Skills for Sustainability, which saw exhibitors showcasing some of their innovations towards achieving net zero, as well as demonstrating some of the career opportunities in the green energy sector. Many of the local businesses who exhibited at the event used the opportunity to reveal innovative robotics and automation solutions that are likely to drive competitiveness in manufacturing and engineering in the future. Students also had the opportunity to speak with inventors, graduates, apprentices, and education providers about future career opportunities.

To find out more about Get Up to Speed follow them on Facebook or watch the video from the event.

Employment Solutions Hub

If you need support to get into employment, education, or training the Employment Solutions Hub is open 9:00am to 5:00pm on the ground floor of Riverside House Main St, Rotherham S60 1QY.

Come along to speak with an advisor in the Employment Solutions team advisors or call 01709 249600 or email employmentsolutionsteam@rotherham.gov.uk.

Green Careers at Equans

Energy and regeneration specialist, Equans, has worked in partnership with Rotherham Council for the last three years, providing a repairs, maintenance, and planned refurbishment service to the Council’s 20,000 homes. Equans also works with the council to retrofit its homes, helping to make them warmer and cheaper to heat. More than 30 of Equans’s 140-strong Rotherham team are apprentices working alongside experienced mentors.

“I was lucky enough to be offered an apprenticeship with Equans. I have wanted to become a plumber since leaving school. I enjoy everything about working for Equans and the council. It is great to learn a trade, make new friends and earn money at the same time. I’m proud to work on a scheme which is helping to make residents’ homes warmer and to be making a difference in my hometown.” – Equans Apprentice

Find out more about Equans, their green careers and Retrofit apprentices, here.

Revolutionising Sustainable Housing Solutions

Rotherham Skills Academy’s (RSA) new retrofit programme supports the need for an era of learning and physical practice in sustainable construction, providing learners with an understanding of the principles and the practical nature of domestic retrofitting, together with health and safety in construction, climate change, sustainability and environmental protection, and current construction technologies. The first of its kind for the South Yorkshire region.

RSA, which is part of Skills People Group (SPG), recently held its official domestic retrofit programme launch event, and its success is still creating positive ripples both inside and outside of Rotherham Skills Academy. The academy learners on programme at the time of the event were delighted to be involved.

“Before coming to the relaunch event, I only wanted to gain my CSCS card and then get a job as a labourer, but the event inspired me to learn more about retrofitting and to gain additional skills by completing a joinery course” - Learner

“The event opened my eyes to what is coming within the construction industry and highlighted the lack of knowledge and skills needed to achieve net zero targets. I am now working as a paint and decorator, and I am looking into how my trade to help with the retrofitting of older houses” – Learner

RSA was praised all round for its efforts in promoting green construction, and it was noted that the centre has provided valuable resources and training to individuals and businesses in the region, poised to play a key role in driving low carbon practices in the region. Its commitment to education and training, coupled with the support of enthusiastic government dignitaries, ensures that South Yorkshire will be at the forefront of sustainable construction in the years to come.

Find out more about here.

Internships Work Programme

Rotherham’s Special Educational Needs Disabilities (SEND) Employment Forum launch event, funded by DfE's National Internships Work project, was held at New York Stadium in March.

The aim of the event was to enable key stakeholders to learn more about the National Internships Work Programme, which aims to increase the number of young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities in Supported Internships.

At the event young people had the opportunity to share their experience about how a supported internship has helped them gain confidence, learn skills, and gain employment.

Around 48 representatives attended including parents, carers, schools, colleges, South Yorkshire Careers Hub, and local employers.

Rotherham has some excellent examples of young people who have started as a supported interns and progressed into apprenticeships or employment with local employers including Rotherham Council, Gulliver's Theme Park, and Smoke.

“It was fantastic hearing from young people and their success stories. This gives parents hope for their children." - Parent of an intern

"The supported internship at Gulliver's Theme Park has changed my daughter's life for the better." - Parent of an intern

Over the next two years the SEND Employment Forum will create and monitor an action plan to help increase the number of young people with Education Health & Care Plans benefitting from Supported Internships.

Find out more about Internships Work Programme here.

Rotherham Council in partnership with local schools and colleges have launched their new Rotherham SEND Local offer website. Here you will find help, advice, and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

Find out more here.

A Different Way to Upskill in Maths

Multiply is a free maths programme for adults the age of 19 who did not achieve a C/Grade 4 at GCSE. There are free courses available across Rotherham covering a wide range of Maths areas that link to real life, including Money Management, Healthy Cooking on a Budget, Family Learning, and many more.

Willow Tree Academy have been engaging with parents across Rotherham to develop their maths skills to better support their children in their maths education. The four schools have been delivering the Rotherham Multiply programme by hosting Maths Family Learning classes. Parents and their children engaged in sessions delivered by school staff, where Maths was brought to life and essential skills were taught through games, baking, crafts, and tutorials. Maths was made fun and accessible for adults who normally shy away from the subject or described themselves as ‘not very confident’ when it came to supporting their children with their maths homework. However, these feelings soon evaporated when the family learning classes started.

CEO of the Trust described the Multiply programme as a “real success” and said that it was “essential that the sessions were non-judgemental, collaborative, fun and ensured progress for their learners”. The feedback from the parents who attended have been resoundingly positive.

“Attending the Multiply sessions has given me so much more confidence. I want to do more with my life, and I am ready for the next step.” – Learner

Find out more about Multiply or contact multiply@rotherham.gov.uk to find courses near you starting in July 2023.

If you’re looking for help to get your own business off the ground, RiDO’s innovative start-up Launchpad programme is available free of charge to all new and early-stage businesses in Rotherham, offering one-to-one support and a comprehensive range of expert workshops to help give your business the best start.

Then, when you are ready, RiDO Business Hubs offer over 240 small offices, workshops and lab spaces across Rotherham where you can continue to develop and grow your business in a supportive environment.