Funded by OneAim and Sellafield Ltd the PBP offers a FREE signposting and brokerage service and connects primary schools and business across Allerdale and Copeland to support career-related learning in the classroom and encourage schools and businesses to forge stronger links.

Now more than ever it is important to raise the aspirations of children and young people and give them new, enriching and stimulating experiences.  By giving their learning a purpose and goal, young people can then start to make the connection between what they are doing in school and how that prepares them for later in life.

Could you help inspire the next generation of West Cumbrians?

We need positive and enthusiastic role models to help deliver workshops in Cumbrian Primary Schools.

You or your Company can help build the future and benefit too!

• Would you like to give your staff more job satisfaction, broader skills and networking opportunities?
• Would you like to raise your company profile in your local community?
• Would you like to inspire and connect with your future work force?
• Would you like us to promote an activity or session you already deliver?
• If yes – then join Primary Business Partnership

Find out how you could support our primary programmes whilst developing your own or employees skills.

Here are some examples of activities which may result from your partnership: 

• Classroom sessions: you could visit schools to tell students about your company or share your career journey to inspire kids to DREAM BIG !!(we offer support for you to make the delivery appropriate to the students’ age group)
• Participation in established schemes: your business may already run a scheme that we can help promote, or you may wish to get involved in an established engagement programme such as Bright Stars or Lego League. Click to see our directory of pre-existing opportunities.
• Curriculum input: you could offer your expertise to the teachers to input ideas about the world of work and support topic work with real world examples (we can help broker these links and support you) …Link to profile form to complete
• Skills for teachers: your business may be able to offer training or advice to teachers on areas such as finance, teamwork, leadership or performance management
• Governor post: one of your employees may be interested in becoming a governor
• Site visits: you could welcome students to your business premises to meet the team
• Parent mentoring or coaching: a s a way of helping schools to increase parental engagement you could offer mentoring or coaching to parents
• Become a SkillsBlox Advisor: partner with your local primary school and use your skills, business experience and networks to support the delivery of the PBP’s SkillsBlox programme.

Full ongoing support will be offered from the Primary Business Partnership team and training is offered in delivering engaging sessions to young people.

Volunteering opportunities can help you to develop new skills. For example, managing a volunteering project is a great opportunity for you to develop communication, leadership and project planning skills as well as improving confidence

Volunteering in your local or child’s school has a range of benefits from getting to know the teachers and staff to, becoming more involved in your local community

Volunteering increases employee engagement, providing the chance for your employees to give back to the community boosts employee engagement, and engaged employees are happier and more productive.

Build strong working relationships with your local school or college and provide insight into your organisation and industry.

Help to inspire the next generation of west Cumbrians to understand their own strengths and to help them link the world of work to their classroom learning.

Volunteering inspires:

Lindsay Walker, Parent and Teacher, Dearham School: after Aspiration session
“my daughter (who was lucky enough to take part yesterday in Year 4) was raving about it when she got home…all she wanted to talk about when she went to bed was what she wanted to be when she was older…  Thank you to the volunteers who gave up their time to come and share their experiences with the children and many thanks to everyone behind the scenes who organised it.”  

Cath Wilson, Lakes College: after Aspiration session
“What a fantastic opportunity to work with young people and listen to the dreams they have for the future and also share my career experiences with them, I feel very privileged to have been part of this session.”