Wanted: Business talent for schools

HTI (Heads, Teachers and Industry), has received an enormous response from schools wanting to take part in Take5, the first scheme of its kind to provide secondments of business people into schools. Amongst the range of responses, assisting with communications is the most requested area for help and the search is now on to find business people to take-up this professional development opportunity.

Over 140 schools across Britain have applied for participation in Take5 since its launch at the beginning of December, with the majority coming from primary schools (62%) and the remainder from secondary/middle (31.5%) and special schools (6.5%).

In addition to communications, schools have requested business people with a range of skills including ICT, construction project management, team management, finance, HR and strategic planning.

Take5 facilitates the secondment of business people into schools, allowing them to work on clearly defined projects identified by school management teams. The secondments are generally for five days, typically spread over five weeks and can relate to any aspect of the running of the school. Take5, which has the backing of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), has been developed in response to calls from both commerce and education, who want to see closer links between business and the classroom.

Anne Evans, Chief Executive of HTI said: ìThis phenomenal response to Take5 is proof that schools realise they can benefit from specialist business skills. The numbers of schools requesting business people with communications skills, reflects the way schools now have to interact much more with parents and their wider community. We now need talented business people to help participate in the scheme.

ìTake5 provides stimulating challenges that stretch business secondees and develop their talent and therefore their company. Many of the skills in schools and business are transferable and enhanced through secondment and once back in the workplace, these lessons learnt can be applied to the benefit of the business.

ìThis commitment shows that schools have said ìyesî to bridging the education- business gap and through Take5, commerce can also take up the challenge. We cannot let the education sector down.î

Daniel Cook, Development Manager at Lloyds TSB has already spent time at Oaklands School in Cheshire participating in Take5: ìAt the University of Lloyds TSB we realise that in order to improve employability and entrepreneurial awareness amongst young people then the onus should also be on business to become involved in the curriculum.î

HTI is the leading provider of professional development through business / education exchange. It has been arranging secondments for senior school teachers into business for almost 20 years and was set up by captains of industry wishing to shrink the business / education gap and improve the employability of young people.