News Release

NEWS RELEASE 21st July 2008 Page 1 of 3
MILTON KEYNES INVESTORS IN EDUCATION AWARDS 2008
Over 200 guests comprising of local employers, schools, students and their families attended the 2008 Milton Keynes Investors in Education awards ceremony arranged by Countec EBP – the Education Business Partnership for Milton Keynes - hosted by the Ramada Encore hotel.

The awards were presented by the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Jan Lloyd, reflecting the success in all Countec EBP project work areas including Work Experience, Enterprise, Citischool and Equal Choices.

The Investors in Education awards ceremony is the culmination of the academic year where nominations are invited from over 3000 students and a volunteer workforce of 1000 business partners. Tom Bulman, General Manager of Countec EBP commented “This is an opportunity to recognise student achievement resulting from participation in Countec EBP’s activities whilst also acknowledging the tremendous support from employers who have so generously contributed to the success of Countec’s activities over the year”.

Schools contested for the Enterprising School of the Year award, whilst students competed fiercely for awards recognising Outstanding Achievement in Work Experience and the Equal Choices programmes plus Young Apprentice of the Year and Outstanding Student at Citischool.

An independent judging panel included members from Milton Keynes Economy & Learning Partnership and Purcell Solicitors who scrutinised the numerous entries against a strict criterion based on the CBI’s 7 key competencies of Employability which is underpinned by a positive attitude being the key foundation of employability.

Lee Coombs, Director of Impact on Hold, host employer of joint award winner student Tanaka Siziba from Stantonbury Campus, commented “having recruited scores of people in over three decades in management, I have rarely come across the level of enthusiasm, commitment and desire to learn from someone so young”.

Employers competed for awards recognising Outstanding Support, Business Ambassador and the coveted Overall Employer of the Year. Winner, Enterprise representative Andy Mallet, of the Overall Employer of the Year award commented that “ Enterprise are very proud to be involved in this truly worthwhile and rewarding initiative and that without the team, young people would not be given a chance”.
Senior Work Experience Placement Officer Sarah Hall added “Each year Countec EBP place 3000 students and finding placements for them is not always an easy job. We sometimes have to rely on some employers more so than others which can in itself be a challenging situation. Throughout the years, this employer has ALWAYS taken students when asked, never let us down and provided an experience for the student which is not only enjoyable but highly practical in terms of preparing them for the world of work. With the new diplomas coming on line, the market sector of construction will become even more important in the future”
Two final awards were presented for Exceptional Contribution. The first was to MK Metro who has invested an estimated £60k worth of bus travel in a unique scheme which enables students to travel to/from their work placement anywhere in Milton Keynes free of charge. The second was presented to MK Dons for pioneering a new initiative which has been developed to drive a ‘Countec Standard’ which rewards successful Work Experience students having gained key skills in employability with complementary tickets to watch the MK Dons play at Stadium: MK. To date they have donated over £19k worth of tickets to the successful candidates this season.
All award categories were sponsored by local companies - Thames Valley Police, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre, Milton Keynes Economy & Learning Partnership, Milton Keynes College, askMK Productions, Ramada Encore, Milton Keynes Council, Minerva International Training and Consultancy, MK Metro, The Open University, MK Dons, IoD and Milton Keynes Citizen.

For more information contact Countec EBP 01908 209940 or info@countec.org

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NOTES TO THE EDITOR
For further information contact Christina Grant - 01908 209940

Photograph captions: - please refer to covering e-mail

The Investors in Education Awards are a Countec EBP (Education Business Partnership) initiative.

Countec EBP is the Education Business Partnership for Milton Keynes. A registered charity, it is part of the national network of EBP’s throughout the UK. It is a social enterprise working to improve employability and enterprise skills in Milton Keynes. The team works by linking educators and businesses in creative partnerships developing all young people to be employable and enterprising.

A judging panel assessed the entries and produced a short list of schools/employers from a given criteria. The winners were announced at the Investors in Education Award event on 17th July 2008.

The nomination process involved the schools nominating either a student or employer and employers nominating their placement students. A short list from numerous entries produced finalists for the 12 different award categories.

• CBI’s 7 key competencies of Employability include self-management, team working, business and customer awareness, problem solving, communications and literacy, application of numeracy and application of information technology.
• Equal Choices programme is a two day programme for students who don’t have the opportunity to recognise the opportunities available to them and experience a place of work and work shadow
• Citischool - a ‘school without walls’ - provides full-time employability training for 15-16 year olds at risk of exclusion.

Awards presented:-

Student Award – Outstanding Achievement – standard placement
Sponsor – Thames Valley Police
Joint award winners - Alexander Parisi (Radcliffe School) and Tanaka Bryn Siziba (Stantonbury Campus)

Student Award – Outstanding Achievement – extended placement
Sponsor – Midsummer Place Shopping Centre
Award winner - Daniel McLaughlin (Leon Sports

Employer Award – Outstanding Work Experience Contribution
Sponsor – Milton Keynes Economy and Learning Partnership
Joint award winners – Suzzanne Turner H&M, Victoria Martin John Lewis

Young Apprentice of the Year - Year Groups Performing Arts and Art and Design
Sponsor – Milton Keynes College
Award winner – Sophie Halford Stantonbury Campus

Equal Choices (E=C) Host Company Outstanding Commitment
Sponsor – askMK Productions
Award winner – FCO Services

Equal Choices (E=C) Student Outstanding Achievement
Sponsor – Ramada Encore, Milton Keynes
Award winner – Sebastian Hannelly (Denbigh School)

Citischool student Outstanding Achievement
Sponsor – Milton Keynes Council
Present Award winner – Luke Maxwell

Year 10 @ Citischool student Outstanding Achievement
Sponsor - Minerva International Training and Consultancy
Present Award winner – Alexander Russell-Leach

Citischool Employer Support Recognition
Sponsor – MK Metro
Award winner – Plumb Centre

Business Ambassador of the Year
Sponsor – The Open University
Award winner – Horizon Radio

Enterprising School of the Year
Sponsor – MK Dons
Award winner – Sir Frank Markham

Overall Employer/Business of the Year
Sponsor IoD, MK Branch
Award winner – Enterprise

Exceptional Contribution presentation to MK Metro and MK Dons

 

 

16th June 2008
MILTON KEYNES INVESTORS IN EDUCATION AWARDS ATTRACTS RECORD SUPPORT FROM MILTON KEYNES EMPLOYERS

Outstanding support has been received from the Milton Keynes business community for this year’s Investors in Education Awards.

Both large and small employers have pledged their support to the 2008 Awards which recognises student achievement resulting from participation in Countec EBP’s activities, and also the business support which contributed to this success.

This year’s line up includes award sponsors The IoD – Institute of Directors - , The Open University, Milton Keynes Council, Milton Keynes College, Thames Valley Police, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre, MKELP – Milton Keynes Economy and Learning Partnership - , MKDONS, MK Metro the Ramda Encore Hotel and Milton Keynes Citizen/Business Citizen who are this year’s media partner.

The awards ceremony is the culmination of the academic year and the winners are selected from over 3000 students and a volunteer workforce of over 750 business partners.  It reflects the success in all Countec EBP – the Education Business Partnership for Milton Keynes - project work areas including Work Experience, Enterprise, Citischool, Young Staff Now and Equal Choices. 

An independent judging panel will be seeking evidence and examples of the achievements of students in their ‘employability journey’ as well as identify the support that employers have provided with education.

This year there are 14 different award categories which cover Student and Employer Outstanding Achievements and Contribution in all projects, Young Apprentice of the Year, Business Ambassador of the Year, Enterprising School of the Year as well as the Overall Employee/Business of the Year.

If you would like to enter your business for an Award, please contact christina.grant@countec.org or telephone 01908 209940 for a copy of the Nomination Pack.

The awards ceremony will be attended by the Mayor of Milton Keynes and guests representing local businesses, schools, students and parents. Awards will be presented on Thursday 17th July @ the Ramada Encore Hotel.

 

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Notes for the Editor

For further information contact: Christina Grant; Countec EBP Telephone: 01908 209940

 

Copy logos attached.

Countec EBP is a member of the National Education Business Partnership programme designed to prepare young people for the world of work and to support the business community in its need to create a world class competitive workforce for the future..

As the city’s provider of work experience, Countec EBP places over 3000 students and works with over 750 businesses.  It is a social enterprise and aims to prepare 14-19 year old students for employment, by linking educators and businesses in creative partnerships to develop young people to be employable and enterprising.