What is the Industrial Trust?
The Industrial Trust is a charity. It helps young people to understand what wealth creation is about and enthuses and inspires them to be enterprising in their own lives. Its short, focused, highly structured visits to companies show young people the relevance and purpose of what they are studying at school and open their eyes to a different world that is within their reach. The opportunity to experience the amazing skills and attention to detail of everyone at Rolls Royce, the robots making cars at Toyota or the craftsmanship of the skilled workers at Key Joinery, literally changes lives.
And there can be no question about the wider economic importance of the Trust’s work. Industry faces serious problems recruiting people of the calibre that it needs. In February the Trust hosted a dinner for some of its supporters and other guests at which Sir Mike Tomlinson spoke about his recently published report on 14-19 education. There was a very strong consensus, particularly among the employers present, that developing vocational provision of real quality was of critical importance to the country’s future economic well being.
“Industrial Trust visits …keep us on our toes and everyone enjoys them. I can’t think of a better way of connecting industry and education. And that should be a goal for everyone in the private sector who wants to attract the best talent.”
Dr Stephen Bold, Managing Director, Sharp Laboratories of Europe Limited
Industrial Trust programmes include:
- Open Industry. The Trust’s flagship programme. Open Industry helps both to increase awareness of the world of work and to support the wider curriculum.
- Open Enterprise. Helps young people to understand better how businesses work and to develop their own enterprise capability.
- Open Apprenticeships. Informs young people considering Key Stage 4 or 16+ options about the opportunities afforded by apprenticeships in selected sectors.
- Open Horizons. Supports the Aimhigher initiative by introducing young people to Higher Education and by showing them the career opportunities it unlocks.
Since 1999 the Industrial Trust has completed 75,000 in-company educational visits and almost 1000 companies and schools are involved with its work.
Surveys undertaken subsequent to visits show that:
- over 85% of students participating in Industrial Trust in-company educational experiences found them very interesting
- over 85% of students reported that the session had made them more aware of what goes on in enterprising businesses
- all teachers who participated in Industrial Trust in-company educational experiences believed that they gave the students positive messages about working in dynamic businesses
- 80% of teachers said that the sessions provided good role models for students to aspire to
- over 80% of teachers thought that the sessions met the previously agreed curriculum learning aims and objectives for the students
- 90% of teachers said they would be able to use the sessions to enhance future curriculum learning and underline its relevance to the world of work
and, perhaps most significantly for employers, 100% of companies that host Industrial Trust programmes want to host more in future.
“Visits to industry … are important in enabling pupils to see the relevance to economic and industrial activity of their learning in schools. Pupils value them.”
OFSTED
How to get in touch with the Industrial Trust
If you would like more information about the different ways in which the Industrial Trust can help you locally then please contact the relevant regional director.
Please contact Stuart Bishell or John Thompson if your enquiry is about an geographical area not currently covered. (The Trust is currently developing plans to expand into new regions.)
East Midlands
Alan Young
Development Manager
Industrial Trust - East Midlands
c/o Experian
Pinfold House
Talbot Street
Nottingham
NG80 1PH
Tel 0115 976 8740
Fax 0115 976 8860
Email alan.young@industrialtrust.org.uk
London/South East
Nigel Hall
Regional Director
Industrial Trust - London/South East
c/o EDF Energy,
Chaucer Industrial Estate
Dittons Road
Polegate
East Sussex
BN26 6JF
Tel 07875 111159
Email nigel.hall@edfenergy.com
North East
Eddy Kirtley
Regional Director
Industrial Trust - North East
C/o South Tyneside EBP
Simonside Primary School
Glasgow Road
Jarrow
NE32 4AU
Tel 0191 430 9743
Fax 0191 430 9758
Email eddy.kirtley@industrialtrust.org.uk
Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes
Dr Kevin P Stenson
Regional Director
Industrial Trust - Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes
C/o Sharp Laboratories of Europe Ltd
Edmund Halley Road
Oxford Science Park
Oxford
OX4 4GB
Tel 01865 712 753
Fax 01865 747 717
Email kevin.stenson@sharp.co.uk
South West
Helen Pennington
Regional Director
Industrial Trust - South West
C/o Data Systems and Solutions
430 The Avenue
Bristol Business Park
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1EJ
Tel 0117 317 3805
Fax 0117 959 9028
Email helen.pennington@ds-s.com
South Yorkshire
Richard Vick
Area Manager
The Industrial Trust - South Yorkshire
The Innovation Centre
217 Portobello
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S1 4DP
Tel 0114 2242325
Fax 0114 2242302
Email richard.vick@industrialtrust.org.uk
West Yorkshire
Paul Booker
Regional Director
The Industrial Trust - Yorkshire
The Development Centre
Valley Drive
Ilkley
West Yorkshire
LS29 8PB
Tel 01943 607347
Fax 01943 607347
Email paul.booker@industrialtrust.org.uk
For information about the Industrial Trust nationally please contact:
Stuart Bishell
Director
Industrial Trust
Bamford Hall
The Hollow
Bamford
Derbyshire
S33 0AU
Tel 01433 651190
Fax 01433 651808
Email stuart.bishell@industrialtrust.org.uk
or
John Thompson
Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Development
Industrial Trust
44 Elwood Road
Bradway
Sheffield
S17 4RH
Tel 07810 813011
Fax 01433 651808
Email john.thompson@industrialtrust.org.uk
Text from Industrial Trust
September 2005