Collaborative Approaches to 14-19 Provision - Communities and ...

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEARDevelopment Confederation schools and colleges. While some links exist betweenindividual schools and hospitals or trusts or individual NHS staff these are not systematised.The lead manager for Trent WDC, who also sits on the pathfinder steering group, wants toinstitutionalise links and ensure that NHS staff are given dedicated time for training,development and ambassadorial work in the schools.436. Another notable feature of the pathfinder was its institutional inclusiveness, althoughinevitably not all schools engaged with the agenda with equal enthusiasm. Two examples ofthis inclusiveness will be given.437. The first concerns the promotion of an Industry Day at a special school. The schoolhad undertaken these previously on a small scale, but they were described by a member ofstaff as ‘not inspiring’. She wanted something both more extensive and practical. Workingwith one of the Enterprise Partnership managers fifteen employers and colleges were broughton site at the school. A wide range of taster activities were provided including motor vehiclemaintenance, bricklaying, pizza-making and digital design. The Connexions service was alsorepresented and demonstrated an interactive on-line job search facility. Students and stafffrom other special schools attended and the event was considered a great success.438. The other example of institutional inclusiveness concerns the newly established cityacademy which is playing a central part in the collaborative development of the pathfinder.For example, the academy provides construction facilities which are open to students fromother schools and where courses are taught by college construction staff. A similararrangement operates in hairdressing. Another project developed in the academy involved agroup of GNVQ Engineering students building a two-seater sports car using a commerciallyavailable kit and second-hand engine.439. It is important to emphasise the part which was played by the Enterprise Partnershipmanagers in the development of all these projects. They brokered partnerships, suppliedmany ideas and provided mostly small quantities of funding for development work and thepurchase of small items of equipment and so on which enabled projects to move forward.The pathfinder has a licence to innovate. It was accepted that not all the projects would be130