Enterprise in Action
Advancing the educational opportunities for children and young people in Enfield is a central priority for the Trust.
Together our partner schools, charities and businesses create exciting futures for students through quality jobs and work placements that set children up for success.
ECT’s Social Enterprise project – set up by Learning for Life Charity and West Lea School – has been created so that we can offer work experience placements and paid employment for young people in a ‘not for profit’ or social enterprise environment. For those who need extra assistance, we can also provide supported employment.
Current projects students are involved in include: an artisan baking and coffee cart, labelling and packaging in warehouses, an upcycling furniture project and the running of charity and eBay shops.
Giving students access to training and work experience helps them develop skills for the workplace, build community engagement and enhance social participation.
We are also working with other members of ECT to offer wider opportunities for our young people including interactive theatre sessions with Chickenshed, sharing classroom resources and activities with CONEL, Laurel Park School and West Lea.
The more we grow, the more we can offer our students! Some future ideas in the pipeline include:
- Establishing an ethical way to provide temporary and permanent recruitment on a ‘not for profit’ or social enterprise basis. This service provides work opportunities to those on the periphery of society as well as bespoke services to Trust schools.
- Providing innovative and bespoke training solutions to our member and partner schools, to enable staff to experience opportunities both within and outside of the education sector.
- Introducing an apprenticeship offer to meet the needs of our community, with the aim of securing permanent employment for apprentices.
- Forming a ‘business hub’ so that member and partner schools can access support when it comes to the business aspects of running a school. The ‘hub’ will provide strategic and practical advice with marketing, facilities management, human resources, procurement, financial management, cost reduction and business planning.
Working with like-minded schools, charities, businesses and the wider community means we can level the playing field, widen access for all young people regardless of their background or ability and champion greater inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.