Recent Events

British Science Week, is a national ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. For the second year running, the Economy team at Westminster City Council in conjunction with the Victoria BID and other Westminster based businesses devised a programme of engaging STEM events and activities for young people in Westminster secondary schools.

From Monday 12 – Friday 16 March a variety of activities designed to encourage young people to learn how STEM subjects are applied in the world of work took place. The activities were varied and include activities such as work place visits, careers discussions and assemblies.

If you are a business and would like to explore participating in future events (The Week takes place on 8 – 17 March, 2019), contact:

businessunit@westminster.gov.uk

Further information about British Science Week can be found at:

https://www.britishscienceweek.org/about-us

The second in a series of employer focused events aimed at raising the profile of apprenticeships amongst employers was delivered on the 25 October 2017. Working in partnership with The Victoria Business Improvement District and Capital City College Training, a successful briefing outlining the Business Case for Apprenticeships was presented to employers and delegates.

The breakfast briefing, held at Park Plaza Hotel Victoria, was jointly chaired by Ruth Duston, Chief Executive, Victoria BID and Cllr Robert Davis, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture & Heritage & Deputy Leader, Westminster City Council. The event provided an opportunity to raise the profile of Apprenticeships, address out-dated perceptions and enable employers to recognise the benefits of Apprenticeships in meeting current and future skills needs. In addition, employers gained access to advice and support to assist them navigate the implementation of Apprenticeship Reform measures introduced in April 2017.

Delegates had the opportunity to learn first-hand from businesses engaged with Apprenticeships and to hear from a selection of apprentices about their individual job roles and experiences.

British Science Week 2017 was a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, featuring fascinating, entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK for people of all ages. It provided a platform to stimulate and support teachers, STEM professionals, science communicators and the general public to produce and participate in STEM events and activities.

The British Science Association helped organisers – from schools and community groups, to parents and large organisations – to plan by providing free activity and support resources. The resulting programme of events was a hugely varied and eclectic mix.

Over the course of five days, more than 350 young people from schools across Westminster met with the local business community to explore local STEM careers. Key events included a Construction and Technology Careers Day, organised by Land Securities, and an assembly exploring engineering career routes delivered by Network Rail.

One of the highlights of the week was an exclusive introductory talk and Virtual Reality session with the Head of Engineering for DP World. Twenty students from St. Augustine’s CoE High School in Westminster attended an afternoon of presentations about their company and a heritage tour with the senior curator of DP World.

National Apprenticeship Week is designed to celebrate the positive impact apprenticeships and traineeships have on individuals, businesses and the economy.

The 10^th annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place 6-10 March, 2017, and will bring together employers and apprentices from across England to celebrate the success of apprenticeships over the last decade. It will also seek to encourage even more people to choose apprenticeships as a fast-track to a great career.

For more information, please visit the National Apprenticeship Week website.

Start-up Britain is a national campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. The campaign is run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs think tank and supported by Natwest, 123 Reg and .uk.

Founded in 2011 by eight entrepreneurs and launched by the Prime Minister, Start-Up Britain is completely private sector funded, and was launched in response to the government’s call for an ‘enterprise-led’ recovery.

For more information, please visit the Start-Up Britain Tour website.

As part of the Start-Up Britain Tour, the NatWest Mobile Business School visited the Church Street Borough of Westminster in October 2016 to engage with entrepreneurs, start-ups and small business owners in the area.

The first in a series of employer focused events aimed at raising the profile of apprenticeships amongst employers was delivered working in partnership with The Northbank Business Improvement District, CCCT and Somerset House was held on 1 March, 2017. This was a highly successful briefing to 400 employers and other delegates on the Future of Apprenticeships. 100% of attendees rated the seminar either excellent or good (60% excellent, 40% good) and comments included:

• “Great introduction to the Apprenticeship Levy and apprenticeships as a whole with a very useful variety of speakers and perspectives for a whole range of businesses on the Northbank. Encouraged me to consider implanting a training scheme.”
• “It gave a very clear and specific overview of the apprenticeship programme. Helped me to have a better and wider view of how the scheme works.”
• “A perfect insight to the Apprenticeship Levy and how employers can benefit in providing apprenticeships.”
• “Feel much more informed about how the scheme can work and how to start.”
• “I came knowing very little and left with a clear overview. Thank you.”
• “Thank you for your brilliant talk.”

Tuesday 30th May, 09:30-12:00 – Church Street Library

Wednesday 31st May, 10:00-12:00 – Westminster Reference Library

Tuesday 27th June, 09:30-12:00 – Paddington Library

Wednesday 28th June, 09:30-12:00 – Pimlico Library

Tuesday 25th July, 09:30-12:00 – Church Street Library

Wednesday 26th July, 10:00-12:00 – Westminster Reference Library

The second Westminster Enterprise Week took place on 14 to 20 November 2016.

Over 2,800 students from Westminster’s schools and colleges participated in a packed programme of events, designed to inspire and promote enterprise in the heart of London.

Among the WEW 2016 highlights were talks from successful entrepreneurs (including Tim Campbell and Margaret Mountford, known from the BBC’s The Apprentice), tours of Westminster’s enterprise spaces, business pitch competitions, and a wide range of hands-on workshops.