The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, has given Milton Keynes students at Sir Herbert Leon Academy the chance to develop life-changing skills.
The funding has enabled the Skills Builder Partnership, a global social enterprise, to work with the school to deliver their Accelerator programme.
The Accelerator programme supports schools and colleges to build their students’ essential skills alongside their academic achievements. These are highly transferable skills such as creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.
Teachers benefit from training and resources, and the programme supports schools to train an in-house expert (a Skills Leader) who can continue the strategy once the programme ends.
Research released by the Skills Builder Partnership, the Essential Skills Tracker 2024, shows:
- Essential skills are strongly linked with increased wellbeing.
- Ninety-eight per cent of teachers see essential skills as important for employment opportunities.
- Ninety-two per cent of teachers believe essential skills are important for success in their career.
- People with strong essential skills earn an average of 9-12 percent more a year.
- Strong essential skills are highly related to high job and life satisfaction.
Eadaoin Kelly, Senior Community Partnership Manager at The Guinness Partnership said: “We believe in investing in our communities, and this is a priority for us. The Accelerator programme will create valuable opportunities for young people to raise their potential and help them create the foundations for successful and fulfilling lives. We’re pleased to be able to support this important funding.”
Evelyn Haywood, Director of Education at Skills Builder said: “Every year, we have the privilege to work with schools and colleges who are making a commitment to building learners' essential skills. We continue to be incredibly grateful for the support of funding partners like The Guinness Partnership for subsidising programme costs and directly supporting schools and colleges to access the Skills Builder Accelerator programme. Through this work, we are able to work closely with teachers and leaders all over the UK to share practise, create plans, upskill staff and deliver life-changing opportunities to build essential skills."
Aline Lokoto, Careers Leader at Sir Herbert Leon Academy said: “At Sir Herbert Leon Academy, our current focus is 'Learn More, Remember More', and essential skills are playing a vital role in helping our students 'learn how to learn'. Through the Skills Builder Accelerator Programme, we have broken these skills down into structured, teachable steps, ensuring that students develop transferable skills that empower them to adapt across different contexts and confidently navigate their future pathways. This approach not only enhances academic achievement but also equips our students with the confidence, independence and adaptability needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.”
This is the third year that Guinness has funded schools via the Accelerator programme and 3,215 students have been supported to date, as part of our partnership with Skills Builder.
