BUILDING MY SKILLS

Businesses, let’s collaborate to help shape our future workforce

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Connect with Future Talent

Building My Skills is a proven, high impact programme that connects businesses directly with the next generation of local talent. 

By joining the programme, your organisation can inspire young people, support schools and help build a stronger, more sustainable skills pipeline for your sector and the wider region.

If you’re keen to engage with schools in your local area, this is the perfect place to start – we do all the organising, and you get to engage with whole academic year groups to shine a light on roles in your industry.

BUILDING MY SKILLS

Reasons To Take Part

Build Your Talent Pipeline

Help create a pipeline of work‑ready young people who understand the opportunities in your sector.

Change Perceptions

Challenge outdated views of your industry and showcase careers that many students don’t know exist.

Inspire the Next Generation

Bring careers to life by sharing real stories, real roles and real pathways within your business and sector.

Staff Development

Colleagues get the opportunity to develop their presentation skills in front of large audiences, providing the perfect professional development opportunity.

A Powerful Regional Network

Work alongside regional employers to strengthen collaboration and shared impact.

Strengthen Your CSR

Boost your social credentials through a high‑visibility programme – at no direct cost to your business.

BUILDING MY SKILLS

Don't Just Take Our Word For It

Andy Johnson, Director, Arup

Andy Johnson

Director

Arup

“As a founding member of Building My Skills, Arup has enjoyed a 16 year association with this multi award-winning school outreach programme. One of the core Arup values is social usefulness and our ability to engage with schools in our local communities helps demonstrate our social value commitments and provides staff with a platform to give something back and help others. Engagement with school and business partners is effortless, collaborative and uplifting. Schools and students are genuinely appreciative of the programme and engagement often leads to employment opportunities for students.”

Karen Marshall, Apprentice, Education and Engagement Lead, Accenture

Karen Marshall

Apprentice, Education and Engagement Lead

Accenture

“We have been involved with the delivery of Building My Skills since 2015 and have found it an invaluable programme. It gives Accenture the opportunity to showcase the Digital Sector in the North East and to highlight fantastic career opportunities to a wide audience of young people and teachers, many of whom may not have realised the pathways to rewarding and highly paid careers open to them on their doorstep. It’s very well organised, the team at Esh make it very easy for businesses to participate, I’d encourage all employers to take part.”

EDUCATION

Why It Matters

The process of reducing economic inactivity, expanding opportunity and increasing social mobility starts in our schools. We must connect our students with employers - prioritising connections with businesses from our region’s growth and foundation sectors.

Today’s students are our future workforce and businesses must work together to raise awareness of opportunities that exist on their doorstep, inspire them, and excite them about the world of work.

By doing this, we can raise employment aspirations and help more young people secure good quality, rewarding and sustainable careers. But without visibility of local opportunities, sectors, and career pathways, they can’t be what they can’t see.

Building My Skills provides a free, tried and tested model that ensures opportunities are accessible to all – a direct line of sight to good quality, local jobs and a platform for business and school collaboration.

Your Questions Answered

There is no cost for schools or businesses to take part in Building My Skills, and there are no membership levels. 

The only commitment required is the time your organisation dedicates to delivering workshops. 

Esh Group fully funds the programme, including: 

  • Programme coordination 

  • Filming and editing of the introductory video 

  • Student checkpoint materials 

  • Travel for students 

  • Regional Interview Day 

  • Marketing and communications 

Our focus is on providing a free, high-quality programme that supports schools and inspires the future workforce across all sectors. 

 

There is no minimum or maximum commitment. We encourage businesses to get involved in a way that works best for them. 

You can choose to deliver as many workshops as your organisation can comfortably support, ideally within schools local to your workplace. Larger organisations may deliver multiple workshops across the region, while smaller businesses may focus on a smaller number of local sessions. 

Our priority is to ensure every business can participate in a way that is flexible, manageable and meaningful. 

One of the strengths of Building My Skills is its scale, working across 100 schools in all 12 local authority areas in the North East and Tees Valley. 

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be invited to an in-person sign-up session, where you can select the workshops you’d like to deliver in the schools that suit you best. 

Alternatively, some businesses prefer to provide criteria - such as the number of workshops, preferred locations, and timing - and our coordination team develop a tailored proposal for approval. 

Where possible, we encourage workshops to be filled organically, with local businesses delivering in local schools. This approach helps create a more relevant, engaging and impactful experience for students. 

Yes. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive a range of resources to help you create your workshop. 

Your presentation should reflect your organisation - using your own branding and content - while following a recommended structure that ensures consistency for schools and a high-quality experience for students. 

We also provide weekly drop-in support sessions in the lead up to programme launch and ongoing guidance and advice throughout the programme, as needed. 

Our aim is to make the process simple, supported and flexible, enabling you to deliver a workshop that works for your business while aligning with the programme’s overall aims and objectives. 

Target Sectors

We are looking for a range of sectors to get involved in Building My Skills. Register today and help lift the lid on the future opportunities in your industry. 

Advanced Manufacturing, Chemical & Process Industries

Automotive & Logistics

Business, Financial & Professional Services

Charitable & VCSE

Construction

Creative Industries & Content

Defence, Security & Space

Education & Public Services

Energy, Offshore & Low Carbon Technology

Health & Social Care

Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals

SME (All sectors)

Social Housing

Sport

Technology, Digital & AI

Visitor Economy, Culture, Leisure & Retail

Join as a Business Partner

Sign up to the Building My Skills programme by completing the registration form.

Register Your Interest