The award-winning Building My Skills programme is returning, and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever.  

A collaboration between Esh Group, the North East Chamber of Commerce and BUSINESSiQ aims to connect 100 schools and 100 businesses across the North East and Tees Valley in the 2026-27 academic year.  

Through structured careers workshops, business role models help students understand the world of work, build employability skills, explore local opportunities, and make informed career choices. In turn, businesses can lift the lid on their sector, raise aspirations, and introduce students to lesser-known career paths that are available to them locally. 

The free-of-charge programme - first launched in 2009 by Esh Group, Arup and Ryder Architecture – has engaged with more than 60,000 students over the years and Esh’s Corporate Affairs and Social Value Director, Darush Dodds, has been at the helm since the beginning.  

He said: “A lack of awareness of careers and sectors remains a key barrier to success. Young people can’t be what they can’t see so, working together Esh, BUSINESSiQ and the Chamber hope that careers sessions directly with students will mean employers can bring their sector to life with passion and heart, helping to inspire young people while building a stronger, more sustainable future workforce.” 

Delivered to students in Years 9-12 as part of the timetable, the programme helps schools to easily plan their careers education for the academic year. It is aligned to the Gatsby benchmarks and supports OFSTED expectations.  

“The recently unveiled Milburn Interim Report (Young People and Work) positions quality school-business engagement as ‘a critical missing part of the system’,” Darush added. “Growing Building My Skills couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time. We are encouraging the business community to come together, give something back and support the next generation.” 

BUSINESSiQ Editor Mike Hughes sees this as a chance to make a real difference in the region. He said: “This is an opportunity we have been looking for for some time. As part of The Northern Echo, we don’t believe in just reporting what others are doing to build a bright future for the North East – we want to be a driver of that success as well. 

“We have reported for many years on the passion Esh and the Chamber bring to their work – and the commitment to be changemakers in the many communities they work in. So we are very proud to be asked to join the Building My Skills team and will use all the resources we have to echo what is being done here and provide a platform for what we hope will be its biggest year so far.” 

John McCabe, Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, outlined that Chamber members had a vital role to play in connecting the region’s future workforce with the businesses they might one day join, support or lead. 

He said: “The North East has enormous potential, but we will only fulfil it if young people can see the opportunities available to them and understand the range of careers they can build here. 

“That is why Building My Skills matters. By bringing employers directly into schools, the programme helps young people make the link between what they are learning now and the jobs, sectors and businesses shaping our region’s future.” 

All participating schools will receive four workshops - each delivered by a different company - in an assembly format to a whole year group. Students will then complete a ‘checkpoint’ after each workshop and those who complete all checkpoints are invited to a regional mock interview day. 

Schools provide the date and time of their workshops, businesses choose which sessions they can commit to, then turn up and deliver an insightful, engaging presentation – it really is that simple.   

Visit https://www.eshgroup.co.uk/building-my-skills to learn more and get involved.