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NORTH SOLIHULL WELCOMES NEW COLLEGE CAMPUS

Solihull College?s new £13.6 million modern campus, part funded by ebns, will open its doors to students on 4th September.

The Woodlands Campus is purpose-built for vocational learning offering a range of full time, part time and Apprenticeship courses, up to and beyond NVQ Level 3, including Higher Education programmes. It will focus on training that is directly relevant to priority sectors including construction, engineering, retail and health and social care, and on skills for life such as literacy and numeracy.

September?s students will be the first to benefit from a range of special facilities:

• A fully equipped on-site nursery
• High tech IT services and support
• A Learning Resource Centre
• Purpose built learning areas such as workshops, salons and kitchens to provide a ?real? work environment.

The project was developed in response to overwhelming evidence of growing skills needs among employers and a skills gap among potential employees. North Solihull is a particular area of concern, with only 9.6% of residents educated to NVQ level 3 compared with the Solihull average of 28%. If residents are to make the most of new job opportunities arising within the region and safeguard their future employment it is essential that they achieve the required skills and qualifications.

ebns supports this project as part of our Strategic Investment Plan to ?Develop North Solihull Jobs, Skills and Enterprise?. It also links to our work in ?Skills Development for Employment in Growth sectors?.

The Woodlands Campus, located on Auckland Drive, Smith?s Wood, will be holding an open day to welcome the community on Saturday 23^rd September from 10am-3pm.

Courses are still available for perspective students. To find out more about the open day, courses or facilities please telephone 0121 678 7000 for a free college guide, or email enquiries@solihull.ac.uk, with your questions.

THE WAY FORWARD WORKSHOP 19 JULY, JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN COLLEGE

The ?way forward workshop? provided a forum for key stakeholders to contribute ideas on how ebns can best meet the challenge of tackling worklessness in the wards of Nechells, Small Heath, Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Washwood Heath. The attendees were made up of representatives from the following stakeholder groups:

• Potential Employers
• Potential Employees
• Training Providers
• Employment Agencies.

Participants identified a number of desired outcomes which they would like to see achieved during the workshop, including:

• Learning from others about innovative ideas that work
• Developing partnerships and networks
• Identifying routes for progression

The ideas generated during this event will influence the development of the Zone?s Strategic Implementation Plans and help us to fulfil our role in coordinating and facilitating projects. We would like to thank all those who attended for their valuable contributions.

OTHER NEWS

Going Green: Forest Oak and Merstone Schools

ebns welcomes this new £8 million school designed to maximise energy efficiency which has been built for pupils of Forest Oak and Merstone, two special needs schools in Smith?s Wood. These are examples of the type of sustainability activity that ebns wishes to promote in the Regeneration Zone.

By far the most noticeable feature of the building is the green sedum roof, which has the appearance of being covered in grass and changes in colour from greens, to browns, to yellows along with the seasons. The purpose of the roof is practical as well as decorative; it reduces energy bills by keeping the building cool in winter and warm in summer

Other innovative features include the largest under-floor geometric heating system in Europe, which reduces fuel consumption by heating each room from the floor up rather than letting heat escape straight to the ceiling space. Classrooms are also fitted with ?intelligent? windows which open automatically based on the air quality of the room so as to keep concentration levels to a maximum.

The building provides an innovative example of how Sustainability and the Environment will inform the future of Regeneration.

North Solihull Business Forum

The North Solihull Business Forum meets every two months to discuss issues that are relevant to local businesses including regeneration, enterprise and the economic future of the region.

The Forum is aimed at small businesses who wish to become involved in important decisions and promote their services among the business community of North Solihull through networking.

In a wider context, the Forum aims to work with North Solihull Partnership to create better access to nearby jobs, provide employment space for new and local businesses and establish important links between employers and education providers.

The next meeting will be held on 28 September 12pm at Sheldon Brewers Fayre.

For more information call Reynolds and Co on 0845 862 9000.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund

The application procedure is now open for the second round of the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. Applicants from faith and inter faith organisations can apply for grants in the following areas:

• Capacity Building Grants- To strengthen the organisational capabilities of groups so that they may play a fuller part in community cohesion and engage more effectively with public authorities.
•  Inter faith Activity Grants- For programmes designed to bring people of different faiths together to promote mutual respect and cooperation.

This funding programme supports the Government?s aim to promote understanding and dialogue among faith communities, and encourages better Government engagement with faith groups in developing policies.

Funding is open to organisations throughout England and Wales, but applications are particularly encouraged from groups working in areas that are disadvantaged and have the largest and most diverse minority ethnic populations. This includes the wards of the East Birmingham and North Solihull Zone, where an average of 35% of residents are of minority origin, compared to 11% regionally.

CDF is holding seventeen information sessions at various locations around the country for people who like to learn more about this scheme.

For further information and to check eligibility, contact fundingadmin@cdf.org.uk, or phone 01223 400 341. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 1^st November 2006.

AND FINALLY: WARM WELCOMES AND FOND FAIRWELLS

We bid fair well to two colleagues this month.

Catherine Field, Marketing Assistant, heads south to Runnymede Borough Council Surrey, where she will take up the post of Policy and Communications Assistant, while Megan Spiller, Appraisal Coordinator, moves on to the role of Project Support Officer for Aston Pride: New Deal for Communities.

We would like to thank them for their dedication during the past 6 months and we send them our very best wishes for the future.

Meanwhile, the company welcomes three new staff members.

Tatiana Panteli takes over as Appraisal Co-ordinator. Tatiana graduated MBA from Henley Management College and wishes to build a career in Project Development.

Kate Manion takes on the role of Marketing Assistant. Kate is currently finishing an Mphil in English at Birmingham University and hopes to work in Marketing for the Regeneration sector.

Emma Cahillane is a graduate in Social Policy from Birmingham University and will fill the new post of SIPs Development Assistant. Emma wishes to progress her career in the sector of Regeneration and Social Policy.

We wish them a happy and productive time with ebns.

Thank you for your time.

ebns
www.ebns.co.uk