## **2024 Charity Commission Report** ## **Overview** 2024 has been a significant and productive year for the Island Careers Partnership. We have continued to build momentum and strengthen our role in supporting effective links between education and business across the Isle of Wight, achieving a number of notable successes. With our Administrator now in post for over a year, we have benefited from increased capacity, continuity, and operational focus. This has enabled important developments, including the successful Business and Education Summit, the launch of our website, improved communications, and more systematic engagement with both businesses and Careers Leads across the Island. Our work has directly supported the delivery of **Gatsby Benchmarks 2, 5 and 6** , and has led to growing recognition of ICP’s role and increased collaboration with schools, employers, and partner organisations. ## **Key Successes** ## **Engagement with Schools and Businesses** - We have maintained a comprehensive business database covering a broad range of Island businesses across multiple sectors. - We have developed relationships with these businesses and collected engagement information through structured questionnaires, identifying interest in work placements, apprenticeships, and support for school activities such as mock interviews. - We have developed and maintained contacts across Island schools, including Head Teachers, Careers Leads, Heads of Year, pastoral staff, and other key personnel. - We have assisted schools with enquiries regarding specific industry placements, event speakers, and apprenticeship opportunities. ## **Marketing and Digital Development** We have made significant progress in our communications and digital presence during the year: - **Website:** We successfully launched our website, designed using feedback gathered from the Education and Business Summit. A key feature is the central Island-wide careers and events calendar, intended as a shared resource for schools, businesses, and partners. We continue to work on raising the profile of this calendar and encouraging its use. - **Newsletters and News Flashes:** Regular newsletters now run alongside shorter, timely news flashes to communicate both strategic updates and immediate opportunities to Careers Leads and other education partners. - **Social Media:** We have increased our social media presence, improving visibility, promoting events and opportunities, and strengthening engagement with stakeholders across the Island. ## **Meetings, Forums, and Engagement** - We continued to attend the **Professional Careers Forum** , held quarterly by the Solent Partners Careers Hub, providing opportunities to share information and influence career-related initiatives. - Trustees attended over **30 meetings and events** during the year, often with multiple representatives present, including: - Isle of Wight Business Chamber Expos - Isle of Wight Technology Group meetings - Island Chamber of Commerce networking events ## **Specific Support Provided** - We assisted schools including HTP, the Sixth Form College, Ryde School, The Free School, and Medina College with mock interview events. - We supported Ryde School in showcasing legal careers for sixth formers. - We worked with BAE Systems to promote the Roving Robot campaign and apprenticeships on the Island. - We helped launch an annual Island Schools Debating Challenge for local schools. - We represented ICP on the Isle of Wight Skills and Employment Board, reporting to the Economic Strategic Board. - We participated in the selection process for the new Principal of Isle of Wight College. - We linked The Talent Tap charity to local Island charities to increase awareness of opportunities and support fundraising activities. - We continued ICP’s presence at the annual Island Careers Fair hosted at Medina Leisure Centre. - We supported the Oxford University Mentoring Scheme by liaising with schools and providing relevant contacts. ## **Events** **High Sheriff’s Mock Trial Competition 2024** The Mock Trial Competition took place on **Saturday 7 December 2024** at Newport Crown Court, with seven schools participating. Ryde School emerged as the winner, and all students demonstrated exceptional skill and enthusiasm. We visited schools in advance to encourage participation, explain the process, and provide guidance. The competition continues to generate strong enthusiasm among schools, helping students develop confidence, public speaking and analytical skills, and practical insight into the legal profession. Since its inception in 2012, thousands of students have taken part, with approximately 70 going on to pursue careers in law. ## **Business and Education Summit 2024** The Business and Education Summit took place on **3 July 2024** at Building 41 in Cowes. Careers Leads and Sixth Form Heads from Island schools and colleges attended alongside invited representatives from local businesses, for a focused morning of discussion and collaboration. We delivered the summit with support from the Solent Partners Careers Hub and pro bono facilitation from Maureen O’Flynn. The event enabled education and business to better understand each other’s challenges, celebrate successes, and identify areas for improvement. The information we gathered was collated into a **development plan** , setting out key priorities and actions. We were very pleased with the outcomes, which included: - Launch of the dedicated ICP website - Establishment of a central Island-wide careers and events calendar - Continued progress towards a functioning, accessible database of businesses for use by schools in careers activities These actions provide a strong foundation for ongoing engagement and planning, and we intend for the summit to become an annual feature. ## **Conclusion** Having a dedicated Administrator in post has significantly strengthened the work of ICP. The development of our database, newsletters and news flashes, social media presence, and liaison with schools, businesses, and other partners has been enormously beneficial. The Administrator brings knowledge and expertise that complements the trustees’ skills, enabling us to focus on strategic activity. This enhanced capacity has allowed us to provide a more effective bridge between education and business across the Island, improving students’ understanding of career opportunities, enriching their experience of the world of work, and helping to raise aspirations. ISLAND CAREERS PARTNERSHIP Proftt and Loss Account for the year to 31st March 2025 2025 2024 Grant 9000 000 Donatlons 6000 15000 1000 16000 Less Expenses: Admlnlslratlon Office expenses Meetlng expenses Subscrlption Ac￿UntancY 8519 3346 243 192 5887 157 216 192 12350 6452 Proflt for the year 2650 Prepared from documents and Information provlded by the Trustees. Dorothy M C Hughes J4A4 25.