Lichfield businesswomen visit Westminster to promote female enterprise

Two Staffordshire based business leaders have helped contribute to a study of 'The Future of Female Entrepreneurship ' which has resulted in the successful launch of the 'Skills for Success ' report following an invite to the House of Commons on the 8 December to meet with the Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Julie Poppleton, director of careers at Chase Terrace Academy and Ruth Forster, managing director of Wagstaff Recruitment in Lichfield, who is the lead for the Education & Skills work stream of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women and Enterprise, worked on various areas of the report, including canvassing and surveying careers leaders across Staffordshire and pupils who had gone on to start their own businesses.

The report led Sunak, currently Chancellor of the Exchequer, to state the clear benefits of encouraging girls and young women to start a business.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr Sunak said: “I want this country to be known around the world where the most accomplished ideas develop the most exciting technology and turn those into the most innovative high growth businesses and that should be true regardless of gender.

“We are never going to achieve our vision if we are missing out on the talent, creativity and hard work of half our country 's population.

“This isn 't just the right thing to do, it is the economic necessary thing to do. ”

The 30-page report makes 13 recommendations to government and the private sector including:

• Better reporting of engagement between schools and business through LEP 's and Chamber of Commerce divisions.
• Embedding careers training as part of the education of teachers.
• Amending the Gatsby benchmarks to include a requirement to expose pupils to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs.
• Calling on businesses and entrepreneurs to offer female mentors and role models to support girls in understanding entrepreneurship as an option after their education.

Julie Poppleton said: “I was delighted to be invited to conduct part of this research for the Education and Skills Workstream Group. I am proud to see my recommendations put forward in this report and I would strongly encourage those working in the Education Sector, for Enterprise to be consistently and effectively delivered in their curriculum. ”

Ruth Forster said: “I am extremely grateful for the research conducted by the Education and Skills Workstream Group, with special thanks to the Stoke and Staffs Careers Hub for their support. As a region Stoke and Staffordshire worked strongly together to collate relevant data to tackle this current equality. I feel we have produced recommendations which are easy to implement within the current careers frameworks we have in place.

“I am confident with the Chancellors support and our continued efforts, we can follow these practical recommendations through to ensure this is a report which has a meaningful impact, not a report that now collects dust! ”

A full digital copy of the report can be downloaded here.

Pictured: Ruth Forster, Founding Director Wagstaff Recruitment & Careers Coaching, Lynne Parker, Founder & CEO, Funny Women CIC, Carmen Mackey, Community Administrator, Funny Women CIC, Dr Paula Hamilton, Authentic Voices Ltd