Scheme to offer young people board experience

An apprenticeship scheme designed to help young people gain experience on boards and in public roles launched at an event co-hosted by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

The Boardroom Apprenticeship Programme, delivered by the Cabinet Office, was announced this week during an event at The Exchange in Birmingham city centre.

The launch of the programme coincided with the Young Professionals on Boards event, which the GBCC hosted alongside the University of Birmingham, the Cabinet Office and the young persons network Global Shapers.

The programme is designed to provide young people aged 16 and over experience of public appointments.

Participants will be placed on a board in an 'observer ' role, as well as being assigned a board buddy as a go-to contact to help with complexities such as understanding board papers.

The programme will also provide participants with eight structured learning days, covering topics such as governance, finance and skills including CV and cover letter writing.

So far, 38 boards have signed up to participate in the initiative.

Among the speakers at the Young Professionals on Boards event was GBCC chief executive Henrietta Brealey, who spoke about her past experiences of being part of and working alongside boards.

She said organisations who are not tapping into younger populations - such as Birmingham where 40 per cent of the population is under-25 - could be missing out on “a huge perspective ”.

Regional diversity was also hot topic, with Professor Simon Collinson of the University of Birmingham 's City-REDI Institute urging boards look further afield than London when recruiting new members.

He also stressed the need to bring in people with “lived experience ” of the challenges boards are trying to solve.

David Sangster, head of talent and outreach at the Cabinet Office, said that moving more boards outside of the capital was a key to attracting a broader spectrum of candidates.

Delegates, including members of the Future Faces Chamber of Commerce committee, also heard from Terence Higgins Trust board member Abayomi Olusunle and Office for Students (OfS) student experience board member Martha Longdon, who discussed the process of accessing, applying for and successfully gaining their first board positions.

Henrietta Brealey said: “Effective boards bring a diverse range of expertise and perspectives to the strategic decisions of the organisations they govern. The boardroom apprentice scheme is an excellent move towards widening access to, and understanding of, public appoints and non-executive roles.

“It was a real pleasure to take part in this event, delivered in partnership between Global Shapers, the Cabinet Office, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and share my experiences as a young professional on boards and the GBCC 's work in this space. ”

The deadline to apply for the Boardroom Apprenticeship Scheme is 14 November - find out more information.

Pictured: Back row, from left - David Sangster, Sebastian Winter (Global Shapers) and Martha Longdon. Front row, from left - Professor Simon Collinson, Abayomi Olusunle and Henrietta Brealey