Skills & Training

Chorleywood Orchestra

Chiltern Chamber regards the development of skills and young people in the region, as a precondition of building for sustainable economic growth in the area.

The Chamber supports skills development in various ways:

  • Through the activities of Committee members
  • By sharing and disseminating information relating to skills, training and vocational education
  • By encouraging our members to participate in work experience schemes
  • By its support of certain initiatives, such as the annual Bucks Skills Show

We have Committee members involved with Bucks Thames Valley LEP (Bucks Skills Hub), the Opps in Bucks initiative, Young Enterprise, and local schools. We have welcomed groups of students to some of our networking evenings.

Do you want to talk to us about skills and training initiatives? Please contact Vee Bharakda or Jackie Campbell.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley LEP/Bucks Skills Hub/OppsinBucks

BTVLEP is a business-led partnership between local government and the private sector, seeking to build the conditions for sustainable economic growth in the county.

Delivery of its strategic objectives is via Buckinghamshire Business First (Local Growth Hub), Buckinghamshire Advantage (delivering BTVLEP funded capital schemes) and The Bucks Skills Hub (promoting and optimising links between employers and educators).

The Bucks Skills Hub promotes links between employers and educators. Its aim is to enable young people to become more work-ready, understand the relevance of what they are learning, and gain the right skills for labour market growth sectors. Vital soft skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, confidence, professionalism, teamwork and leadership can also be enhanced by bringing commercial learning and experience into the classroom.

The Hub’s online platform (www.OppsinBucks.org) connects employers and educators in the same way that other sites connect buyers and sellers, or service providers and service users. Employers are able to register their willingness to get involved and state what they have to offer in terms of resources, visits, mentoring, careers advice, work experience, part-time work, apprenticeships; and educators can respond to offers or post specific requests for support.

The vision is of a two-way inspiration and mentorship between employers and students, where all gain from the experience.

Chiltern Chamber Committee Member Jackie Campbell currently holds the post of Skills Development Manager at Thames Valley LEP, having formerly been Business Enterprise Manager at Peter Jones Enterprise Academy.

Chiltern Chamber is a member of Buckinghamshire Business First.

Young Enterprise

Young Enterprise is the UK’s leading charity that empowers young people to harness their personal and business skills. Since 1962, it has been creating and developing programmes to complement the school experience and encourage young people to realise the extent of their own talents.

Through hands-on employability and financial education programmes, resources and teacher training, Young Enterprise seeks to eradicate youth unemployment and help young people to realise their potential.

Young Enterprise makes the connection between school and the world of work, building on 8 key skills:

  • Communication
  • Confidence
  • Financial Capability
  • Initiative
  • Organisation
  • Problem-solving
  • Teamwork
  • Resilience

Programmes may vary from one-day masterclasses to year-long projects. There is something for every year of education from Primary Programmes to our Secondary Programmes (including the year-long Company Programme), to the university-level Start-up.

What our members say:

I joined the Chiltern Chamber of commerce at the end of 2016 and it has had a great impact on the business. I have made some great contacts, generated business and recruited a business support assistant through the contacts I made. It has also led to some valuable contacts in the education sector and I am now involved in the Young Enterprise scheme. All of this has been made possible through the events the Chamber runs. I should get along more regularly – who know what would happened then!
Ash Taylor - The Implementation Coach