FEATURE
Lead – High Tide Foundation general manager Lauren Bywater says it ’ s never been easier to get involved with the charity .
GET ON BOARD !
There ’ s never been a better time to raise aspirations of young Teessiders
WORDS : SARAH WALKER
Getting your business involved with the High Tide Foundation has never been easier – and the benefits go well beyond your corporate social responsibility or environmental social and corporate governance agenda .
The High Tide Foundation is an independent charity that this year celebrates a decade of raising the aspirations of more than 15,000 young Teessiders , by educating them about local career opportunities , connecting them with meaningful work experience programmes and providing advice from industry experts .
The High Tide Foundation offers an online careers hub , a library of industry information , employer insights and real-life career stories , as well as virtual career programmes in a Google Classroom setting and workplace-based work experience .
In its 10th anniversary year , the charity is looking to deliver programmes for more than 4,000 young people across Tees Valley .
And it needs more local businesses to get on board , providing anything from a simple vlog about an employee ’ s career story through to getting involved in the virtual or in-person work experience programmes .
It ’ s all aimed at showcasing career options , connecting curriculum with career and maybe even helping you find the next star of your organisation .
Lauren Bywater , general manager of the High Tide Foundation , explains the many ways businesses can get involved with the charity – and the many benefits of doing so .
“ It ’ s never been easier to get involved and reap the benefits for your business , at the same time as inspiring the next generation of talent , raising aspirations and showcasing the opportunities available across Teesside ,” says Lauren .
“ From sharing career stories about apprenticeships and other opportunities you have to offer that we can then promote on our website , to providing an online presentation about your business , there are a number of ways you can be part of the High Tide Foundation ’ s extensive online and face-to-face offering .
“ Being part of the High Tide Foundation can be an investment in your long-term recruitment strategy , can help with your employees ’ professional development and can also raise your profile within your industry and awareness of your sector to help overcome skills shortages , so there are tangible benefits for getting involved .”
The High Tide Foundation provides all the support , templates and training businesses might need to help them produce activities or content for young people interested in learning more about their industry .
Lauren says being involved with High Tide needn ’ t take up a large chunk of the senior management team ’ s time .
In fact , staff from across the business , especially junior team members , can be more relatable when engaging with young people and students .
“ Having more junior staff talking about the apprenticeship they ’ ve just finished is powerful when it comes to raising young people ’ s aspirations ,” says Lauren .
“ Anyone can get involved , no matter what size or sector – all we need is some time .
“ The more programmes we are delivering , the more businesses we need to help , so we would love to hear from businesses of all sizes across all sectors who want to find out more about getting involved .”
To get involved , contact Lauren at lauren @ hightidefoundation . co . uk or visit hightidefoundation . co . uk .
36 | Tees Business