Award-winning Coles Miller Solicitors LLP has renewed its sponsorship of Parkstone Grammar School’s membership of the Young Chamber programme, a move which means the law firm has become the first company in Dorset to provide Young Chamber, Dorset Careers and Enterprise Company and Governance support, all for one school.
Coles Miller first sponsored Parkstone Grammar School after the Young Chamber programme was launched by Dorset Chamber in 2016. Sponsorship formalised the firm’s involvement with and support for Parkstone Grammar School, providing the school with a platform to have involvement from other Chamber businesses. This activity led to Coles Miller winning the Engagement with Education Award at the Dorset Legal Awards 2018.
Extending its involvement, Coles Miller has now also taken on the role of Enterprise Adviser at the school, appointed by the Government-backed Careers and Enterprise Company, which launched in Dorset in October 2017.
In addition to this cohesive approach to careers provision at Parkstone Grammar School, Adrian Cormack, Head of Personal Injury and Managing Partner at the firm is joining the Board of Governors at Parkstone Grammar School. This third element means Coles Miller can now support the school strategically and tactically.
Coles Miller Senior Partner Roger Leedham, Head of the Residential Conveyancing Department said, “As the first company in Dorset to have all three roles, we are looking forward to seeing how the three elements can work to benefit students at PGS, working alongside Julia Wilkinson who is very proactive in her role as Careers Adviser. We value the work Young Chamber has already been doing to support the school in a variety of ways through help from other Dorset Chamber businesses and are pleased to continue our support for the Young Chamber initiative through sponsorship of the School’s membership.”
Parkstone Grammar School’s committed approach to careers help and guidance for students was recently recognised when Careers Adviser, Julia Wilkinson won the national ‘Careers Leader of the Year’ Award in March 2018 at the UK Career Development Awards, run by the Career Development Institute. Support from Young Chamber to fulfil CEC objectives will support the school’s existing approach to careers advice and guidance, delivered through the measurable framework provided by the Compass Tool.
Julia Wilkinson, said: “PGS students have always been fortunate that the school has always had a robust framework for its approach to careers advice and guidance. The introduction of the Compass Tool and work with Coles Miller will help us to enhance this provision from a strategic viewpoint, while our continued work with Young Chamber will help us to deliver a programme that helps us to meet the Government benchmarks.”
Adding to this, Ian Girling, Chief Executive at Dorset Chamber said: “The remit of our dedicated Young Chamber Coordinator is to facilitate activity on behalf of schools including recruiting speakers from the business sector on a wide variety of subjects, from inspirational talks to career specific / subject related expertise; contacting businesses to support careers fairs and mock interviews; helping with work experience placements and recruiting governors. Our ability to talk directly to 700+ businesses on behalf of a school has proved very powerful. In many ways we are an additional resource for careers staff in schools. It is fantastic to have Coles Miller’s continued support for Young Chamber as well as in the other key areas. Parkstone Grammar School is very fortunate.”
Catherine Beater, the Careers and Enterprise Company’s Enterprise Coordinator for Bournemouth and Poole, said: “I am delighted that Coles Miller has committed to the Enterprise Adviser role and is now part of the Bournemouth and Poole Enterprise Adviser network. In doing so the firm is supporting Parkstone Grammar School in achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks highlighted in the new Careers Strategy. Coles Miller will gain support and training from the government-led Careers and Enterprise Company which aims to work strategically with schools and businesses to prepare young people for their future.”