Barnsley College launch Talent United, an employer engagement initiative

New business networking group launched

Businesses in South Yorkshire can take greater advantage of business opportunities thanks to a new bimonthly networking event created by Talent United, Barnsley College’s employer engagement initiative.

Talent United aims to bridge the gap between education and employment by welcoming businesses to provide meaningful engagements with students. These opportunities could include guest speaker sessions, mentoring a student, providing work-based opportunities or an apprenticeship.

The launch event, Brew and Business, took place at The Open Kitchen and attendees heard from Samuel Bennett, CEO of Meet4aCoffee, who talked about the challenges he faced due to addiction and how he turned his life around by starting his own business. Meet4aCoffee is a social recovery network platform which offers support to people suffering with addiction.

Jess Widdowson, Enterprise Engagement Officer at Barnsley College provided an overview of Talent United and the impact employers can have on students by working collaboratively.

Samuel said: “It was a pleasure to speak at this event and connect with local businesses. It was a great opportunity to speak about my journey, promote Meet4aCoffee to a new audience and raise awareness of the support that is available to those who need it.”

Jess added: “Launching this networking group will enable Talent United to create a network of like-minded people who have a shared interest in supporting our students to gain an understanding of the workplace.

“Talent United is a very flexible initiative and employers can dedicate as much or as little time as they choose. All interactions with our students provide invaluable experiences that will help them to make informed decisions about employment or further study. We welcome all businesses to get involved with the initiative, so they can share their knowledge and expertise with our students.

“Talent United is very much a two-way partnership and we want to build strong, long-term relationships with our partners. In return, partners can use our brand new Hub Space, increase promotion and receive discounts off training and other services the College provides.”

Registration has now opened for the next event, ‘Baubles and Business’, which will be hosted at Oakwell stadium on Thursday 20 December. Attendees will hear from Oakwell Stadium’s Sales Manager, Lucy Giles, who will be discussing her journey into event management.

Places are limited, so businesses are being encouraged to book their free place by contacting Jess Widdowson on 01226 216 480 or by email.