Founder attends inaugural Leeds Rhinos & Checkatrade Skills Summit
Our Founder Bethany Holroyd, with Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin
The Safety Superhero Academy® joined leaders from business, education, sport and government to discuss the future of youth skills and employment.
Our Founder & Director, Bethany Holroyd, was delighted to attend the inaugural Skills Summit hosted by Leeds Rhinos and Checkatrade at AMT Headingley Stadium last Friday.
Held during Youth Employment Week, the event brought together leaders from business, education, local government, industry and the third sector to explore one of the UK's most pressing challenges - the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The summit featured keynote speakers and panel discussions focusing on youth employment, apprenticeships, skills development, social mobility and the role that organisations across every sector can play in creating better opportunities for future generations.
Throughout the day, delegates heard from a range of national and regional leaders, including representatives from Leeds Rhinos, Checkatrade, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council, education providers and businesses committed to investing in young people and their futures.
For Bethany, the summit reinforced the importance of taking a preventative approach.
"It was incredibly encouraging to see so many organisations coming together with a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for young people. One of the messages that really stayed with me was Jamie Jones-Buchanan's vision of 'Team Leeds' – local organisations investing in local people and creating opportunities for future generations. That sense of collective responsibility was reflected throughout the day - and is very much a passion I also share"
"There were also some really honest conversations around the importance of positive role models, the value of apprenticeships and ensuring young people have access to opportunities, regardless of their background. It’s something we’re working really hard to change - ensuring children have a diverse array of positive role models through our ambassador network."
The discussions also highlighted the growing importance of collaborations between businesses, education providers, community organisations and government in addressing long-term societal challenges.
As a social enterprise, The Safety Superhero Academy® works closely with businesses and organisations to deliver sponsored educational workshops, helping children develop lifelong safety, health and wellbeing behaviours whilst enabling organisations to create meaningful social impact within their local communities. Alongside our school workshops, the Academy is continuing to expand its educator training and classroom resources, all designed to support schools in embedding safety, health and wellbeing through evidence-informed approaches aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum.
The summit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, develop new partnerships and explore future opportunities to work collaboratively with organisations that share our vision of creating safer, healthier communities for future generations.
We'd like to thank Checkatrade and Leeds Rhinos for bringing together such a diverse range of organisations for an insightful and thought-provoking day.