College riding a wave of success.

STUDENTS at a Tees Valley college will take part in an innovative enterprise training scheme next month aimed at boosting their skills and improving their employability.

And local businesses are being asked to get involved.

The Ride The Wave programme is entering its fourth year and aiming for further success after recently scooping two National Training Awards.

Developed in partnership with The Working Knowledge Group the programme, run over three days, aims to give students experience of setting up their own business through every stage of the process.

Students engage in a number of activities to develop a business plan in such areas as sales and finance and local business experts are being sought to help give them the benefit of their experience.

Business people from across the Tees Valley are being asked to act as mentors to students taking part by giving a day of their time to offer advice and guidance.

David Wilson from PD Ports, who has been involved, said: "I have been involved with Ride the Wave from the outset and the experience is always rewarding. Importantly it provides an opportunity for local businesses to engage with students to give them the benefit of our experience and improve their prospects for gaining employment."

As well as helping students to develop commercial awareness, business language skills, negotiation and presentation skills and improving their self-confidence, everyone who goes through the programme can receive a formal recognition by achieving either a Level 1 or Level 2 qualification such as Working With Others Wider Key Skill or the Communication Key Skill.

Having developed the courses locally, The Working Knowledge Group in partnership with the college is now rolling out the courses nationally with Redcar and Cleveland College being used as the primary model of good practice.

Gary Groom, college principal, said: "Every full-time student at Redcar and Cleveland College goes through Ride the Wave and students who went through the programme last year are already seeing the benefits of it when they enter the world of work which is fantastic.

"Employers have been seeking out some of the more innovative students and have been offering sponsorships for business ideas as well as mentoring opportunities leading to full-time employment."

Andrew Hatcher, managing director of The Working Knowledge Group, added: "Programmes like Ride the Wave have a huge part to play in raising the aspirations and skills of our young people, while highlighting the fantastic talent available to employers."

Business people who would like to get involved in the event can contact Karen Glencross at Redcar and Cleveland College on 01642 473132.