The Enterprise Foundation is a vehicle dedicated to delivering community related support and improvement projects and is a key part of our CR agenda.
The Foundation works with our current customers to prioritise sustainable community initiatives which would benefit the local area and its residents. Stimulating employment and training are key factors in helping to improve the quality of life and community cohesion within an area.
Initiatives can include training and education programmes for young people or those in hard to reach groups, such as the long term unemployed or ex-offenders. TEPs (Transitional Employment Programmes) have been established with a number of our customers; one example is the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. In this instance the Foundation worked with the Council, the Job Centre and the local college to establish a work and training programme for a number of young, long term unemployed people in the Borough. Following the programme, the participants were assisted with finding jobs either with Enterprise or other local employers.
The team is also experienced in providing commercial advice and support for social enterprise businesses and helping to secure Government funding or grants for particular projects.
The Foundation has been instrumental in setting up partnerships with local schools to encourage apprenticeships, work experience and career advice sessions. Enterprise takes its commitment to young people very seriously and so helping widen their understanding of the world of business, encouraging an interest in its markets and giving opportunities to young people are an important element of the Foundation's work.
We work closely with our customers to create a response to local issues that aligns to their priorities and has wide reaching benefits.