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Aspire2lead is a project part-funded by the European Social Fund that supports women in employment and SMEs across the York and North Yorkshire LEP area. This months blog is written by another member of our team, Bernie. We love our team and the dynamic it holds. However, no one can ignore the change that lockdown […]~
March 4, 2021
February has been a planning-packed month as the progress2work team have been gearing up for a number of exciting events and partnerships. With the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the government’s roadmap being released, we’re starting to see our partners, local community groups, and our own Opportunity Centres opening back up. While the roadmap […]~
March 1, 2021
Aspire2lead is a project part-funded by the European Social Fund that supports women in employment and SMEs across the York and North Yorkshire LEP area. On the day of posting, we are starting the 7th week of a 3rd national lockdown. So, this month we wanted to do a REAL blog, from one of our […]~
February 17, 2021
Careers Live is our bi-annual conference providing the perfect opportunity to engage with leading thinkers in the CEIAG sector about what the future holds. Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, our 2021 conference will take place digitally with a series of FREE events with our first session ‘Where next for Career Guidance in England? starting on […]~
February 15, 2021
Happy New Year from the progress2work team! After an exciting 6 months, we’d like to take the opportunity in this Monthly Update to review our activity in 2020 and set out our plans for the future.Despite the progress2work project beginning and being run during the course of the COVID outbreak and pandemic, we have achieved […]~
February 1, 2021
December has seen the progress2work team finishing our first 6 months with a positive note. The team have been reviewing progress so far, and considering which topics and concerns we can focus on to further develop our delivery. We’re looking forward to 2021 and planning ahead to create new resources and set up new methods […]~
January 1, 2021
We’ve been liaising with key stakeholders in York and North Yorkshire to project manage an update of the Shape Your Future labour market information resource. Representatives from York & North Yorkshire LEP, Uni Connect, Harrogate Council, York City Council and NYBEP are supporting the initiative to ensure this well-received resource is available for schools across […]~
December 10, 2020
The progress2work team have been focusing on wellbeing and support this November. With the arrival of the second lockdown, the mental health and welfare of our clients and the wider communities we work in have been at the forefront of our delivery and events this month. We held Wellbeing Workshops throughout the lockdown which were […]~
December 1, 2020
We are currently in unprecedented times but we didn’t let that stop Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2020. The initiative kicked off on 5th October, running to 16th October but with a different approach to the previous years. Whilst still introducing the district’s manufacturers to young people and boosting apprenticeshipnumbers by creating more inspired, informed and ‘work […]~
October 18, 2020
September has brought plenty of new things for the progress2work team. We’re excited to announce that as of this month, we have a full team working with us – thanks to the arrival of our final Volunteer Training Coordinator Alex! Her previous experience includes working within a large charity, helping young people access volunteering opportunities. […]~
October 1, 2020
We are currently in unprecedented times but we won’t let that stop our Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2020. The initiative will still be running from the 5th – 16th October 2020 but with a different approach to the previous years. We will still be introducing the district’s manufacturers to young people and boost apprenticeship numbers by […]~
September 14, 2020
August has been an eventful month for the progress2work team. Our final Employment Key Worker, Leon joined us at the start of the month and as our team gets bigger, we’ve taken the opportunity for plenty of team building, workshopping and sharing expertise. We’ve been continuing on the engagement path, and preparing to begin delivery. While COVID-19 remains at the forefront of our decisions, we’ve […]~
September 1, 2020
The past few months have been hard for everyone but luckily our aspire2work team have been working flat out to adapt our study programmes to make sure they are suitable for the current situation. We are very pleased to announce that aspire2work is now fully online, meaning learning can continue remotely for those that need […]~
August 6, 2020
Aspire-igen launches new programme helping adults ‘Progress2work’ Progress2work is a new adult employability project achieved by aspire-igen through European Social Funding. The project aims to bring socially excluded adults closer to the labour market using new and tried-and-tested employability methods to overcome barriers to work. The programme includes access to a therapeutic worker, an employability trainer, and volunteer training coordinators, as well as key workers to offer wrap-around […]~
July 6, 2020
Avraj went to Priesthorpe School, where he first met our very own, Chris Humberstone! Chris is one of our dedicated Shine Careers advisors who still works for aspire-igen and is still helping students at Priesthorpe School. When Avraj was in Year 11 he had several ideas about the future and was not sure whether he should stay […]~
December 16, 2019
On Friday 8th November, a vast area of people from the aspire-igen team descended on Wakefield. Employees travelled from all over Yorkshire, with every Opportunity Centre and project being represented in one way or another. They did this to entertain a whole host of representatives from the local council, schools, colleges and businesses. They were all […]~
November 8, 2019
On Thursday 28th November, Bradford based training provider aspire-igen will have the privilege of hosting the Igniting Inspiration Awards for a third successive year. The Event Space, housed within aspire igen’s Opportunity Centre, will once again provide the backdrop to a fabulous evening of celebration and community. The Igniting Inspiration Awards are set up to celebrate the achievements of […]~
November 6, 2019
Aspire-igen is pleased to be a delivery partner for the Action Towards Inclusion project. This £7m programme is a three-year project funded by the Big Lottery and the European Social Fund for the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP area. The programme offers flexible support to help adults overcome physical, psychological, financial and skills-related barriers […]~
October 21, 2019
Representatives from the local council, schools, colleges and businesses descended on Dewsbury on Friday, 4th October, to watch as Mayor Cllr Mumtaz Hussain and Mayoress Mrs Noreen Hussain, opened aspire-igen’s brand new Opportunity Centre. Aspire-igen moved from the previous centre on Westgate to larger premises at 25-27, just across the road. Being committed to changing lives for […]~
October 4, 2019
On Friday 4th October, The Canteen will be raising awareness of World No Disposable Cup Day. As an incentive for customers to use reusable coffee cups, take out hot drinks will be available for a reduced price of £1.75 all day for those who bring along a reusable travel mug. 16 billion disposable coffee cups are […]~
September 24, 2019
We are very pleased to announce the significant improvement in the number of learners securing grades 9 – 4 (A*- C) in both English and maths in the summer exams in our aspire2work courses. Overall, the number of leaners who have achieved a strong pass in GCSE English has risen by 45% since last year and 75% for GCSE maths. […]~
September 12, 2019
On Friday 27th of September, The Canteen will host a Macmillan coffee morning. Learners aged 16-19 on the aspire2work Catering and Hospitality course will serve delicious home made treats and drinks. They will host the whole event, providing them with a taste and insight into events management and customer service. All proceeds will be donated to Macmillan. […]~
September 9, 2019
Aspire-igen has launched a free 13 week employability skills programme in partnership with University of Bradford, commissioned by the Department of Work & Pensions and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, to help unemployed graduates to get into and remain in work. The programme is open to graduates living in the Bradford area regardless […]~
August 19, 2019
In May the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) launched its MY FUTURE project. This project is being funded by The Careers and Enterprise Company with the aim being to develop a model of good practice to ensure deaf young people have access to high-quality careers advice. The NDCS have teamed up with a careers service in each […]~
July 17, 2019
The Careers & Enterprise Company have announced £2.5 million of funding to support Personal Guidance initiatives in schools. Aspire-igen is delighted to have successfully bid to receive funding to provide young people in seven Leeds and Bradford schools with an enhanced programme of personalised guidance through the Shine Careers Service. Personal guidance is one of […]~
May 1, 2019
Careers Live is aspire-igen’s bi-annual careers conference. It is the largest in the north, and is organised and entirely funded by aspire-igen. This year was the fourth bi-annual event, held at Leeds Town Hall. The conference welcomed over 200 delegates from 94 schools and colleges, as well as universities, local authorities and other careers companies […]~
April 15, 2019
We are really pleased to be a delivery partner once more for Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2019 which will take place between 7th and 18th October. Bradford Manufacturing Weeks aims to introduce the district’s manufacturers to young people and boost apprenticeship numbers by creating more inspired, informed and ‘work ready’ applicants into the sector. Following on […]~
April 5, 2019
The York and Scarborough team are a delivery partner for Action Towards Inclusion (ATI), mentoring lone parents across York, Scarborough and Ryedale, and have helped many people build their confidence and skills to get into employment. See here how they helped Hannah get into her dream career… Hannah is a single mum of three children […]~
April 1, 2019
Scarborough’s eighth annual job fair, organised by aspire-igen, in conjunction with Scarborough JobCentre Plus, was the biggest and most successful yet. Aspire-igen’s CEO Caroline Harrison introduced Peter Dodd, Commercial Director of Welcome to Yorkshire, who formally opened the event with a speech to over 110 representatives from 43 different employers. He said: “We’re in the inspiration […]~
March 18, 2019
National Careers Week (NCW) is a celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK, taking place from 4th to 9th March. As specialists in education and careers guidance and information, as you would expect, we love the chance to join in the celebrations! We have a number of activities that will be taking […]~
February 25, 2019
We are delighted to have been successful in securing funding for new programmes in the Leeds City Region and Humber LEP areas. The new programmes are called Accelerate and are funded by the European Structural & Investment Fund and the Education & Skills Funding Agency. Accelerate aims to work with young people 15 to 24 […]~
February 20, 2019
On 31st January, the Events Space at our Bradford Opportunity Centre hosted the annual Social Enterprises Yorkshire and Humber (SEYH) awards. After months of planning, Joe Grant, Catering and Hospitality Manager, and his team of students were ready to welcome 100 guests to aspire-igen. During the evening, the team provided awards nominees and sponsors with […]~
February 1, 2019
In response to demand from young people in the Bradford area, aspire2work, our vocational training programme for young people, has launched new courses in Barbering and Beauty at our Bradford Opportunity Centre. The free courses are available for 16-19 year olds (and up to 25 with an Education & Health Care Plan). Students from the […]~
January 11, 2019
The InspireMe team have been supporting people in the Humber region into sustainable employment for almost 2 years! They recently produced a bulletin to showcase how they have helped customers in the Humber area to improve their skills and confidence and get into work. Take a look here.~
December 10, 2018
The Lord Mayor of Bradford welcomed young people to aspire-igen’s 2018 aspire2work awards ceremony, which celebrates the achievements of the learners on its aspire2work programme, on 16th November at The Opportunity Centre, Bradford. The aspire2work awards were presented to 16 finalists selected from over 1,500 learners aged 16-19 years, from across Yorkshire and Humber. Many of the learners […]~
November 19, 2018
Bradford Manufacturing Week took place from 8-12 October, organised by West & North Yorkshire Chamber and backed by the newly-formed Bradford Economic Partnership. Aspire-igen was delighted to support the initiative and was responsible for making sure that as many schools as possible were actively engaged and that they were able to take up all the […]~
November 13, 2018
Jude Harrison, an EHCP Support Tutor on our aspire2work programme has recently written two booklets to raise awareness of health conditions affecting some of the learners she works with. ‘Madeleine’ aims to raise awareness of dyslexia and touches on other issues such as bereavement. ‘Molly understands’ was inspired by one of the leaners that Jude […]~
November 5, 2018
We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in securing funding for two more prestigious projects through the European Commission’s Erasmus+ stream, creating 3 new full-time jobs at the Opportunity Centre in Cheapside. This brings the total funding of European Commission projects being led by Aspire-International, a division of aspire-igen, to over £1.9 million. Aspire-international […]~
October 31, 2018
The Canteen, a ‘profit for purpose’ enterprise selling homemade food to the public whilst training our next generation of Hoteliers, Chefs and Waitresses & Waiters, was proud to host the recent monthly Lord Mayor’s Dinner Club. Each month a group of local business men and women meet with the Lord Mayor and have the opportunity to […]~
September 26, 2018
Aspire-igen is delighted to be supporting Bradford Manufacturing Week, organised by West & North Yorkshire Chamber and backed by the newly-formed Bradford Economic Partnership (Read more about Bradford Manufacturing Week here). We have had a fantastic response so far from Bradford schools. The week is fast approaching (8-12 October) and there are lots of exciting activities for students […]~
September 21, 2018
The Canteen is situated on Cheapside, Bradford, with its accompanying Cookery school next door. It is the latest community venture for aspire-igen, a social enterprise specialising in employability training and guidance which is based at The Opportunity Centre next door to The Canteen. The Canteen and Cookery School was started as an initiative to support […]~
August 8, 2018
Abu was a student with aspire2work in the 16/17 academic year, completing our Health and Social care, GCSE English Language and Functional Skills Math courses. In lessons, Abu was a hard-working learner. He always tried his best, he was eager to learn and willing to push himself to achieve. Even when he was ill he didn’t […]~
August 6, 2018
Aspire-igen group is pleased to be supporting Bradford Manufacturing Week, organised by West & North Yorkshire Chamber and backed by the newly-formed Bradford Economic Partnership. Taking place from 8th-12th October 2018, the programme is designed to create more inspired, informed and ‘work ready’ applicants into the sector. Read more about the week here. KEY INFORMATION RELATING TO […]~
August 2, 2018
We were proud to be shortlisted in the Job Creator of the Year category at the Telegraph & Argos’ Bradford Means Business Awards 2018 last night. The Canteen, situated on Cheapside, Bradford, opened in October 2017, with its accompanying Cookery school opening next door in January 2018. It is the latest community venture for aspire-igen, […]~
July 5, 2018
UPDATE TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY. We’ve recently updated our Privacy Policy to make it clear how data is stored & handled by us. We value our customers & will make sure that data is handled sensitively & safely in compliance with data protection regulations. Click here to read the full policy. If you have any queries in […]~
April 26, 2018
We reported earlier how aspire-igen is supporting Bradford Manufacturing Week which will take place from 8th to 12th October 2018. The initiative aims to introduce young people into the Bradford Manufacturing sector by holding a series of events aimed at showing 14-18 year olds, their parents, teachers and the world in general, just how exciting, vibrant […]~
April 23, 2018
Aspire-igen group is pleased to be supporting Bradford Manufacturing Week, organised by West & North Yorkshire Chamber and backed by the newly-formed Bradford Economic Partnership. Taking place from 8th-12th October 2018, the programme is designed to create more inspired, informed and ‘work ready’ applicants into the sector. Key facts 13% of all jobs in Bradford […]~
April 18, 2018
Career Works recently had a certification day, in which we are pleased to say the following was awarded: Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Advice & Guidance – 21 units including 3 full awards Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Advice & Guidance – 15 units including 1 full award Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance & […]~
April 2, 2018
A recent article published in Bradford Business Voice, produced by the Telegraph & Argos, has credited aspire-igen’s Canteen and Cookery school with helping to reduce the number of NEETs in Bradford. According to the article, youth unemployment has long been a significant problem in Bradford. However, in recent years, the number of young people who […]~
March 19, 2018
National Careers Week (5th – 10th March) is a celebration of the very best of careers guidance and opportunities available across the UK. Naturally, as one of the leading providers of employability training and guidance in Yorkshire and the Humber, aspire-igen will be supporting this with a number of activities. The primary focus of National […]~
March 5, 2018
Aspire-igen is a proud sponsor of Conor Loftus, who joined the GB boxing squad in 2015 and has gone on to win medals at a series of international tournaments. Conor has been a keen supporter of aspire2work for a number of years and is a regular presenter at the aspire2work awards. The Bradford and Leeds […]~
January 31, 2018
Aspire-igen was pleased to host it’s first major external event – Igniting Inspiration on 23rd November. Igniting Inspiration is a unique initiative which celebrates women making a positive difference in business and society. It is the brainchild of Inspiring Women Changemakers Founder, businesswoman, Speaker and writer, Anj Handa. Anj says “Through my wide-reaching networks, I discovered […]~
November 24, 2017
The Stand Out in a Global Market careers event came to Hull for the first time last week, and saw over 60 students explore the international opportunities available to them, both abroad and on their doorstep. The event took place at Hull’s KCOM Stadium, with schools from across the Humber region attending for a day […]~
November 21, 2017
Learners from the aspire2work vocational training programme took an afternoon out of the classroom and were transported to Hollywood for the 2017 aspire2work awards. Aspire-igen’s annual red carpet event, which celebrates the achievements of the learners on its aspire2work programme, took place on 17th November at The Carriageworks, Leeds. The aspire2work awards were presented to 14 […]~
November 20, 2017
Our new Opportunity Centre at Ferensway brings our Employment and Skills and aspire2work teams together, providing excellent facilities for learners and people of all ages to help fulfil their career aspirations. The new address is: The Opportunity Centre 185 Ferensway Hull HU1 3UA You can contact the centre on 01482 211116. With its City of […]~
November 10, 2017
16 local students will be given the opportunity to work in some of Yorkshire’s finest establishments as aspire-igen opens a brand new training café and cookery school in Bradford city centre. It will be all hands on deck for the students as they gain practical skills helping to run the café. Lead by the aspire enterprises […]~
September 4, 2017
We’re really pleased to announce that, hot on the heels of winning ‘Director of the Year’ in the not for profit category at the Yorkshire Business Leaders Awards 2017, our Chief Executive, Caroline, was presented with the ‘Most Supportive Business Promoting Diversity & Citizenship’ award for aspire-igen at the Barclays Yorkshire Celebrating Women in Business […]~
June 23, 2017
The Career Works Group is joint venture between Aspire-igen and C&K Careers. Career Works delivers a range of high quality training and development opportunities to meet the needs and professional requirements of the information, advice and guidance sector. Lucy Hazelton came across Career Works when she attended a conference where they were exhibiting. She found them […]~
June 1, 2017
Caroline Harrison, Chief Executive of aspire-igen has scooped the award for ‘Director of the Year’ in the not for profit category at the Yorkshire Business Leaders Awards 2017. Caroline was up against four other dynamic business leaders in the category, but managed to take the title at the inaugural event organised to showcase business talent […]~
May 18, 2017
On 27th April, aspire2work hosted three award winning writers from the SI Leeds Literary Prize for unpublished fiction by Black and Asian women at the Bradford Opportunity Centre, for an inspiring and creative session to help develop ideas into powerful words and stories. The workshop was organised by the aspire2work English team, led by Lorraine Stoddart. […]~
April 27, 2017
Caroline Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the aspire-igen group, has been shortlisted for a Director of the Year Award at the prestigious Yorkshire Business Leaders Awards 2017. In a year when aspire-igen has gone from strength to strength, the leader of the successful social enterprise will now compete for top honours amongst 42 of the most dynamic heads of the region’s businesses at the […]~
April 13, 2017
Careers Live, our free bi-annual careers conference, took place on 23rd March at Carriageworks Theatre. It was a completely packed house and lots of people commented that it was the best Careers Live yet! Caroline Harrison kicked off the event by talking about the range of free CEIAG support available locally. A great speaker line […]~
March 24, 2017
The Apprenticeship Levy comes into effect in April 2017. The levy will apply to all large organisations with an annual payroll of over £3 million and aims to encourage employers to buy into increasing the number of apprentices in today’s workforce. Aspire-igen, Yorkshire’s largest private provider of vocational training, employability and careers guidance, is delighted […]~
March 17, 2017
Business and Education chiefs from all over the UK descended on Bradford on Thursday, 9th March, to watch as Natalie Cramp, Chief Operating Officer from The Careers and Enterprise Company, launched the former Bradford Chamber of Commerce building in Cheapside as The Opportunity Centre. The VIP reception to mark the occasion was also attended by the […]~
March 9, 2017
Sir Gary Verity inspires Yorkshire students to go global in order to boost the region’s economy Sixth Form students from the region were inspired to consider opportunities further afield after hearing from Sir Gary Verity of Welcome to Yorkshire. Sir Gary delivered the key-note address at Stand Out in a Global Market, our event for […]~
December 5, 2016
A bit of extra sparkle was brought to Leeds on Friday, 18th November, with the annual aspire2work awards taking place at the Carriageworks Theatre. The aspire2work awards were presented to 17 finalists selected from over 1,500 learners aged 16-19 years with a further 3 for Tutor of the Year, Employer of the Year and Provider of […]~
November 18, 2016
We are pleased to announce that we are celebrating a hat-trick of wins after securing a £1 million European contract. We previously beat national and international companies to advise the Egyptian government on training its future workforce, and develop careers guidance resources for schools and colleges around the Leeds City region. We have now been awarded […]~
November 14, 2016
We are pleased to announce that we have beaten off strong national and international rivals to be selected to lead a programme that will revolutionise careers guidance in the region. We were selected to deliver a revolutionary £4.3 million programme, FutureJobs, that will bring employers, apprentices and guidance professionals directly into schools and colleges throughout […]~
October 24, 2016
We are delighted to announce that our aspire-international division will shortly be expanding its operations outside of Europe for the first time, as a key player in the successful bid for a contract worth 4.3 million Euro (£3.9 million) to provide support to the Egyptian government within the field of vocational training and careers advice. Whilst we have […]~
October 19, 2016
Aspire-igen’s Targeted Services team is currently delivering on 3 contracts in Leeds, targeting vulnerable young people to help them with their entry to education and employment. Moving Forward A 4 week group work programme aimed at 16 & 17 year olds who are currently NEET. It aims to identify skills and raise aspirations in order to encourage […]~
October 6, 2016
Aspire-igen is very pleased to have completed on its purchase of City House in Bradford, the former Chamber of Commerce. Coinciding with its 21st anniversary, the purchase marks the start of extensive refurbishment, with the business planning to move in in January 2017. Caroline Harrison, Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to be able to […]~
September 23, 2016
South Asian arts organisation, KALA SANGAM, which is based at St Peter’s House in Bradford’s Forster Square is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Chair. Earlier this year, the organisation which has worked hard to overcome revenue funding cuts, received a real boost when they were awarded funding of £267,136 from Arts Council England […]~
June 13, 2016
Aspire-igen is a delivery partner for the ‘Step Up Into Construction’ project, providing you with the knowledge and training you need to get into a career in the construction industry. The project intends to address the major skills shortages in this field and the need for up to 224,000 new jobs in the industry. It […]~
April 21, 2016
A British Council survey noted an increasing awareness amongst young people of the importance of international exposure. In fact, amongst the under-25 age group, 54% believed that a lack of global experience was holding them back from getting the job they really want. GROWING NEED FOR RELIABLE INFORMATION The realisation that employers value skills such […]~
January 19, 2016
The Headstart team in Leeds have started an exciting new venture called GET SMART, providing male clients with clothing suitable for interview, with the aim to… Build their confidence and self esteem Build their pride in their appearance Be presentable at interview Give the employer the right impression Bridge the gap until they are paid and […]~
December 4, 2015
Aspire-igen, part of regional careers organisation Careers Yorkshire & the Humber, has opened a new Opportunity Centre in York. The centre will be the home for the York provision of the National Careers Service and will offer expert support, advice and guidance to help people from the area into learning and work. On Tuesday 17th March, the […]~
March 26, 2015
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ASPIRE-IGEN GROUP LTD
The Opportunity Centre
21-27 Cheapside, Bradford
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0330 111 0035
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