Bringing together business, education and students

What we are about

Eastbourne Education Business Partnership promotes and delivers effective links to enhance teaching and learning and contribute to economic growth and prosperity in Eastbourne and Hailsham.  We do this by bringing the various partners together in collaborative projects and activities that help to improve learning outcomes for young people.

We work closely with Eastbourne & District Chamber of Commerce and Eastbourne Borough Council to help broker partnership services and contribute to economic and workforce planning.

Following contract changes for EBP delivery in 2008 the partnership became an independent organisation. We are one of the first members of the Institute of Education Business Excellence and are currently pursuing charitable status. Eastbourne EBP is Chaired by Steven Goss-Turner, former President of the Chamber and a senior manager at the University of Brighton.

Some Early History

Longevity and sustainability are two words that can certainly be used with Eastbourne EBP. The group began in the mid-eighties as part of the then ‘Industry Matters’ initiative making it the natural platform for the new education business partnerships that were launched in 1991/2. Eastbourne became one of six ‘local’ EBPs that covered East Sussex (and included Brighton & Hove) at the time.

Activities then (as now) formed part of cross-curricular learning in both primary and secondary schools and contributed to enterprise programmes that were being promoted at the time. A variety of themes were supported in partnership with local business including construction, environment, technology and the town itself.

Links with Eastbourne Borough Council quickly developed and, in 1994, led to
Dr Blanch, Chief Executive, including a proposal for an Eastbourne ‘Compact’ in the first round of Single Regeneration Bid (SRB 1) activities in the Region. ‘Compact’ was based on an American model to bring education and business together and one that had already proved itself around the country.

10 Years of SRB Success

January 1995 marked the start of a significant period of development, delivery and funding that continued through both SRB1 and subsequently into SRB6 until March 2005. At a time when ‘central’ EBP funding was ‘feast or famine’ this provided a huge boost to sustaining capacity and creating projects and activities – many that have endured today with 10-year celebrations being a memory for quite a few.

These include: Young Engineers Challenge (1993-), Eastbourne In-Bloom (1995-), Pupil Mentoring, Literacy and Numeracy programmes, Young Chef (1995-) and Eastbourne Youth Radio (2001-). In addition, significant financial and capacity support was provided direct to schools/colleges that enabled them to deliver their own education business link activities around PHSE, enterprise and citizenship agendas.

Specific details of these achievements, and statistics, were independently evaluated and reported on behalf of Eastbourne Borough Council and published as “Eastbourne Education Business Partnership – An Evaluation 1993-2004” plus a subsequent amendment to include the final period to March 2005. A copy of these reports is available on this site.

Sussex Education Business Alliance (SEBA)

Another important, and overlapping chapter was the launch of SEBA in 2001 to establish a consortium framework for education business link activity in West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton & Hove - in direct response to requirements laid down by the Learning & Skills Council.  

This enabled Eastbourne EBP to enhance the scale of delivery and continued until 2006 when funding moved to Local Authority control as part of new 14-19 agendas. LSC funding for primary schools ceased in 2004 but Eastbourne was able to draw on its own reserves, additional fund raising (and charge nominal fees) in order to keep this vital foundation work secure. These new arrangements continued until April 2008 when Sussex Careers Ltd, the then EBP provider for East Sussex, lost the contract.

During this latter period, Eastbourne EBP played a key role in the planning and subsequent launch of 14-19 diplomas together with related issues concerning employer engagement and ‘champions’. This included the launch of Eastbourne Engineering Club (2004), that provides a range of engineering ‘experiences starting in Year 6 and continuing on into and through the diploma programme.

Endorsement by Nigel Waterson MP

“I have been greatly impressed by the enduring capability of the Eastbourne EBP team and its contribution to learning and skills in the town. I have witnessed many of the activities first hand and seen how our young people have benefited from hands-on experience working with local businesses. Not least of all must be Eastbourne Youth Radio and the hundreds involved in preparing and presenting their own programmes live on-air. I have been personally involved in their ‘Answer Back’ current affairs programme and party to some lively debate. Young Engineers and Young Chef are other great examples of the EBP’s work. Keep up the good work.”

Looking Ahead

Eastbourne EBP now operates independently and is working with key stakeholders to achieve charitable status during 2010. This will require a new constitution to be drawn up and some additional board members to replace the current Steering Group. Central to this plan was early membership of the Institute of Education Business Excellence (that replaced the National EBP Network). Eastbourne EBP was one of the first to join and was represented at the official launch at the Houses of Parliament on 1st June.

Membership will provide the opportunity to apply for the Award for Education Business Excellence when it is right to do so – and gain national recognition of services and achievement. See separate item on IEBE membership.

Eastbourne EBP is a contributing member of the Chambers’ ‘Workforce Development’ Portfolio and the Learning and Skills representative on the Eastbourne Strategic Partnership – recognising the reputation that the EBP has gained over the past twenty-four years together with its contribution to the local community.

Over the coming months, it is anticipated that new initiatives will be introduced to support enterprise learning in primary schools plus further activities that contribute to the delivery of diplomas. Further details will be published on this website in due course.

In the meantime, do please explore our website. It is intended to be a tool and reference point for all of our partners whether they are employers, school/college staff or students. We hope that there is something for everyone and will endeavour to keep it up to date. If you do spot something that is incorrect, out of date – or is not there at all please let us know.

To find out more about the work of Eastbourne EBP or to get involved please email via the contact page.

Tim Sorensen
October 2009