Thurrock’s Next Top Boss Partnerships Announced

A launch event held yesterday, Wednesday 2 October, announced the local business and school partnerships for the 2019/20 Thurrock’s Next Top Boss programme.

Thurrock’s Next Top Boss, now in its tenth year, is run by Inspire Youth Hub and  gives young people the chance of working with local employers on real business challenges. The businesses will set a challenge for the students to solve and will work closely with the teams to develop their ideas from October 2019 through to February 2020, ahead of their business responses being submitted and judged in the new year.

An awards ceremony will take place in March 2020 where the winning teams will be announced. Teams from across 12 schools, sixth forms and colleges from across the borough are taking part this year.

It has been revealed that this year’s partnerships will be:

• Intu Lakeside and Grays Convent High School
• Youth Offending Service and Ortu Gable Hall School
• Puttshack and The Gateway Academy
• Youth Offending Service and Harris Academy Chafford Hundred
• Greenergy and Ortu Hassenbrook Academy
• Mears and Harris Academy Ockendon and Sixth Form
• Healthwatch Thurrock and USP (Palmer’s Campus)
• PDMS and St Clere’s School
• Wates Living Space and William Edwards School
• SERICC and Harris Academy Riverside
• H.W.Wilson and South Essex College
• Riverside Community and Hathaway Academy

Cllr James Halden, Cabinet Member for Education and Health, said:

“It’s a great success that Thurrock’s Next Top Boss is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. This is a result of the great partnership work of our local businesses and schools in Thurrock recognising the need to develop the skills of our young people through this programme.

“Thurrock’s Next Top Boss is a fantastic opportunity for students in the borough to work with local businesses creating innovative solutions to the business challenges set. In previous years, business partners have made student’s business ideas a reality.

“Good luck to all of the students involved in this year’s programme.”