Connexions West of England launches new online resource
July 25, 2008 Posted by Matt in : Bristol , 1 comment so far
There’s help at hand for thousands of young people in Bristol who have been taking exams this summer with after the launch of a new Connexions West of England website.
www.connexionswest.org.uk is designed for young people and adults looking to progress in education, employment or training, and also provides useful information about Connexions West of England including the recently launched Education Business Partnership.
The website comes online just when many young people are wondering what their exam results hold in store. For many, the path to further study or the world of work will be well mapped out but for others there will be uncertainty and a need for practical information, advice and guidance.
The new website therefore includes a CV toolkit and tips on how to write the kind of covering letter that will immediately interest a prospective employer. Want to know how to find those jobs which are never advertised? The website will tell you.
Those seeking training for specific jobs and careers can also find information which will point them in the right direction.
www.connexionswest.org.uk provides links to useful websites which can make the first steps towards work and training less of an ordeal and more of an adventure.
For many young people the decisions they need to make are complicated by a lack of support from family and friends that others may take for granted. The life zone tackles these issues head-on, pointing users in the right direction for advice on topics such as health, housing, the law, money, relationships and travel and transport.
Adults also have access through the website to careers information and advice services and information about learning, training courses and work, from a network of organisations.
e-Inclusion Recycling
July 24, 2008 Posted by Kevin in : Bristol , 2 commentse-Inclusion Recycling refurbish and redistribute used PC’s from private businesses and public bodies to individuals, organisations and communities in Newport. I visited the centre yesterday and was hugely impressed by the efficiency of the operation and by their focus on using the business as a force for social change.
The organisation is established as a Community Interest Company, giving it all the flexibility and certainty of the company format, but at the same time ensuring that the enterprise works for the benefit of the community rather than for owners or investors. Julie Traynor, the Founder and Managing Director or e-Inclusion Recycling, has put together a set of excellent online videos demonstrating all aspects of their work.
Do we need an Elected Mayor in Bristol?
July 18, 2008 Posted by Kevin in : Bristol , 4 commentsSince the introduction of the Local Government Act in 2000 districts across England and Wales have had the option of directly electing their Mayor. Whilst traditional Mayorships have been largely ceremonial positions, Elected Mayors assume a far more active political role, with powers similar to those of the Councils executive committee.
A few of the early Elected Mayors created something of a media sensation; Hartlepool memorably voted in H’Angus the Monkey and Middlesbrough elected Ray “Robocop” Mallon, a famously hardline ex-police chief.
Currently there are thirteen directly elected Mayors in England, including the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Thirty five Local Authorities in total have held a referendum to establish the publics appetite for a directly elected mayor. So far one third of these have been successful. A campaign has just been started to gather the support for holding just such a referendum in Bristol. There are strong views and compelling arguments for and against, so which way should Bristol go?
A History of the Mayors of Bristol
What is a Carrot Mob?
July 16, 2008 Posted by Kevin in : Bristol , 7 commentsCampaigning, technology and the environment have been interests of ours at Connecting Bristol for quite some time, and I think one of the things that we have recognised is the power of using the technology to mount a positive campaign; promoting an appealing alternative can often have better results than simply railing against an existing situation.
John Bradford at JBSH has recently outlined the Carrot Mob model as a positive way for consumers to influence the decisions made by corporates. In essence customers organise their purchasing power to reward businesses which make environmentally friendly choices. Carrot Mob have produced a video about their first successful campaign in the US, and there is really no reason why similar things couldn’t happen in Bristol. With Pledge Bank and ePetitions software freely available all thats missing is someone with the passion to kick it off.
