Events Academy Project Manager

Better Bankside's award-winning Events Academy is now in its sixth year. The project aims to improve the prospects of young people in Southwark. Up to eight 16-21 year olds spend a summer doing real work in real workplaces, gaining new skills and learning about a variety of careers.
These Events Academy Students are recruited from local schools and youth clubs. They work for two days per week over the summer holidays and are briefed to organise and run an event for Better Bankside's members and partners.
Over the eight weeks the students receive input from senior professionals from the local business community who volunteer to offer free of charge training and careers workshops, giving the students unparalleled access to a variety of roles and industries. They learn how to put on a successful event, develop their confidence and gain crucial real-life work experience for their CV. Businesses that take part do so because of the opportunity to engage with their local community in a meaningful way.

The Events Academy has directly involved over 79 students since 2008. The students' website, www.eventsacademy.co.uk, and their film on this site explain the project in their own words.

Purpose of the post
• Lead up to eight Events Academy students aged 16-21 years in organising an event for Better Bankside businesses, supporting the students in every aspect of their professional and personal development throughout the programme
• ensure the young people deliver a successful event on time and to budget
• act as both a professional role model for the young people and a project manager for the event
• liaise with businesses to contribute to the project and support their involvement
• Conduct outreach to invite a wide range of Southwark young people to apply.

Subject to the agreement of all parties there may be scope to extend the Project Manager's contract, on a reduced basis, after the end of the summer scheme.

The purpose would be to work with the Business and Community Manager to continue the Events Academy through our year-round occasional work experience project.

What we are asking of the Project Manager - principal responsibilities:
• Assist the Business and Community Manager in recruiting Events Academy students by providing guidance on outreach strategy, inputting into marketing materials and approaching young people's organisations
• Liaise with member businesses to manage the training programme for the young people over the project timeframe, delivered pro bono by Bankside businesses
• Provide practical support to the Events Academy students on administrative processes, events management and office protocol
• Help students to identify their personal goals for the programme and guide them towards achieving and evaluating their performance against these
• Supervise project expenditure and ensure the smooth running of the event
• Facilitate evaluation of both the event and of outcomes for the participants
• Work with the Business and Community Manager to put in place support for the Events
Academy students towards future career advancement opportunities post-event
• Assist Better Bankside staff with other relevant tasks as they arise

What we are offering the Project Manager:
• The Business and Community Manager will support the Project Manager in liaising with businesses as follows:
- Make initial contact with companies and introduce the Project Manager to them
- Attend introductory meetings with businesses alongside the Project Manager until he/she is
confident to approach these alone
- Initiate contact with the businesses who will be providing training sessions and offer the
Project Manager guidance on communication style and relationship management with the businesses thereafter
- Help the Project Manager identify the key tasks and milestones of the project and map these out as a project timeline
- Attend the first few training sessions at businesses' premises with the young people and the Project Manager
• The Business and Community Manager will provide an event brief outlining the overall event concept and objectives and will communicate these clearly to the Project Manager, checking in on progress at weekly 1-2-1 meetings
• The Business and Community Manager will assist the Project Manager in devising a method of evaluating the programme
• Better Bankside will provide adequate equipment and space for the Events Academy team to work in, including use of a laptop for the Project Manager
• The Better Bankside team will provide contact details for potential invitees to the event and assist the Project Manager in promoting the event using existing Better Bankside communication channels

The ideal candidate will have solid experience of working with young people aged 16-24 and some experience of event and/or project management. He or she will have an understanding of the obstacles to advancement confronting young people in inner London and knowledge of recent trends and initiatives relating to young people and employment.

Experience
• Working with young people aged 16-24 in either educational or informal settings
• Introducing young people to the workplace, and/or hosting them in the workplace
• Managing events (or similar projects) to time and budget in a business context
• Guiding young people through potentially transformative educational experiences
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum and the role played by work experience and workplace visits
and an understanding of out-of-school youth provision are desirable
• A relationship with Southwark based schools or youth clubs is desirable

Skills & Abilities
• Excellent project and/or events management skills
• Mentoring, coaching and/or teaching skills
• Highly organised and efficient, able to make best use of time
• Ability to manage a team of young people to deliver a project to time and budget
• Excellent communication skills in phone and in person - able to role model professional business
behaviour and communicate effectively with community groups
• Computer literate with skills including word processing, spreadsheets and presentations
• Awareness of and sensitivity to diverse social, religious and cultural experiences
• Some understanding of participatory approaches to learning is desirable

Better Bankside exists to improve the quality of the area and enhance the competitiveness of its businesses. It is a company owned, funded and led by businesses in the Bankside area of London.

Better Bankside is the UK's third-ever Business Improvement District (BID). It is a business-led company representing c. 460 companies in the area around Tate Modern – bounded by the river, Blackfriars Rd, Union St and Borough High St. It was established by ballot of businesses in 2005 and successfully renewed in a 2010 re-ballot.

Better Bankside's core funding comes from an annual 'levy' on its member businesses. This project sits within our Corporate Responsibility programme, connecting businesses with the community.