Festivals planned as part of Derby's promise to young people

Samantha Noble and Steve Beech - BBC News, Derby
·2 min read
Derby Promise
The Derby Promise includes giving young people access to careers experiences, says the city council [BBC]

A festival of ideas and sports event are planned as part of a pledge to support Derby's young people.

The city council has signed up to the "Derby Promise", where - along with businesses, educational and cultural organisations - they have pledged to "provide meaningful opportunities".

It was launched on Tuesday at the Rolls-Royce Nuclear Skills Academy.

Former head teacher Richard Gerver said Derby was "filled with people who have the potential to do amazing things".

Derby Promise
The Derby Promise event was held at Rolls-Royce's base at Infinity Park, in Sinfin Moor Lane, Derby [BBC]

The council said there will be a festival of sport this summer, an annual festival of ideas - focusing on climate change this year - and a city-wide campaign to get children reading.

A new skills and employment hub website will also be developed, where Derby people can go for jobs and apprenticeships, and there will be opportunities to visit a workplace like Rolls-Royce.

The council said the promise was to "support every young person in the city to live their best life".

Mr Gerver, who has helped to create the Derby Promise, added: "It's so exciting to see our community come together in order to fire and empower the aspirations of the next generation so that they can realise their potential and with it, a brighter future for us all."

Steve Layton
Steve Layton, from Rolls-Royce, said it was important to go into local schools from an early age [BBC]

At the launch event, Steve Layton, head of engineering operations at Rolls-Royce, said: "Derby Promise is really important to us here at Rolls-Royce.

"It's important young people find a high-value, high-tech job in their local area so they can stay living local to their friends and family.

"As we recruit into early careers, the pipeline into those early careers programmes are really important to us. That means we need a strong outreach programme, which gets us into primary and secondary schools."

Council leader, councillor Baggy Shanker, said: "As a forward-thinking manufacturing city with a rich industrial history, Derby is the ideal place for children to be inspired by the innovation all around them.

"Having inspirational experiences at a young age, whether it's a cultural encounter, going to a sporting event or visiting a workplace like Rolls-Royce or Toyota, can ignite something in a child."

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