NOW is the time for York’s “business champions” to stand up and be counted, but with the deadline looming they had better be quick.

Learning City York has secured funding from the Learning and Skills Council to recruit three Diploma Business Champions in sectors such as creative and media, information technology and hair and beauty studies.

Each champion will get £2,500 to work alongside teachers who are shaping and developing new diploma qualifications in these disciplines locally.

The diplomas, offered to students aged 14 to 19, will combine the theoretical with practical as well as develop general employability skills, preparing young people for work or further study at college or university. Students will be entitled to a minimum of ten to 20 days work experience.

Already York schools and colleges have 180 teenagers studying for the new diplomas in engineering and society, and health and development at three different levels – foundation, higher and advanced. The aim is to have 17 different diplomas nationally and in York, sitting alongside GCSEs, A Levels and Apprenticeships, by September 2013.

Nestlé of York has already been recruited as the Diploma Business Champion for manufacturing and product design and an action plan has been developed with the North Yorkshire Business Education Partnership (NYBEP).

Other would-be champions, large or small, have until next Friday to apply for any of the diploma disciplines. On no more than two sides of A4, they should outline details of your business, why they are interested in being a Diploma Business Champion and how they could add value with their energy and commitment to helping to develop the workforce of tomorrow.

It should be emailed to Julia Massey, partnership manager at Learning City York, juliamassey@vtplc.com or phone her at 07801 820711 to glean more information.

Mrs Massey: “This is an exciting and innovative opportunity for businesses and education to work together on new programmes that aim to stimulate, raise aspirations and hone skills for young people who will be in the phalanx of tomorrow’s economic revival.”