These were some of the comments from delegates at the recent Employer Conference which proved to be one of the most successful employer events ever staged by Walsall Education Business Partnership. It was very much a day for employers to meet and hear young people and teachers, actually involved in education business link activities, describing the benefits for all of the partners from collaborative working.

This edition of Partnership News brings you more information about the "Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce - Today!" event that was held at Bescot Stadium, including the awards that were presented to students, schools and employers. Given the changes currently taking place in the education of 14-19 year olds the content of this year's Employer Conference, with its emphasis on preparing our young people for the world of work, was extremely relevant to the employers present.

Following the formal session, the delegates were able to visit four Activity Showcases and have the opportunity to meet many young people who have benefited from involvement in education business link activities. The Showcases were:

• Understanding Environmental Technologies
• Promoting Enterprise
• Modern Foreign Languages for the Workplace
• Developing Construction / Engineering skills

The ninth Employer Conference was made possible by the generous sponsorship received from IST Ltd as main sponsors and by West Midlands Co-operative, InComm Training Services and the ESF Brokerage project. All of these sponsors have the vision to see how vital it is to bridge the gap between education and business, and that we have to, above all, prepare our young people for the 'world of work'.