Browne Jacobson takes part in National Literacy Trust event to inspire 200 students from Nottingham

As part of law firm Browne Jacobson’s partnership with the National Literacy Trust, Suki Tonks, real estate partner at the firm’s Nottingham office has taken part in a high-profile Women in Leadership panel discussion attended by 200 students from schools across the city.

The virtual event is part of the National Literacy Trust’s literacy and employability programme, Words for Work: Women in Leadership and helps young women from local schools to build the literacy, confidence and communication skills needed to be able to progress in their chosen career paths. The partnership supports Browne Jacobson’s wider campaign around championing inclusivity and social mobility in the workplace.

Participating students in the programme are invited to hear inspiring personal stories from various female and non-binary guest speakers from a diverse range of businesses and leading educational institutions. At the latest event, students heard from speakers which included Suki, Hilary Bart-Smith, Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at University of Virginia and Sophia Thakur, award-winning, bestselling author and performance poet.

The programme launch follows the latest CBI Education and Skills Annual Report which highlighted that young people entering the workplace aren’t always fully equipped with the speaking and listening skills to communicate successfully. The report also found that around 70% of employers rank literacy skills as one of the three most important factors when recruiting school and college leavers.

Hannah Hedges, Senior Project Manager for Words for Work: Women in Leadership at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We were thrilled to have Suki speak to young women across Nottingham all about her own experiences, from starting out in the working world of law, to becoming a partner and starting a family, and also share her practical and honest advice. As a result of the event, participants will have taken away really positive and empowering messages from Suki.

“We are delighted to be continuing our work with Browne Jacobson to help young people develop vital literacy, communication and employability skills. Together we are supporting schools in Nottingham and Birmingham to provide employability advice during an academic year that has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Suki Tonks, added: “I’m very passionate about the value in good literacy skills and how it can set you on the right path to achieving great things in your career because of the confidence and power words can offer and the strong bonds and networks you can build by being able to communicate effectively.

“As an employer, Browne Jacobson is very committed to diversity and inclusivity and is always engaging with its local communities on issues that matter the most. Young people have lost a lot of valuable learning time because of the Pandemic so it is great to be able to support those people and the local schools in getting back on track.”

Browne Jacobson are currently ranked 5th in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2020 alongside some of the country’s leading employers in the Social Mobility Foundation.

Read more about the event here.