15th May 2026 // Issue 435
Welcome to the EPN Voices newsletter!
A weekly roundup covering policy, funding, industry news and business-critical messages for EPN members. If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email here.

Message from Katharine

I look forward to seeing many of you next week at our next EPN members meeting: Wednesday 20th May, online, between 9.30am and 12.20pm.

View the full agenda here!

We are almost at the end of Mental Health Awareness Week! I have seen some fantastic evidence of raising awareness across our student and employer networks, so well done to all!  I hope that you have been able to fit some ‘me time’ into your busy week, which is so important for our own mental wellbeing! If not, I encourage you to concentrate on finding some time this weekend!

Practical Ways to support Mental Health at work
Able Futures (DWP funded) has shared 10 simple ways to support mental health at work, designed to help you take small but meaningful steps across your organisation.
You can read the full list of tips here.

Don’t forget, Able Futures provides the Government’s Access to Work Mental Health Support Service, a fully funded and confidential service for eligible employees and apprentices across the UK. It offers one-to-one support, practical advice and flexible sessions that fit around work, at no cost to individuals or employers. Contact DeBurns@ingeus.co.uk for more info.

Men’s health & wellbeing comedy night
Healthwatch Essex is hosting a free event designed to bring people together in a friendly, informal setting, using humour as a way to open up conversations around men’s health and wellbeing.

The evening begins with short, engaging talks from guest speakers, before moving into a stand-up comedy show featuring professional comedians from the UK circuit.

A Healthy Dose of Humour is at Basildon’s Towngate Theatre on Wednesday 20th May. Find more information and book to attend here: A Healthy Dose of Humour Tickets, Wednesday 20 May  •  7:30 PM – 10 PM | Eventbrite.

FUNDING for Sports and life skills projects
Active Essex Foundation has secured new funding through the London Gateway Freeport Community Investment Fund (LGFCIF) to support Sports and Life Skills projects in Basildon and Castle Point.

Community sport and physical activity providers are invited to apply for one-year grant funding to deliver programmes for young people aged 11–24, supporting prevention and early intervention through physical activity.

Projects should promote positive mental health, resilience, risk awareness, aspiration raising and pathways into volunteering or qualifications. Funding is open to organisations that can meet the programme aims and commit to monitoring and evaluation.

Find out more and apply here: LGFCIF Funding Opportunity | Active Essex Foundation.

Call out: Delivery of Building and Services Foundation Apprenticeship
If you can support the delivery of this Foundation Apprenticeship, please contact me and/or Jonathan.smith@essex.gov.uk at ECC targeted employment team.

We are struggling to find a local provision to support a Hockley based plumbing employer who has a learner ready to recruit on this pathway. If you don’t currently offer but would be willing to develop the offer, please get in touch! This could be invaluable to the local NEET population and I’m sure ECC will support promoting the pathway to wider employers to make delivery viable.
ARU Widening Participation in Medicine Study
ARU has recently received funding to carry out research in relation to barriers and facilitators among sixth form students to apply and attend medical school.

They have completed the first work package, which consisted of two systematic reviews. The second work package has now launched and consists of a nationwide survey of sixth form students with the aim of further understanding ambitions, barriers and facilitators to attending medical school.

The overarching goal of this work is to develop a nationwide intervention to widen participation in medical schools. ARU seek support from fellow EPN members. Please share this survey with any sixth form students you may work with.
The survey can be accessed via the QR code here, or via the survey link below:
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/angliaruskin/access-to-medical-schools

The survey has full ethical approval from Anglia Ruskin University and is entirely anonymous. It should take about ten minutes to complete for each student.
GECH T-level Employer Events
The Greater Essex Careers Hub is hosting two employer events next month in the hope of raising awareness among employers of the benefits of offering T-Level work placements.

GECH would like to invite EPN providers to come along and support the events. Plus, any help with promotion would be greatly appreciated.

Please let rachaelclark@southend.gov.uk know if you can attend. You are welcome to a complimentary stand/table, should you wish.

Friday 12th June | 08:30 – 11:30 | Billericay Town Football Club, CM12 9SA
Tuesday 16th June | 08:30 – 11:30 | The Plaza, Enterprise and Innovation Centre, CM77 7AU

Please see below an overview of the agenda:
British Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey
The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey fieldwork for Q2 2026 is now underway and Essex businesses are being encouraged to take part and share widely to improve reach.

Complete the survey here

Why take part?

  • Influence local and national policy decisions
  • Highlight the real challenges facing Essex businesses
  • Support calls for business-friendly reforms
  • Contribute to the UK’s largest independent business survey

Whether your business is experiencing growth, recruitment challenges, rising costs, or changing demand, your insight is vital.

Working with Children Jobs Fair at Pathways
Pathways is hosting its annual jobs fair next week, dedicated to a wide variety of roles in a range of work settings involving children.

Employment opportunities available at the fair will include:

  • nurseries
  • forest pre-school
  • sports clubs
  • teaching assistants
  • childminding
  • school crossing patrol
  • and more.

The Working With Children Jobs Fair is on Thursday 21st May, 12pm-1pm, in the entrance of the Basildon Centre, SS14 1DL.

Booking to attend is encouraged, do so here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-with-children-jobs-fair-tickets-1988978458110

Basildon girls and young women have their say
Basildon Council’s Community Safety team are inviting girls and young women from the borough who want to make their area safer, more welcoming and more fun to have their say.

At the Make Space for Girls Consultation Event, they will have the chance to:

  • Take part in fun activities and creative ways to share their views
  • Find out what support and services are available from local organisations
  • Ask questions and be heard in a chill, friendly space
  • Meet new people, and help improve spaces for girls

People under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ and the minimum age to attend is 10.

Make Space for Girls Consultation Event is at Vange Hill Community Centre on Friday 29th May, 3pm-6pm.

EGA Funding News Bulletin
Last week’s bulletin highlights a broad cross‑section of UK and European funding opportunities spanning local business growth, farming and land‑based innovation, community energy resilience, social impact commissioning, early‑stage entrepreneurship, creative digital industries, clean energy research and advanced manufacturing skills.

View bulletin here.

PM’s commitment to Apprenticeships

Following the Prime Minister’s recent speech on reforms to the apprenticeships and skills system, Sir Keir Starmer met with apprentices this week to reaffirm his commitment to placing apprenticeships at the centre of the new skills strategy and expanding opportunities for young people. To find out more, please click here.

DfE Updates

In this week’s Department for Education update, it was announced that the DWP and Ofsted have agreed that apprenticeship units will be excluded from routine Ofsted inspections until at the earliest April 2027, to allow providers and employers to embed effective delivery models. During this time, the units will be subject to light-touch monitoring by the DWP and DfE. For more information, please click [http://DfE Update further education: 13 May 2026 – GOV.UK]here. 

HTQ Provision – Grow, Expand, Improve

Join the ‘HTQ’s – How training providers can grow, expand or improve their offer webinar’ on Wednesday 17th June, 2pm-3pm to learn more about what’s involved when delivering HTQs, and how to get started. Hear from Sara Bram from Gatsby about the Government’s new target to increase participation in Levels 4 and 5, how to gain the quality mark and hear successful approaches to raising awareness of HTQs. Please click here to register.

Multicultural Awards 

The nominations close on 31st May for the 2026 Multicultural Awards in partnership with NOCN Group. The Awards celebrate training providers, apprentices and employers who are breaking down barriers, creating inclusive pathways to success and demonstrating the transformative power of apprenticeships within diverse communities. Please click here for more information.