Surrey Chambers of Commerce has teamed up with Farnham’s University for the Creative Arts (UCA) to help prepare students for the workplace and tackle skills gaps identified by local businesses.

The chamber has been named a strategic partner for UCA’s new Careers Catalyst programme, which will give students access to professional development, business expertise and networking opportunities.

The programme will form part of UCA’s new three-year Creative Learning Framework and aims to build students’ professional skills progressively from their first year through to becoming industry-ready graduates.

It will cover areas including CV and portfolio development, self-employment, commercialising creative work, industry talks and networking.

The partnership comes after the government approved Surrey Chambers’ three-year Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which identifies employability skills and closer engagement between employers and education providers among six priorities for the county.

Louise Punter, LSIP director at Surrey Chambers of Commerce, said: “This partnership with UCA puts the Surrey LSIP into practice.

“Our newly approved three-year plan is clear that employability skills and closer employer engagement are two of the six priorities we must deliver if local businesses are to recruit the talent they need.

“Careers Catalyst does both: it builds professional capability year by year, from first CV and portfolio through to self-employment, commercialising creative practice and industry-ready networking, and it opens the Chamber’s member network to students across every discipline.”

UCA said the partnership would help bridge the gap between higher-level creative and technical education and the skills businesses need.

Professor Lyndsay Duthie, UCA pro vice-chancellor, said: “This is an excellent opportunity to introduce the chamber and its member network to our student community across all disciplines and year groups.

“The partnership is a strong fit with the chamber’s regional priorities and our shared commitment to developing employable talent for the future.”