Careers Hub to prepare young people for work
TWENTY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES WORKING WITH AREA’S ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP
TWENTY schools and colleges are working with universities, training providers, employers and careers professionals to improve careers education and prepare young people for the world of work.
Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) has been given the green light to support one of 20 Careers Hubs around England to help transform careers education for young people.
The LLEP Careers Hub will get a share of £5 million being made available nationally to:
■ Help co-ordinate activity and build networks between careers advisers.
■ Provide access to bursaries for individual schools and colleges to train careers leaders.
■ Set up a central hub fund worth around £1,000 per school or college.
■ Provide access to funding for schools to help bring students and employers together.
Paula Staley, assistant head teacher at Beaumont Leys School in Leicester, said: “The Careers Hub will be a fantastic opportunity for Beaumont Leys School to continue to work with a broad range of schools to put careers at the heart of raising aspiration and life chances for students.”
LLEP chairman Kevin Harris said: “We are delighted to be one of 20 areas across the UK to secure a Careers Hub for our region.
“There has never been a more important time to support young people to understand the career opportunities of their area.
“The schools and colleges that have committed to being part of the hub will share their best practice with the wider school and college community to ensure lessons learned are applied across Leicester and Leicestershire for the benefit of all our young people.”
Claudia Harris, chief executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, which is working on the plans, said: “We’re excited by the potential impact of the hubs.
“If employers, schools and colleges can better prepare young people for the world of work, we’re not just benefiting the future economy, but improving prospects for thousands of young people.”
Thirty out of 38 local enterprise partnership areas applied to become Careers Hubs.
A competitive and open bidding process was launched nationally in April, and the hubs will launch in September.
The Careers & Enterprise Company evaluated bids according to the level of need in an area, the wider benefit of the proposals to the area and the strength of leadership.