Connecting young people and industry
'You can’t be what you can’t see'. Aimee Higgins, Director of Employers and Partnerships at The Careers & Enterprise Company, discusses how modern careers provision has relationships between young people and industry at its core.
What does The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) do?
The Careers & Enterprise Company was established in 2015 as a national strategic body to help inspire and prepare young people (aged 11-18) for the world of work. Our mission is to ensure that every young person, regardless of their background, can achieve the best possible start to their working life and to realise their potential.
Today, we work with nearly 80% of secondary schools and colleges in England to help them deliver world-class careers education for their students, responsive to individual needs and underpinned by the internationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks. In doing so, our role is to offer direction alongside resources to schools, colleges, employers and local partners, about how best they can support young people to transition from education into work. We are also using the assets and partnerships we have built, to play an important role in strengthening the careers education system and making a vital contribution to the country’s response to the needs of young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why is STEM outreach work important?
Giving young people insights into the world of work is vital for them to develop their understanding of how they can progress from the world of education. STEM outreach is especially vital for young people to help break down stereotypes and make them aware of the amazing opportunities that exist for them. As well as benefiting young people, it’s also key to ensuring that organisations get the right talent coming into their workforce.
How do you support students?
Working with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), we have developed a national network to connect students with the world of work and support them with a comprehensive and coordinated approach to careers education. This helps them develop new skills, broaden their networks and gain insights into how to channel their interests to make the most of their talents.
There is a well-known saying that you can’t be what you can’t see. Our work helps open their eyes and broaden their horizons to the vast range of opportunity that lies beyond education and helps them identify and choose clearer pathways into the world of work. What students tell us is they are now much more aware of different careers, what they want to do, and how to achieve their ambitions.
What is an Enterprise Adviser and how do you become one?
An Enterprise Adviser works directly with a school or college's senior leadership team to develop their careers programme. With support and resources from The Careers & Enterprise Company, they use their strategic skills to help put opportunities with local employers at the heart of a young person's education.
They are senior-level professionals, come from different industry sectors and professional backgrounds, be that employed, self-employed or recently retired, are dedicated to making a lasting impact on the future outcomes of young people, and commit around eight hours per month for one academic year. You can register on our website.
What is a Cornerstone Employer?
Cornerstone Employers are experienced in engaging with education and give strategic support to clusters of secondary schools and colleges to drive careers provision in an area. As a Cornerstone Employer, you build on your commitment to supporting young people by working with a small number of like-minded businesses locally. You lead efforts to enlist more employers and to coordinate and improve existing and future outreach.
Cornerstone Employers work with their networks, the wider business community and their local team to make sure that young people have access to the career opportunities they need. They are made up of SMEs, large employers, government, private and not-for-profits and are from a range of different sectors.
How can you help education providers and companies within STEM?
We can support you by connecting your organisation with schools and colleges in the local area. As well as the volunteering opportunities for individuals and companies listed above, we also run the ‘Give an Hour’ campaign for volunteers who want to become involved in a more ad-hoc way. Sign up on our website and you will be connected with your local team.
We also have an online provider directory and resource directory where you can upload your content. If you have any questions, you can get in touch with the employer team who will happily support you on this email.
Why should people volunteer?
The business professionals who, through us, work with schools and colleges – Enterprise Advisers - tell us it helps them contribute to the local community, improve outcomes for young people and to raise awareness of their sector and organisation. They also say they have developed new skills through the work. The major employers – Cornerstones – say it connects and helps them learn from like-minded employers, support growth in their local community, diversify their talent pipeline and support social mobility in their communities.
Why is the collaboration between industry/employers and schools important?
Previously, careers provision was widely recognised to be patchy and inadequate, underlined by an unhelpful lack of consensus between business and education about what was needed to drive improvement and who was responsible.
Now, modern careers support places both employers and education in the driving seat. What we have is a coherent and systematic approach across the country driven nationally by the internationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks and delivered locally in schools and colleges through CEC’s partnerships with LEPs, Mayoral combined authorities and local authorities.
This powerful partnership between education and employers connects young people with the real world of work and connects the business community with the next generation of talent. This is making a real difference in the lives of young people. The education system and young people now have a real-time connection to changes in the jobs market. It empowers and enables them to channel their aspiration towards those areas that are emerging strongest and growing fastest, and provides the opportunity to more closely match real people to real jobs in real time.
Early-career perspective – Rebecca Roberts, Engineering Degree Apprentice at Jacobs
“Engineering as a career interested me because it combines problem solving, maths, science and creativity. Hearing about the opportunities my uncle had through civil engineering – moving from Belfast to New Zealand and working on reconstruction after the earthquakes in Christchurch – also inspired me to pursue a career in engineering.
“Prior to choosing my A level subjects, I knew that engineering was the career path I wanted to go down. I chose Maths, Physics and Geography allowing me to attend university to study engineering. At the beginning of year 12, my teacher recommended I apply for the Industrial Cadets' workshop and The Big Project – both programmes run by Jacobs. I attended the Industrial Cadets’ workshop in February 2018 and my initial interest in civil engineering grew. Following the workshop, I did some work experience within the Highways and Structures departments at Jacobs’ Stockton Office.
“I was initially unaware that a degree apprenticeship was available.
I had always intended on going down the obvious full-time university route and had never had a second thought I would ever do something different. However, I knew the apprenticeship would give me opportunities I would never have unless I was working and studying at the same time. The involvement and support I had from Jacobs made the decision easier.
“Mike Bowen is an Enterprise Adviser at Jacobs and engages with Carmel College to help students prepare for the world of work. I met Mike for the first time during The Big Project and he has been a huge part of my experience within Jacobs so far. He has offered support and guidance throughout our transition from college to employment with our best interests always as the priority.
“The opportunities Mike has given us have been hugely rewarding, and without being involved with Jacobs, I would have been unaware of the huge benefits of a degree apprenticeship. Visiting Jacobs multiple times prior to joining really helped me decide that the apprenticeship was the best way to gain experience and a degree at the same time, while doing something I enjoyed.
"Being a woman in STEM can be seen a big deal given the traditional lower numbers of women within STEM careers. However, as I am doing something I enjoy, I wouldn’t class it as a big deal. I think the growing number of women doing something they enjoy without thinking about the potential barriers they may face is positive.
“Any encouragement to live up to aspirations, especially the younger generations where stigma can be present at such a young age, is so important. I think everyone should be encouraged to explore a career in STEM as there is such a vast range of exciting opportunities that we should be able to experience.
“In my short time working with Jacobs, I have already been able to get involved in STEM activity and have recently been able to offer my support to Carmel College students on The Big Project. Acting as a Jacobs’ mentor to a student team in this year’s Big Project programme, helping them to consider solutions as to what the town centre of the future may look like. It has been great to go back to Carmel College and talk to the teachers, support the students and share my experiences from the workplace. It is an important role to play for me to promote the opportunities for students from education into employment.”
