The Careers & Enterprise Company and Humber LEP is calling out to employers across all sectors and industries in the Humber region to help make a real difference to the lives of young people.

By providing encounters with their work place, businesses and enterprises, both large and small, can bring the world of work to life for young people.

It is a critical aspect of the support young people need – by connecting them to employers and employees – they have the opportunity to ask questions, challenge perceptions and get a real taste of what different careers look like.

Without these encounters, the world of work remains an abstract concept for many secondary school children, with research indicating that young people are 86% less likely to be employed or in further education or training. The same research indicates that with the right number of encounters, they can also earn up to 18% more during their career.

The Government’s new Careers Strategy, launched at the end of 2017, identifies a new requirement for all pupils in school years 7 to 13 to have at least one encounter per year.

The message from The Careers & Enterprise Company and Humber LEP is that although real progress has been made over the last two years, with many employers stepping up to meet the challenge, lots still needs to be done.

This includes a new initiative that asks employers to reach out to as many young people as they have employees.

In order to make this happen, The Careers & Enterprise Company is continuing to build a national network that connects schools and colleges to employers and further education.

Already more than 2,000 secondary schools have joined this Enterprise Adviser Network and are making these vital connections. In the Humber, we have 45 schools/colleges working in partnership through the Enterprise Adviser Network and are keen to partner all schools by 2020.

Stephen Savage, Chair of the Humber LEP Employment & Skills Board said:

“We are delighted to work in partnership with CEC across the Humber. The exciting work, led by the Humber LEP and the CEC brings together businesses and schools to work in partnership, focusing on bridging the skills gap and is just one example of the outcome of the LEPs continued focus on improving careers information, advice and guidance.

“National Careers Week is very much on the calendar in the Humber, and we know that many schools, training providers, and businesses are supporting the week with some excellent activities, including events within schools, businesses, and the Humber Women into Manufacturing and Engineering Event supported by many of our key sector businesses.”

Claudia Harris, Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company said:

“Young people need vivid experiences with potential employers to bring career opportunities to life.  It’s fantastic news that so many employers already recognise this vital fact.  Over the last two years, The Careers & Enterprise Company has seen a 50% increase in the number of encounters young people have been able to make with the world of work and this is due to the hard work of the network.

But a lot more still needs to be done and it’s more important than ever that we connect employers of all sizes and from all sectors to young people.  We are asking them to work with us to help young people to fulfil their potential.”

More details about the Careers & Enterprise Company can be found here

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