I was delighted to take some of our ambassadors to meet with the Department for Education team working on the new careers strategy. Over two months the DfE spent time in roundtable discussions and meetings talking to lots of organisations and individuals invested in careers education.
YEUK represents over 10,000 young people, young people who are invested in the issues of youth unemployment, which careers education is one. Alex and Michael brought their own fresh perspective to the table, they both shared how they have felt let down by their own experiences of careers education and that more needs to be done to help young people prepare for work.
Michael championed the need for work experience, the opportunity to find out what you like and dislike is invaluable whilst getting an understanding of the skills employers are looking for. Alex was keen to see that all career pathways were promoted equally, not sure if he would have followed a university route if he had had more information about apprenticeships.
Yesterday Nicky Morgan MP announced a new careers and enterprise company for schools. This company will become an umbrella organisation helping to signpost and connect the dots so that both employers and schools can make more of the opportunities available to inspire and prepare students for life outside education.
The company will receive funding for its initial set up and will need to become self-sustaining, yet it won’t be delivering any direct services. It is expected to be an employer led organisation that will tap into the expertise in careers and enterprise education. Key elements to the company will be to share best practice, provide guidance to schools around quality marks and choosing careers support, secure support for the areas with poorest provision and develop an Enterprise Passport.
The role employers has to play in this space cannot be denied but neither can the expertise of those organisations who have been working in this field for some time, a joined up approach is welcome, as long as it is not reinventing the wheel. We also would urge government and this new company to ensure that there is a youth voice ever present. Whilst employers, schools and providers make up a large proportion of the stakeholders in this area we cannot forget who this service is for, our young people must be the most invested of stakeholders.
The time has come for action, our young people need and want to see an improved service and I hope that this company will do all it can to ensure they get just that.
