Happy National Careers Week.
We visit schools and colleges in London every day. We know that if a young person goes to a school or college that isn't next to a tube station or isn't next to a large business, the chances are that they aren’t being exposed to the same opportunities as others in London. They don’t meet the same variety of professionals, they don’t step into as many different workplaces. They don’t have as many first-hand experiences of the world of work. And this is a problem.
For young people to plan their future, they need to see ideas first-hand. That means we need employers to get involved. The world around us is changing, quickly and the world of work is changing with it. We’re seeing that no job lasts forever.
We now have lots of data about young people and careers, and it tells us the same thing. Across London, there’s lots of engagement between businesses and schools and colleges - almost 4.5 million encounters happen each year - but it's not hitting every school and it's not reaching every young person.
Almost a quarter of young people don’t meet an employer each year during their time at school, which is recognised as good practice in careers education. Some won’t meet any at all. Over a third of young people don’t have a structured visit to a workplace either before they’re 16 or after, a shortfall of 57,100 experiences.
Here is how you can help:
- Can you take an hour out of your day to talk to a group of students about what you do in your job and how you got there? Give An Hour.
- Can you or your business spend a morning hosting a small group of students to let them see inside your workplace? See our guide on how to do it.
- Can you use your networks, your skills and your experiences to support a school or college in your community to connect to their local businesses? Get in touch.
“It was a really eye-opening experience and helped me experience and visualise what I wanted to do” Student from Park High School, Harrow
Every young person should get to access the opportunities and information they need to take advantage of everything London has to offer. Young people from all backgrounds, from all parts of London, with all types of aspirations.
Get in touch to support the London Enterprise Adviser Network for an hour, a day or a year.
The London Enterprise Adviser Network matches senior business volunteers with careers leaders in schools and colleges. They work together to increase business engagement so that every young person grows up with the information and experiences they need to make informed decisions about their futures. We’re currently working in over 450 schools and colleges in London and that’s part of a national network of over 3300 institutions.