The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 59: February/March 2022 | Page 17

@ SWLEP
Visit the SWLEP online at : www . swlep . co . uk

The education-business partnership that works

You may have had a teacher or lecturer who struck a chord with you , making learning relevant and becoming an influence on your choice of career .
You may also have had a great insight into the world of work through a period of wellplanned work experience . You may have been extremely fortunate and experienced both .
However , for many people , learning about the world of work and how to apply learning from school is haphazard . So , if you have not already met , let me introduce you to the Swindon and Wiltshire ’ s Careers Hub , which aims to transform isolated pockets of inspiration into the regular “ way we do things ” in education and business .
The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership ( SWLEP ) manages the Careers Hub for Swindon and Wiltshire under a contract with the Careers Enterprise Company which was set up by Government in 2015 .
The Careers Hub brings education and business together in a systematic programme for students at secondary and special schools and Further Education ( FE ) colleges .
From the ages of 11 to 19 , young
people gain experience of types of jobs and what is required to gain higher level qualifications . The important part is that this is a programme of study incorporated into the curriculum for colleges , secondary and special schools and builds up knowledge and understanding year by year from the age of 11 . It removes the effect of the postcode lottery and helps young people learn through a system-wide approach and not by chance .
“ The Careers Hub brings education and business together in a systematic programme ”
The programme thrives in Swindon and Wiltshire because of the skills and experience of teachers , lecturers and senior leaders in our schools and colleges ; the dedication and expertise of business professionals who volunteer as Enterprise
Advisers to work with our young learners ; and the effective management of the programme by our Careers Hub staff .
“ It removes the effect of the postcode lottery and helps young people learn through a system-wide approach and not by chance ”
Our performance is good and improving . Schools are measured on the extent to which they achieve nine different benchmarks of performance . Our area ’ s performance is above the national average in all benchmarks . All secondary and special schools and FE Colleges in the area are part of the programme , which is again well ahead of the situation nationally .
The SWLEP provides access to current and historical data on labour market factors , enabling parents and students to
view and compare types of jobs , the skills and qualifications required and the range of salaries available .
The Careers Hub is involved in research into factors which affect employment so that advice to students can be based on real-world evidence . The latest project aims to find ways to engage more female learners in mathematics ; we know maths skills are increasingly required for jobs now and into the future , and that having a skilled and diverse workforce is a good way to improve business productivity .
We are proud of our Careers Hub and if you would like to find out more and perhaps become involved , please contact our Careers Hub Manager , Shona Taylor via shona . taylor @ wiltshire . gov . uk

THE CAREERS HUB

Building a community of practice to improve outcomes for young people

Email Shona Taylor , Careers Hub Lead to find out more : shona . taylor @ wiltshire . gov . uk
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