|
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
|