With National Careers Week kicking off this week the Combined Authority is calling for help from a wide range of industry volunteers to further boost its work supporting local schools to deliver outstanding careers education.
The Combined Authority’s Careers Hub launched in 2022 and works with 77 schools and colleges across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to put good careers education at the heart of the curriculum. Its goal is to help schools and colleges raise aspirations and help young people seize opportunities for great careers by giving them the tools, resources and information as they prepare for their next steps in work or further education and training.
With studies showing that children aged just six can adopt career-limiting stereotypes based on gender, ethnicity and social background, the Careers Hub has also been chosen nationally to pilot careers education delivery in primary schools.
The Careers Hub makes delivering careers education easier by supporting schools’ careers leaders. That work is further supported by Enterprise Advisors – volunteers from a range of industries or other backgrounds who can give practical, real world advice direct from the workplace to help young people make better choices for their next steps.
The Combined Authority would like more Enterprise Advisors from different industries and job roles, and from a range of diverse backgrounds, to further help its work in supporting the next generation of talent.
If you want to talk to the Careers Hub about being an Enterprise Advisor fill in this form or email eva.woods@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk.
The Careers Hub also works with Cornerstone Employers including Morgan Sindall the NHS and G’s Fresh which support careers education in a variety of ways, including through careers events, visits to schools and providing advice and information to careers leads. Potential Cornerstone Employers can sign up here where they can also make a Talent Pledge.
Today’s (March 4) Combined Authority Skills Committee will be told that funding is set to continue for the Careers Hub in 2024/25. It is provided by the Careers Enterprise Company (CEC) which works with the Combined Authority to deliver the Careers Hub programme. The Committee will also be updated that the Careers Hub will be seeking additional funding from the CEC during the next academic year to develop further the work it does in the region preparing young people for roles and careers available in the local area.
National Careers Week is a national campaign celebrating careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK, timed for an important stage in the academic year when young people are looking to their next steps. With the Combined Authority also responsible for post-19 education and training, this week we will also be pointing to the opportunities to advance or change career.
Some of the careers events happening locally are at Cambridge Regional College Careers Fair at Huntingdon on Tuesday, March 5, 4-6pm at the Cambridge campus and on Thursday, March 7 4-6pm at the Huntingdon campus. They both feature a range of employers and is aimed at both those still in school and adults looking for jobs, career changes or other training options. Visit: https://www.camre.ac.uk/apprenticeship-jobs-and-careers-fairs/
There is also the Annual Primary Schools Careers Fair 2024 on March 5 run by Form the Future, welcoming 500 students from 9 schools across Cambridgeshire and hosting by Cambridge Regional College. Local employers from everything from farming and agriculture to the sciences, manufacturing and construction will help inspire young minds.
Other events during the week include At Greater Peterborough University Technical College (March 4) where employers are coming in to support various employability sessions to help students put CVs together, be prepared for interviews as well as employers showcasing their apprenticeship offer to students. Hampton College is holding a Careers Fair (March 8) for Years 8-13, allowing students to meet with further and higher education providers as well as local businesses who are showcasing their apprenticeships. Exhibitors include Jacobs engineering, British Army, Stageworks and Balfour Beatty.
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson said: “As a Combined Authority we want to make sure our younger generations have everything they need to take full advantage of the many employment opportunities on offer across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Through our Careers Hub, and alongside our Skills Strategy, we can help young people make good decisions about what they do next in terms of work, education, or training. And in helping our residents gain better access to quality jobs we’re also ensuring the type of highly skilled workforce that’s so integral to the needs of our local economy.”
The Combined Authority is encouraging people interested in careers information to check out the National Careers Week campaign website: https://nationalcareersweek.com/
