GIVING young people more opportunities to meet employers and explore the world of work was the focus of a major Worcestershire conference on Friday.
Schools, colleges and businesses from across the county came together at Sixways Stadium to hear from Baroness Nicky Morgan, chair of the careers and enterprise company and former secretary of state for education.
Hosted by Early Careers Worcestershire, part of Worcestershire County Council’s skills and employability service, Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP) and the careers and enterprise company, the event brought together employers and educators to discuss how young people can be better prepared for the world of work.
Those attending also had the opportunity to put their questions directly to Baroness Morgan, covering topics including artificial intelligence in the workplace, preparing young people for an increasingly digital economy, the future of work experience and how employers and educators can create more inclusive opportunities for all.
Baroness Nicky Morgan said that tackling the problem of numbers of young people not in education, employment or training, and preparing Worcestershire’s future workforce, required schools, colleges, employers and educators working together.
She said: “It’s my pleasure to be in Worcestershire and we’ve had a great conversation with educators and employers.
“If every school and college, employer, educator committed to really tackling this problem, I think we would find that young people are engaged in the curriculum, they’re energized in education, because they can see why what they’re learning is going to be useful for their futures.
“I also think that employers actually would have real confidence in the talent pipeline, the fact that they can see young people who are engaged, who do want to work, who do want to learn about what they have to offer.”
One of the biggest upcoming changes is the reform of work experience. From September, the traditional one-week Year 10 placement will begin to be replaced by at least two weeks of work-related experiences throughout secondary education.
Students will benefit from workplace visits, mentoring, careers talks, employer-led projects and work placements that help build confidence, develop skills and improve their understanding of the world of work.
Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/skills or email [email protected] for more information.
