Business Steps into the Classroom to Close Skills Gap
Employers are stepping up their connections with schools and working with students to improve job skills and prepare them for the world of work, according to new research published this week (21st January).
The Closing the Gap report by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC)
highlights a significant increase in the level of business engagement in schools and colleges.
The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership has welcomed the report and reaffirmed its commitment to encouraging the private sector across Greater Lincolnshire to work more closely with schools.
The Greater Lincolnshire LEP employs three Enterprise Coordinators who work to build strategic relationships with schools across the county and help improve existing careers provision.
Ongoing projects include the Give an Hour scheme and a dedicated website exploring The World of Work.
Nationally, the report found that more young people are meeting employers: 80% of young people are now benefiting from meeting employers every year and two thirds (66%) are learning through work experience.
It says consistent and definitive progress is being made towards the overall target of four million young people meeting employers and one million having work experience every year.
Pat Doody, Acting Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, commented: “This is great news for the UK as a whole and for young people in Lincolnshire who are clearly starting to benefit from closer relationships with their local employers and businesses.
“We believe that a successful economy needs businesses, and schools and colleges, to work more closely together on this issue and we now employ three Enterprise Coordinators who are engaging with business leaders.
“We are supporting this national effort in a number of ways: we have created the World of Work website to inform young people and challenge perceptions about the workplace; we’ve developed the Enterprise Adviser Network to help businesses support schools with their careers advice; and we’re encouraging business people to Give An Hour to make a difference to the future career choices that a young person in Greater Lincolnshire makes.
“However, we know that there is much more work to be done in this area and we are up for the challenge of meeting the national targets and improving the preparedness of young people for the world of work.”
Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education, said: “It is incredibly encouraging to see so many businesses coming together to deliver so much for their local communities.
“This Government has set out an ambitious vision for careers education. We want all young people to have regular, inspiring, meaningful interactions with the world of work.
“Achieving this will help businesses broaden and diversify their talent pipeline. But it’s also about inspiring young people, promoting social mobility and giving every young person the opportunity to succeed.”
Notes for editors:
- The Closing the Gap report is based on detailed data from 3,826 state-funded schools and colleges – around 75% of the total number of schools and colleges. Download it here.
- The Greater Lincolnshire LEP was set up in 2010 and works with businesses and local authorities to develop and grow Greater Lincolnshire’s diverse economy.
- It is a public / private partnership led by the private sector.
- It works with central Government and the private sector to invest in infrastructure, skills, innovation and productivity.
- More than 100 businesses are involved in its strategies, and 80 business people sit on its boards.
- The LEP has an ambitious and balanced strategic economic growth plan for Greater Lincolnshire.
- The LEP’s six priority sectors are agri-food, the visitor economy, manufacturing, logistics, health and care and low-carbon energy.
- The LEP has invested £307 million in local economic growth schemes in Greater Lincolnshire since 2014.
- The Greater Lincolnshire LEP covers an area including North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire and is led by a LEP board made up of leading figures in the public and private sector.
- To find out more visit www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co…. or follow the LEP on Twitter @greaterlincslep, Facebook or Linkedin.
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