Views & Opinion Don’t drop them in it: The importance of
careers guidance for employability Comment by Michael Mercieca, CEO of Young Enterprise
The UK is suffering from a long–term youth unemployment problem. In the period between July to September 2015, the Office of National Statistics reported that there were 848,000 16-24 years old who were not in education, employment or training (NEET). Young people are leaving the education system without the skills employers need, and the void between education and the workplace must be bridged if we are to tackle this issue.
But we can’t expect young people to inherently understand what skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen careers path. Careers advice is vital to ensure all young people understand what skills and knowledge they will need to transition seamlessly into the workplace. And this shouldn’t be a last minute check-in before they head out into the world of work. It is important that employability skills are developed as early as possible, as well as introducing young people to the experience of work, to help them understand what careers are available to them,
whether they would be suitable, and what specific skill sets they would need.
Often the best careers advice services are those that give young people access to positive role models. Exposure to people not only from a variety of workplaces, but also the different roles within them, is valuable and much needed throughout school life. As young people begin to recognise their own strengths and broader interests, they can begin to make informed academic choices to complement their aspirations.
This approach is supported by recent findings from the British Chambers of Commerce which highlighted the benefits of employer engagement in education. Bringing business into the classroom introduces young people to the world of work and encourages the development of key employability skills, which education leaders cited as being the most beneficial reason for employer- student communication.
Many careers services provide expert and
tailored advice for young people as they take their first steps into employment. Encouraging students to join enterprise education schemes, for example, is a great way to practice employability skills in a real-life setting. Careers services can also provide essential tips on getting the basics right, whether that’s CV and cover letter writing, or even where to look for jobs.
Currently, too many young people are leaving the education system without the direction, motivation and knowledge to be productive members of the UK’s labour force. It is therefore very positive that the new Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy has launched an inquiry into careers advice, education and guidance to further improve this essential service. We also hope that the Committee will work with organisations that are committed to closing the youth skills gap, like Young Enterprise, to support them as they work to provide the best service to improve our young people’s employability.
The importance of The Big Read Comment by Denis Ramplin, The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham
The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, a charity that supports two independent schools, five grammar schools and a sponsored academy, enjoyed the privilege last summer of being an educational sponsor for The Big Hoot, an arts initiative that transformed Birmingham and its suburbs into a virtual aviary. Having witnessed the impact hundreds of fibre glass owls can have on children it took very little time for us to agree to be a presenting partner for 2016’s The Big Read, and help bring another sculptural event to the West Midlands. On this occasion, the project changes from an owl sculpture to a bench in the form of an open book. The BookBenches, which come in two sizes, aim to help teachers, parents and communities to build upon the skills required to promote literacy in a way that is fun, engaging and inclusive of all individuals.
Schools and community groups are encouraged to decorate BookBenches with imagery that has been inspired by characters, locations and landscapes of literary work. Once decorated, the work will be shared with the region’s visitors and residents during the summer, creating mini indoor art trails so that everybody can enjoy young people’s
January 2016
creativity. The venues displaying the BookBenches will also be offering content aimed at inspiring all generations to rekindle their passion for reading, writing and literacy development, such as poetry slams, storytelling sessions, and creative writing workshops.
Wild in Art, the custodians of this creative approach to learning, have identified that children respond to curriculum projects via their sculptures. These act as blank 3D canvasses for children to express their creativity with an energy, both artistic and literal. Considering the digital environment that children exist in, this is very refreshing. We also recognise this initiative offers the opportunity for transferring the activities that children will be learning onto our new virtual learning platform, allowing teachers and pupils to revisit the resources via a digital format. We recently staged an event where over 200 children enjoyed a creative writing session via graphic novel gurus The Etherington Brothers. It seems that the visual approach to learning has real merit and we are really excited to see the creative expressions on the BookBenches. Birmingham’s Big Hoot not only demonstrated the City’s artistic ability but
there was also a positive feel good outcome; the owl sculptures were auctioned off and raised approximately £500,000 for the Children’s Hospital. Big Read BookBenches will be returned to the schools and groups that created them, where they will become a lasting feature of a library, book corner or outside learning environment. Which means although there will be no charity auction, Birmingham Children’s Hospital hopes that everyone involved and enjoys the project next summer will take the opportunity to fundraise for its Eye Believe appeal. This will help create a spacious waiting area and exciting interactive play space suitable for children with visual impairments. The Big Read will help schools and community groups to harness the power of creativity in cross-curricular learning and offers the opportunity to make a real difference to the life of the hospital. Above all, we hope the initiative will ensure Birmingham and the West Midlands continues to produce some of the world’s most celebrated writers - and will inspire the next Tolkien or Zephaniah!
www.thebigread.org.uk www.education-today.co.uk 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44