in association with The last word Inspiring the future workforce by John McCann, chief executive, UTV Media plc


strongest tangible benefits to students come from work experience. And employers agree. 75 per cent feel that relevant work experience is the key element in making a candidate most employable.


Businesses of all sizes and types, from the public, private and voluntary sectors, need to commit to making changes and to reviewing and improving the work experience they offer. We need to show young people that there are many routes to success. At UTV, we have been getting involved in making what we do when young people come for their work placement much more exciting, inviting and inspirational.


Weʼve been using the tools from the Work Inspiration campaign and the learning from other companies already involved. We recently had two students come to trial work inspiration with us. Instead of attaching them to one particular department, the whole organisation committed to broadening their horizons and perceptions of what we do.


One of the key issues that emerged was the gap between the idea a young person had of the world of work and what businesses expected from those new recruits.


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Another finding was the knowledge gap between what young people know and what the world of work requires them to know. Young people are leaving education with little understanding of how to progress with a career; the range of jobs and opportunities open to them; and how to take their first steps in the world of work.


This gap raises a potentially critical issue for business: if young people donʼt know what jobs are out there and how to get into them, this could lead to a serious lack of appropriately skilled or qualified future employees. By raising awareness among employers, they can become a catalyst for positive change in the way work experience is provided for young people. A critical social need – to better equip young people with a more transparent and motivating picture of the world of work – must be addressed. This will enable them to make better decisions about their future career paths upon leaving school or university. We must of course be hopeful that the employment situation for young people will improve in the coming years as we move on from the recession and its devastating impact on many industry sectors.


Compelling research has revealed that work experience can be pivotal to young peopleʼs future aspirations. In a study from the b‑ live Foundation*, almost two thirds of all teachers said that the


ince Spring 2008, Business in the Community has been surveying senior business leaders for ideas on how to tackle the skills deficit in the UK.


They went out on the road and did their own filming. Their story was filming us doing our story. They got to go into the UTV Live studio and see what happens behind the scenes and they were encouraged to question and make suggestions to ensure their experience was the best it could be and gave them a meaningful insight into working in the broadcast media sector. Ashleigh and Andy, our students, told me this: “Weʼve really enjoyed our time at UTV, and now would think more seriously about a career in media. The days are much longer than we are used to but we definitely got to see and do so much. We could start work tomorrow!”


I appreciate that there may be more ʻexcitingʼ opportunities in our sector than in some others, but we did our best to make the experience a realistic insight rather than a marketing exercise for UTV.


Work Inspiration in Northern Ireland The Work Inspiration campaign was launched in Northern Ireland on 25 May 2010. This national Business in the Community campaign started with a Big Conversation at Belfast Waterfront Hall, where over 50 chief executives from local businesses met with 50 students from schools in Northern Ireland.


The concept of Work Inspiration is threefold: for employers to be inspired and supported in providing better quality and more inspiring work for young people; for schools to be inspired and supported in helping students understand how to get the best out of their work placement; and for young people to be inspired and really get to grips with the world of work.


The great thing is that so much work has already been done and trialled by others that businesses in Northern Ireland can engage with Work Inspiration instantly. Information and toolkits are available for easy download at www.workinspiration.com You can get started by looking at the Three Insights to help you draw a young person out and make their visit bespoke for them.


*The b‑live Foundation works in partnership with schools and employers and supports a community of over 200,000 young people (aged from 12 to 19) to help manage and maximise their personal and career development.


Readers are encouraged to contribute to The Last Word. Content should address issues or concerns a personal perspective. For further information on contributing, please contact the editor, Gavin Walker, on 9147 2119 or gavin@businessfirstni.co.uk


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