Nicky Morgan says local Careers Hub is ‘shining example’ as it marks 5-year milestone

Baroness Morgan of Cotes has praised the Leicester and Leicestershire careers team tasked with bridging the gap between schools, colleges, and businesses.

The former Loughborough MP, now chair of the Careers and Enterprise Company, says the work of the LLEP Careers Hub is a ‘shining example’ of what can be achieved.

Careers hubs boost their local economies by bringing local employers together with education providers. In doing so, they deliver a quality standard in careers advice as young people plan their next move in life.

Baroness Morgan introduces the Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub Impact Report 2018-23, which is published this week.

“The Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub is a shining example of what we wanted to achieve,” she writes.

“The LLEP Careers Hub – like so many nationwide – provides educators with opportunities to engage purposefully with employers.

“I want young people to be confidently prepared for the future, through a system that’s ready for the future too. Careers Hubs are a key part of that vision.”

The local Careers Hub works closely with the national Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) in ensuring that every young person in its area is informed about the choices available to them post-education.

It also works with a host of Enterprise Advisers – local business leaders who go into schools to talk about jobs, careers, apprenticeships, and other opportunities in industry.

A celebration event is being held this week to mark the achievements of the Careers Hub during its first five years.

LLEP chief executive Phoebe Dawson said: “Much progress has been made by our Careers Hub since it launched in 2018 and the LLEP Board recently agreed to extend its funding through to August 2024.”

Some of the gains have been replicated nationally.

A big part of the journey towards ensuring all schools and colleges have stable careers programmes began in Loughborough. The Bridge to Work pilot was set up when Baroness Morgan was Education Secretary.

Her foreword to the report recalls: “At that time, employers were telling us young people did not have the skills they needed. Young people were telling us they felt unsupported as they prepared to enter the world of work.

“I’d become involved with the Bridge to Work scheme running in my Loughborough constituency. It was bringing employers into schools, raising aspirations, and boosting social mobility – it was scaled up and applied at a national level.

“The LLEP Careers Hub – like so many nationwide – provides educators with opportunities to engage purposefully with employers. That builds understanding of local sectors, pathways, and careers.  And that grows regional economies.”

Those attending this week’s event will hear about the significant impact of the Careers Hub, including the number of schools in Leicester and Leicestershire with a stable careers programme having increased by 63% since the hub launched.

Picture shows Baroness Morgan of Cotes at Loughborough College. (Credit: Loughborough College / Beth Walsh Photography)