The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has successfully applied to establish a second Careers Hub for the area. The Solent West & Isle of Wight Careers Hub will build on the accomplishments of existing Solent East Careers Hub, helping to transform careers education locally on behalf of central Government.
This extension for the Solent will ensure all schools and colleges across the area will benefit from further support in developing their careers activity.
Damian Hinds, Secretary of State for Education, said:
“Careers Hubs bring together schools, colleges, universities and employers to share their expertise and improve the careers education on offer to make sure young people have the information they need to make the most of their talents.
“Today’s investment will give thousands more young people access to expert careers guidance as they take those first exciting steps into their future.”
The Solent LEP can now support all secondary schools and colleges in the Solent area through a Careers Hub; from as far west as Ringwood in the New Forest over to Havant on the east of the Hampshire border, and from as northerly as Bishopstoke in the borough of Eastleigh, right down to Ventor in the south of the Isle of Wight.
Rachael Randall, Solent LEP Business Director and Board Lead for Skills said:
“It is so important that the young people across the Solent are all aware of the employment opportunities and are inspired to develop their careers here in the Solent. For this reason we are delighted that we can offer all secondary schools and colleges our full support and the same valuable resources that we have been using in the east.”
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Much of the success of the existing Solent East Careers Hub is built upon the work that the Solent LEP has spearheaded with more than 70 secondary schools and colleges to partner each of them with a volunteer Enterprise Adviser. These Enterprise Advisers are recruited from local businesses and organisations to work alongside the schools’ senior leadership teams. Together they jointly prepare a plan that is designed to prepare young people for life after school.
Claudia Harris, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said:
“Careers education is improving across the country. The accelerated progress we’re seeing in the first wave of Careers Hubs shows that this model is working and delivering for young people, with schools and colleges in this first wave of Careers Hubs already outperforming the national average across all aspects of careers education.”
To find out more about becoming an Enterprise Adviser visit https://solentlep.org.uk/get-involved/become-an-enterprise-adviser/.
