The South Derbyshire Careers Hub is one of four led by D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company.
150 people attended a special event, held yesterday (30 November), at the D2N2 funded Museum of Making, to celebrate the launch of a new Careers Hub which will help young people in the area to thrive.
The South Derbyshire Careers Hub brings together school staff, particularly those who lead on careers education, and provides them with additional support, resources and training for their schools to deliver “modern, 21st century careers education for every child, no matter their background or circumstance.”
The Careers Hub also links the region’s 43 schools with employers, Further Education colleges and apprenticeship and in-work training providers, to make sure young people in the region know about the options available to them after they leave education, and the different jobs open to them.
Research carried out by The Careers & Enterprise Company shows that schools and colleges which are part of a Careers Hub deliver more support to students, have stronger links with local employers, offer more work experience opportunities and develop innovative ways of linking the curriculum with different jobs a student could go on to do.
Over the next year, D2N2 Careers Hubs will work with member schools to ensure each has a fit-for-purpose strategic careers plan, while delivering a range of experience events and programmes for young people to access, made possible by the backing of supporting employers.
D2N2 LEP has operated a Careers Hub in North Derbyshire since 2019 and the success of this led to funding being agreed by the Careers and Enterprise company for the creation of a further three hubs in the area. The scheme now covers all of the D2N2 region and supports over 92,000 young people from 150 secondary schools and colleges.
Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive, said: “I’m really excited to be here today to mark the launch of this initiative.
“Bringing the worlds of work and education together is a vital part of our strategy to lead a green recovery from the impact of Covid-19. It has been a real collaborative effort to bring these Careers Hubs to our region and we look forward to working with all our partners as we look to transform the careers landscape across the D2N2 area.”
Oli de Botton, the Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national body for careers education in England, said: “It’s a pleasure to help launch the new South Derbyshire Careers Hub. Modern, 21st century careers education for every child, no matter their background or circumstance couldn’t be more important.
“Over the last few years schools and colleges across the country have been improving careers education, and helping more and more of their young people to take their best next step out of education and into the wider world.
“Careers Hubs play an incredibly important role in making this happen. They are helping businesses, schools, apprenticeship providers and colleges to collaborate and work together as effectively as possible. I want to say a huge congratulations to the team in South Derbyshire for setting their Careers Hub up, so it helps to improve the lives of young people in the area.”
Commenting on the launch of the South Derbyshire Careers Hub, Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart MP, said: “Careers Hubs ensure young people can see and know about the huge range of different jobs and career pathways on offer, and make decisions that work best for them and their futures.
“Good careers education is such a valuable asset, so it’s fantastic to see that the Careers Hub in South Derbyshire is launching, meaning more young people have the information they need to make the most of their talents.”
