As we roll towards our final half term break, into GCSE exams and then onto the long school summer break, we here at Leicestershire Cares are in the midst of planning the next academic year.
A big part of our work with young people, takes place in secondary schools across the city and county. Our well established employability offer, which we deliver with the help of a robust bank of business volunteers, helps schools deliver a meaningful employability programme across years 7-11.
So why should schools be educating young people about employability?
As evidenced by the Gatsby Charity on good career guidance: “Every young person needs good career guidance to make informed decisions about their future. Good career guidance is a necessity for social mobility: those young people without significant social capital or home support to draw upon have the most to gain from a strong career guidance system.”
The Gatsby Benchmarks provide schools with clear guidance on providing students with meaningful interactions with both employers and the wider labour market so that they can make meaningful decisions regarding their future GCSE options, further education and whether they feel higher education or potentially an apprenticeship would be better suited for them.
So why aren’t schools just delivering this themselves?
Teachers aren’t always best placed nor skilled to provide employability focussed activities and therefore have partnered with Leicestershire Cares to ensure their students receive those much needed, high-quality interventions. Our workshops range from short, snappy assemblies where year 7 students “guess my job” to whole mornings with 20 volunteers mock - interviewing 200 year 11 students in the big school hall. What we know is that the business volunteer element of our offer really brings the “world of work” to life for our young people and gives them a chance to engage with the active labour market – starting with children as young as 11 years old.
So why do schools choose to partner with Leicestershire Cares?
Leicestershire Cares has provided educational workshops to over 136 individual schools and 22,000 students since 2017 alongside a cohort of over 200 active business volunteers, who through membership of our charity are willing and able to give their time. This year alone 181 volunteers have volunteered 835 work hours to deliver workshops in our schools.
But don’t take our word for it ….
A huge thankyou for your support. Our students have been extremely positive about the experience and we feel they are now more prepared for future interviews, particularly their imminent college interviews!
Lots of staff members have approached the careers team and passed on positives too. This was following on from chats with students after the interviews when returning back to class. We have now tasked our students with reflections and action points moving forward so that they build on the momentum. Thanks again – Judgemeadow Community College – May 2022
It was very refreshing to hear such positive feedback for our students. The advice given to our students by the volunteers was priceless. - Madani Schools Federation – May 2022
The volunteers play a major role in the running this event. I have had nothing but positive feedback from the students over the last 2 days. To see so many of the students with smiles on their faces after they have had their interview speaks volumes. I can't thank the volunteers enough!- English Martyrs Catholic School – August 2022
I think he was a nice bloke and had sense of care for the people he was interviewing as he was very comforting/. And he gave me a real taste of what an interview was like. –Limehurst Academy Student March 2023
She was very lovely and explained how the interview worked so I felt more confident and had a better understanding of what the interview was going to be like. Very kind and understanding. – Newbridge Academy Student – March 2023
She was an extremely lovely person who has helped me confident and has given me the skills to be successful in my next interview – Student - Madani Schools Federation (girls school) – May 2023
If you are a careers lead and are interested in our employability offer for schools our brochure can be found here
Contact our head of children and young people amy@leicestershirecares.co.uk
