The North East England Chamber of Commerce has launched a campaign to give the region’s young people first-hand careers advice from business leaders and help develop their work skills.
At the launch, which took place at Stockton’s All Saints Academy, Ross Smith, Chamber director of policy called on the business community to give their time to guide the North East’s future workforce on what they look for in potential employees.
The Chamber’s work will be part of the Building My Skills programme, founded by Chamber Partner Esh Group. And the Chamber has set an ambitious target of securing 30,000 hours of contact time between its members and students throughout the academic year.
Ross Smith said: “Businesses regularly tell us that they are unable to find the right skills, or that they struggle to attract young people into their industry. This is a problem that can only be fixed if we significantly improve interaction between employers and schools.
“Building My Skills is a well-established and highly successful programme which is already transforming many young people’s perceptions of work. Business of all shapes and sizes are already involved, but there are so many others out there who could support the development of our future workforce. We urge them to play their part and donate time to make this innovative work even more successful.”
Building My Skills is a free, year-long employability programme which provides students in years 9 and above with a rounded introduction to the world of work, including what different careers entail, what employers look for in interviews and applications as well as practical experience of interviews.
Darush Dodds, head of Corporate Responsibility and Added Value, said: “Building My Skills has already opened up the world of work to thousands of schoolchildren.
“Through the Chamber’s extensive network we want to build on that – adding to the diverse range of businesses that can help young people understand their sectors.”
Businesses who want to find out more about how to support the campaign are invited to contact Sarah Lamb Esh Added Value Coordinator sarah.lamb@esh.uk.com