Careers and Enterprise Company Initiative

Helping to link schools and colleges to employers and to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people.

What is the Careers and Enterprise Company Initiative?

The Careers and Enterprise Company was established in 2015 to help link schools and colleges to employers, to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work.

The government was determined that schools, colleges and employers should work in partnership to spread outstanding careers advice, guidance and inspiration to every young person across the country, regardless of their background or location.

What is the aim?

The initial focus of the Careers and Enterprise Company was to improve employer engagement through the creation of the Enterprise Adviser Network and to support schools to increase meaningful careers activities which required employer involvement and would help them to build long lasting employer relationships (Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6).

Due to the success of the EAN a 2-year pilot scheme was launched in the North-East in 2016 whereby a group of schools worked in a ‘hub’ to try to achieve all the Gatsby Benchmarks. The effect on the Benchmarks was so positive that this led to further hubs being created in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Worcestershire LEP in conjunction with Worcestershire County Council tendered a successful bid for a Careers Hub in July 2018 which was the beginning of the Inspiring Worcestershire initiative

Meet the team

Judy Gibbs

Skills and Investment Head of Service and Worcestershire LEP Director of Skills

Judy joined Worcestershire County Council in August 2013. Upon joining WCC Judy was initially tasked with building a team within the economic development directorate which could develop and promote the wider skills agenda across Worcestershire. This role was eventually expanded to cover the LEP skills lead role.

Her expanded role would include the co-creation of the Worcestershire Apprenticeship brand and concept to take apprenticeship engagement to a wider audience and build strong active relationships with employers which would create links with schools to support careers activity under the county council's and the Worcestershire LEP's joint "Connecting Schools and Business" initiative.

Over the past few years Judy and her team have built up a reputation of successfully delivering many ESF / ESIF, National and locally funded programmes and initiatives. Judy's group manager role within the council also includes the management of a number of teams including Libraries and Learning and the NEET prevention Team.

Matt Tope

Future Skills Programme Manager and Worcestershire LEP Careers Hub Manager

Matt joined Worcestershire County Council in September 2013. Matt was part of the initial team recruited by Judy Chadwick to work within economic development directorate to develop and promote the wider skills agenda across Worcestershire. This role was eventually expanded to cover the LEP skills priorities.

For a number of years Matt led the joint WCC and WLEP Connecting Schools and Business initiative to look at developing stronger links with schools and to look at ways in which Worcestershire employers could support the delivery of careers related education within schools.

Following the conception of the Careers and Enterprise Company initiative in 2015 Matt led the implementation and creation of Worcestershire's own Enterprise Adviser network. In September 2018 Matt took up the role of Careers Hub Manager following the Worcestershire LEP being awarded "Careers Hub status" which he would undertake alongside his wider programme manager role.

Alice Overton

Deputy Careers Hub Manager

Alice joined the delivery team in April 2017, since she started her role she has been working on mainstream school engagement has built up an amazing level of engagement across the entire school network.

Following the expansion of the delivery team Alice's role as Deputy Careers Hub Manager will be focused on maintaining the relationships she has already built within our Mainstream "Careers Hub" member schools across the Wyre Forest, Redditch and Bromsgrove districts. Alice will be tasked with providing these schools with the support they require to achieve ALL of the 8 x Gatsby Benchmarks.

Alice will work with schools’ strategic leads, their careers advisers and their assigned Enterprise Adviser to develop a programme of activity which ensures that local employers play a vital role in the delivery of careers education within her assigned schools.

Alice is also taking a lead role within the development of the Skills 4 Worcestershire careers signposting website and the organisation of the Worcestershire Skills Show.

Sandra Howells

Enterprise Coordinator – Southern Districts

Sandra joined the delivery team in November 2018. Her role as an Enterprise Coordinator will be focused on maintaining and building on our existing relationships within our Mainstream "Careers Hub" member schools across the Worcester City, Malvern Hills and Wychavon districts.

Sandra will be tasked with providing these schools with the support they require to achieve ALL of the 8 x Gatsby Benchmarks.

Sandra will work with the schools strategic leads, their careers advisers and their assigned Enterprise Adviser to develop a programme of activity which ensures that local employers play a pivotal role in the delivery of careers education within her assigned schools.

Sandra is enthusiastic and committed to ensuring that all young people get a wealth of excellent opportunities to improve their future outcomes.

Hannah Strong

Enterprise Co-ordinator SEND Schools

Hannah joined Worcestershire County Council in October 2020. Her role as Enterprise Coordinator will focus on the SEND schools across Worcestershire, maintaining and developing the existing relationships built with the schools.

Hannah will be tasked with finding solutions to support the delivery of careers provision within our SEND schools network.

Hannah will be working closely with the individual school Careers leads and their in-house careers advisers to ensure their young people receive a high standard of careers provision.

Hannah has come from an NCS (National Citizen Service) background where she successfully managed the Worcestershire contract for over 3 years, covering 60 Mainstream, PRU and SEND schools. Her previous role allows her to build on the great working relationship with our SEND schools and has an insight into the Gatsby Benchmarks and the areas that may need developing. During her time with NCS she worked with the NCS Trust to create bespoke SEND programmes making NCS inclusive for all.

Hannah has committed her career to people and strives to ensure equal opportunities are there for all. Her passion and drive will push the fantastic work already done to reach even wider parts of the sector.

Alex King

Enterprise Co-ordinator

Alex joined the team in March 2023 from GFirst LEP in Gloucestershire, where he was completing a similar role. Prior to that, he worked for Gloucestershire College within the Employability team, where he specialised in industry placements, with a particular focus on the catering, hospitality, engineering and tourism sector.

His role as an Enterprise Coordinator involves creating strong, productive relationships with mainstream secondary schools, with a specific focus on careers education.

Alex works with schools in the North of Worcestershire, covering Redditch, Bromsgrove, the Wyre Forest and more recently, Malvern.

He will work strategically and operationally with school Careers Leaders, wider careers teams, SLT and Governors, to support the development of progressive careers programmes.

Using the Gatsby Benchmarks as guidance, the aim is for all schools to provide their students with the opportunity to find their next best step, whatever this might be.

He will support schools to link with employers and providers who can contribute to the programme and attend careers activities, in addition to matching each school with an Enterprise Adviser.

Laura Evans

Project Support Officer

Laura joined the skills and investment team in December 2021. Laura’s primary role as Project Support Officer will be to work with the Careers Hub Manager to deliver a bespoke project to undertake an evaluation of the current risk of NEET indicator.

Funded, by the Careers and Enterprise Company this project will identify any elements of the current indicator which could be improved making it more efficient and in turn supporting our local schools to identify those young people at risk as early as possible. Laura will also lead on the day-to-day support being given to several pilot schools testing the new indicator during the 2022 / 2023 academic year.

Laura will also support the wider team on a number of ongoing work streams and activities.

Laura has previously worked for Worcestershire Children’s First spending 3 years working as part of the Early Help team working directly with families experiencing a wide range of challenges around unemployment.

Alicia Taylor - Carter

Project Support Officer (SEND)

Alicia joined the team in March 2023. Alicia’s primary role as Project Support Officer (SEND) is the creation and development of our Passport series. Funded, by the Careers and Enterprise Company, our Passport series are a collection of free sector-based schemes of work, with detailed lesson plans and resources, that were created and designed for SEND leaners.

Alicia also supports the wider team on a number of ongoing work streams and activities, along with supporting SEND, AP and PRU schools and their careers leaders within Worcestershire.

Alicia has worked for Worcestershire County Council since 2015 in a variety of roles within the community.

Emily Jones

Business Administration Apprentice

Emily joined the delivery team in September 2023. Her role as Business Administration Apprentice will focus on supporting the team in administrative tasks, aiding the development of key projects such as the Simply Careers platform. She has also been tasked with making updates to the Skills 4 Worcestershire website and developing a new Careers Newsletter for schools.

Emily's main workstream will be supporting with the organisation of the Worcestershire Skills Show, an event that aids schools in their progress through the Gatsby Benchmarks by giving students meaningful encounters with employers and training providers.

Prior to this role, she completed her degree in English and Creative Writing. Having recently made the transition from education to fulltime employment, she is eager to help more young people do the same.