Worcestershire Careers Hub

Background

Since October 2015, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company, has also been running a Careers Hub pilot in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership area.

This Careers Hub pilot was put in place to build on the support provided through the Enterprise Adviser Networks to achieve benchmarks 5 and 6 and support schools / colleges to achieve all eight of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Following the conclusion of this pilot the Department for Educations Careers Strategy has requested that the Careers and Enterprise Company scale up this model by establishing 20 more Careers Hubs across the country, based on the North East Pilot model.

In July 2018 the Worcestershire LEP, in partnership with Worcestershire County Council were successful in their bid for Worcestershire to be awarded "Careers Hub" status by the Careers and Enterprise Company.

What is a Careers Hub?

A Careers Hub is a group of between 20 and 40 schools (Middle, SEN and secondary) and colleges.

Schools are located in the same geographical area, working with employers, universities, other education and training providers and career guidance professionals to ensure that all the Gatsby Benchmarks are delivered in each school and college within the Hub and that careers outcomes are improved for all young people.

Schools and colleges within the Hub should have a shared vision of how they will work together to improve outcomes for the young people in their area.

Worcestershire Careers Hub

In July 2018 the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP), in conjunction  with Worcestershire County Council were successful in their bid for Worcestershire to be awarded "Careers Hub" status by the Careers and Enterprise Company.

The Worcestershire LEP developed a careers Hub which contained all of the county’s secondary and SEN schools and colleges.  The hub  delivery team works  with member schools and colleges to ensure that, not only are they meeting the mandatory requirements set out within the Department for Education’s Careers Strategy, supporting them to achieve  all of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks but they also ensure that Worcestershire students receive an increased number of employer encounters and activities which will prepare them for the world of work.

Worcestershire’s Careers Hub has access to support which helps all hub members meet the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of excellent careers education, working towards improved careers outcomes for young people. Achieving these benchmarks is a mandatory requirement for schools as part of the government’s careers strategy published in January 2018.

Following on from a very successful 2-year middle school pilot scheme which started in September 2018. Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP), in conjunction with Worcestershire County Council bid for a middle school hub.

This bid was successful and commenced on 1st September 2020.