News and Views

SENIOR leaders and key practitioners from the careers and education sector will gather near Penrith next week to celebrate the achievements of the Cumbria Careers Hub a year after its launch.

The Hub was launched in January 2019 and has since helped drive strong progress in Cumbria against every Gatsby benchmark, which describe high quality careers guidance.

It is managed, supported and part-funded by the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) along with the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC).

The event, to be held at the CLEP offices at Redhills, near Penrith, on Wednesday, February 26, will bring together head teachers, college principals, school governors and careers leaders along with employers, organisations and individuals who have provided valuable support.

They will reflect on the achievements of the Hub during its first year of operation when significant progress in Cumbria has been identified in areas such as:

• learning from career and labour market information,
• linking curriculum learning to careers,
• encounters with employers and employees and,
• experience of the workplace.

Delegates will also take part in workshops aimed at applying learning from the first year of operation to ensure that the Cumbria Hub continues to develop and build upon its performance, rated as one of nine top quartile performers amongst the 38 LEP areas in England.

Mike Smith OBE, CLEP Board Member and Chair of its People, Employment and Skills Strategy Group, said: “Most recent data for performance shows continued improvement. That’s extremely encouraging and gives us good reason to celebrate.

“However, next week’s event is equally about ensuring that we build upon the achievements of the Hub’s first year. Cumbria’s economy will face a range of challenges in the months and years ahead and our young people will be amongst our most valuable assets as we face those challenges.

“For their sake and ours, we need to ensure that the links between education and the workplace are as strong and effective as possible.

“For that reason, I would strongly urge any employers who feel they have something to offer Cumbria’s young people, such as becoming a Cornerstone Employer, to get in touch with the Hub.”

Cornerstone Employers work together with their networks, the wider business community and the local Enterprise Coordinator or Hub Lead, to give strategic support to clusters of secondary schools and colleges to help strengthen careers provision. Lakeland Arts and Oxley Group recently became the first two Cornerstone Employers in Cumbria.

Cumbria Careers Hub Manager Caroline Ledward said becoming a Cornerstone Employer is one of several ways in which employers could become engaged with careers guidance. Other ways of supporting young people in Cumbria include the Enterprise Adviser or ‘Give An Hour’ campaigns.

For further information about getting involved with the Cumbria Careers Hub, contact Caroline at caroline.ledward@thecumbrialep.co.uk