CAREERS provision for secondary school students is set to receive a boost as the county council is named one of 20 Careers Hubs nationwide.

The East Sussex Careers Hub will link 40 secondary schools, special schools and colleges with employers, support organisations and higher and further education providers to improve the guidance and support offered to students.

With the help of £200,000 funding over two years East Sussex County Council, supported by Skills East Sussex, will expand projects, increase the reach of its Enterprise Coordinators and improve outcomes for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Cllr Bob Standley, the county council’s lead member for education and ISEND said: “Giving young people the best possible advice and support to help them embark on a career path that is right for them is incredibly important.

“Being named a Careers Hub gives us the opportunity to strengthen our links between schools, colleges, training providers and businesses within East Sussex, and give students the chance to get involved in initiatives and find out more about the world of work.”

The East Sussex Hub will have access to support and funding to help schools and colleges meet eight benchmarks of excellent careers education – known at the Gatsby Benchmarks.  The support includes;

• Funding to employ a Hub lead to coordinate activity and build networks

• Access to a Central Hub Fund  to support activities and interventions to improve student access to employers and to promote work readiness

The Hub lead will work with existing Enterprise Coordinators and Enterprise Advisers – volunteers from local businesses who are matched with individual schools, to help schools and colleges identify gaps in their provision, and provide training and support to improve their careers provision.

In East Sussex, projects which help young people make the right career choices and become work ready will be expanded to provide greater opportunities.  This includes;

• Industry Champions – a network of 75 champions from local businesses who have committed to supporting careers and enterprise activities in schools and colleges by taking part in careers fairs, giving talks, running workshops, providing work experience and mentoring

• Open Doors – an initiative encouraging businesses to open their doors to allow students to visit and learn more about the world of work

• Apprenticeship roadshows – events giving young people and their parents and carers a chance to talk to prospective employers  and apprenticeship training providers.

• Supporting young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to access Supported Internships and Apprenticeships.

For more information about the training and education opportunities available for young people visit www.c360.org.uk

Employers interested in supporting schools in the county can contact EnterpriseCoordinator@eastsussex.gov.uk

Careers Hubs are a central part of the Government’s Careers Strategy, published in December. The strategy aims to improve careers education and help prepare young people for the world of work. The Government asked The Careers & Enterprise Company to scale up a model successfully piloted in the North East by establishing 20 Careers Hubs across the country, allocating £5 million over a two-year period to support the Hubs.