1. The Enterprise Adviser Network in Kent
Natalie Cramp
Chief Operating Officer
The Careers & Enterprise Company
5 October 2017

2. When your young people leave school what do you want them to be?
In 2015, the Careers and Enterprise Company was established to solve a problem. The problem is one that I think we are all aware of in this room:
There are approximately 750,000 job vacancies in the UK and approximately one quarter of these are due to a skills shortage.
At the same time, youth unemployment is two times higher than adult unemployment and this doesn’t have to be the case – in Germany, for example, youth unemployment is lower than general unemployment. So what this tells us is that there is something wrong with the way we are transitioning young people from the education system into the world of work.
Preparing young people for the changing world of work has never been more important, to succeed in post Brexit Britain.
So how can seek to address this problem of youth unemployment and to prepare young people and futureproof our economy for post Brexit Britain?

3. Preparing young people for the future workforce is no small challenge
750,000 job vacancies
Youth unemployment 2x rate of adult unemployment
Need for a future workforce for post Brexit Britain against a context of an ageing population
Dynamics of a changing workplace and requirements enabled by digital
Pressured school budgets
In 2015, the Careers and Enterprise Company was established to solve a problem. The problem is one that I think we are all aware of in this room:
There are approximately 750,000 job vacancies in the UK and approximately one quarter of these are due to a skills shortage.
At the same time, youth unemployment is two times higher than adult unemployment and this doesn’t have to be the case – in Germany, for example, youth unemployment is lower than general unemployment. So what this tells us is that there is something wrong with the way we are transitioning young people from the education system into the world of work.
Preparing young people for the changing world of work has never been more important, to succeed in post Brexit Britain.
So how can seek to address this problem of youth unemployment and to prepare young people and futureproof our economy for post Brexit Britain?
New routes, pathways and qualifications
Social mobility gap

4. How do we help them to get there?
Encounters with employers, with workplaces, with further and higher education
Information about local jobs, how the curriculum connects to work
A plan tailored to an individual’s needs and supported by guidance
- Sir John Holman
“…young adults surveyed who recalled greater levels of contact with employers whilst at school were significantly less likely to be NEET and earned, on average, 18% more than peers who recalled no such activities.”
Latest research finds 86% reduction in chance of being a NEET following 4 or more encounters
Fortunately some fantastic research has been undertaken which provides a blueprint for what can significantly improve a young person’s transition into work. And hopefully you’ve all seen these before:
Essentially, the Gatsby foundation undertook research that identified 8 benchmarks for a successful transition and these can be broadly grouped into 3 things:
Encounters with employers, with workplaces, with further and higher education
Information about local jobs and how the curriculum connects to work
A plan tailored to an individual’s needs and supported by guidance
Furthermore, research by Dr Anthony Mann has proven that those young people who had 4 or more encounters with employers during their school years are significantly less likely to be NEET and will on average earn 18% more.

5. It is achievable CEC State of the Nation report shows:
Schools now meeting 6,7 and 8 of the benchmarks compared with 5 in 2014
3 schools of the 578 are meeting all 8 benchmarks
Those meeting more not related to better funded schools
Correlates to positive Ofsted achievements and strong leadership

6. We are making progress
-- no schools previously hit more than 5 benchmarks. Now 5% do, with 0.5% hitting all 8, providing real insight into best practice -- previously 31% of schools hit no Benchmarks. This has fallen by a third to 21% -- the proportion hitting at least half the benchmarks has almost tripled.

7. But it’s patchy and patterned
Proportion of students that have at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year that they are at school
In less than 40% of schools do young people have one encounter each year
66% businesses believe work experience is critical for recruitment
yet only 38% offer work experience in England

8. And there is much more to do…
Proportion of schools achieving the Benchmarks –in and

9. VOTE
So that is why we have been formed.
The Careers & Enterprise Company aims to provide a one-stop shop for employers, schools, colleges, funders and providers to provide high impact careers and enterprise support to young people.
We have a national network that connects schools and colleges, employers and career programme providers to create high impact careers opportunities for young people

10. Fueling young people’s futures
Enabled by digital tools and resources
Focused on quality and impact

11. Creating the digital tools to make it easier to do
Evaluation tool
Planning tool
Provider and resource directory
Passport recognising young people’s extra curricular achievements
Future developments shaped by user research

12. Shaped by key local and national partners
Description
Level 2
Shaped by key local and national partners
1. Ambassador Group 2. Head Teacher Group 3. Employer Group 4. Strategic Partners
£10m

13. Delivering priorities aligned to national strategies
Addressing STEM shortages:
Our investment fund scales up proven STEM learning projects across England
A new system of technical education:
Our Network provides a key route to market to secondary schools
Entrepreneurship:
Our work enables more small businesses and scale ups to work directly with schools and colleges
Focus on growth across the whole country:
Working with half of all secondary schools and colleges
Local networks across the country
Double down on Cold Spots
and Opportunity Areas
Creating the right institutions at a local level:
We work in partnership with the Local Enterprise Partnerships and ensure a local tailoring of national priorities

14. Supporting local priorities and overcoming local challenges
Creating a skills system where employers and learners are joint stakeholders and that is a catalyst for economic and social improvement
Investing in infrastructure that enables delivery of skills now and for the future
Ensuring individual and collective responsibility for delivering and sustaining such a system Improving the talent pool in support of priority sectors, particularly higher level skills
Increasing participation of young people in work, education and training, with focus on supporting priority sectors and skills gaps
Improving the basic skill levels and employability of our residents to boost productivity and employment
Rural and coastal challenges
Pull of London proximity
Pleased to be here today to celebrate some of the work we have been doing in partnership with Kent CC over the past year and celebrating the recent launch of the West Kent Enterprise Adviser Network in collaboration with the West Kent Partnership and The Hadlow Group.
As part of SELEP, Kent has many of the same challenges as neighbouring Essex and Sussex with 4 out of 10 cold spots.
Coastal and rural economies bring opportunity and challenges for young people. Proximity to London often pulls local talent to the city. House prices and the cost of living impact peoples social mobility.

15. Capitalising on local opportunities
A wider focus on Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, 6 & 7 with schools in the network
Raising the profile of local apprenticeship opportunities
Partnerships with stakeholders inc. Health Education England, CCGs and STEM Kent & Medway to deliver sector focussed careers event at Oasis Isle of Sheppey Academy
Secondary Engineers Fluid Power Challenge in partnership with Primary Engineers – 7 schools participating this year
EAs creating frameworks to support schools delivering meaningful Work Experience Opportunities
The inclusion of Benchmark 4 in some school focus - curriculum review supported by employers in many of the EAN schools. Project based activities supporting cross curricular activities. Teacher CPD and visits to employer premises programmes being planned
Primary Engineers; trained 21 teachers from 7 secondary schools from different curriculum areas to deliver KS2 Fluid Power Challenge, a pneumatics STEM project
EAs creating frameworks to support schools in delivery of and capturing of evidence from meaningful Work Experience programmes e.g. – WEX 1 day a week for 3 months with students working on a project that will be presented at the end of the programme

16. Progress to date VOTE So that is why we have been formed.
The Careers & Enterprise Company aims to provide a one-stop shop for employers, schools, colleges, funders and providers to provide high impact careers and enterprise support to young people.
Progress to date

17. The national picture 3. Undertake Research
We are focused on ensuring that we continually test the effectiveness of encounters; we understand which has the greatest impact and we identify areas where help is needed most so we can help employers maximise their impact and the young people in most need of encounters receive them as a priority.
Our latest research relates to measuring the impact of employer mentoring and we have recently closed a funding round specifically aimed at mentoring programme providers as this has been found to be one of the most effective encounters in helping young people progress.

18. Success in Kent to date 2 EA Networks now launched
23 Schools engaged in the network
35 EAs recruited and supporting the network
Stakeholder support from Local Authorities, Education & Business Groups inc. KCC, Hadlow Group West Kent Partnership, Kent Guilds, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, FSB, STEM Kent and Medway, DWP.
CEC Investment & Mentoring Funds activity through Career Ready, EBP Kent, ELBA, Think Forward, Young Enterprise
Total EAs and schools across Kent including West Kent Partnership. Some schools have 2 EAs attached to each school encouraging cross departmental partnership within the organization
Support from KCC, Kent Guilds, Hadlow Group, West Kent Partnership. Additional partnerships with Kent Invicta Chamber, FSB, STEM Kent & Medway, DWP

19. Plans for Kent Enterprise Adviser Network
Growth from 25 schools to 40 schools this academic year
2 Enterprise Coordinators to support your Careers Leaders
Continuing to support the priority growth sectors for skills demand
Supporting delivery of programmes and activities in schools and colleges through our Investment Funds
Continued local collaboration through partnerships and guilds
ECs – Munya Badze and Simon Harris. Both very experienced in the local skills and employer engagement landscape in Kent.
KENT Priority Sectors: Construction – all disciplines, Low Carbon, Land based, Creative & Media, Manufacturing & Engineering, Tourism, Life Sciences.
Kent EBP Enterprise programme
Young Enterprise
Career Ready
ThinkForward
Engineering UK

20. Get involved! Support of an Enterprise Coordinator
Dedicated Enterprise Adviser
Tools to help you assess and plan careers and enterprise activities based on best practice
Roadmaps to guide you
Access to funded programmes

21. For further information: gangele@careersandenterprise. co. uk or Munya
For further information: or or @CareerEnt