Videos featuring the latest expert advice on improving and widening young people’s career prospects are being offered free to schools, as part of a project by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and partners.
Nine videos cover the main points of the Gatsby Career Benchmarks; an internationally recognised ‘gold standard’ approach to the very best careers advice, aimed at schools and colleges. The thinking behind the Benchmarks is that careers should be embedded within all school subjects, that student access to real employment experience is vital to broadening their outlook on potential future jobs and that a pupil’s individual needs should be met.
The video series – funded by the Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Programme (DANCOP), a collaboration of the two counties’ universities and colleges – are now available online for schools and colleges, and as a general educational resource, on the D2N2 LEP YouTube channel. CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW.
Project organisers the D2N2 LEP – the private sector-led Partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services, promoting economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – and DANCOP say there is a real need for such a resource. The video series is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.
D2N2, working with Government-backed partner the Careers & Enterprise Company, already has an Enterprise Adviser Network (EAN) running across the LEP’s area. Nine Enterprise Coordinators aid over 90 Enterprise Advisers, volunteers from the business community, in supporting over 100 schools with their careers strategy; widening pupils’ experience of and attitudes to the world of work.
The EAN is expanding and recently announced that Phil Crompton, former Chief Executive of the Nottinghamshire-based Trent Academies Group, would be a D2N2 Careers Ambassador, for the 2018/19 academic year. Phil will be promoting the Network to senior educators in schools in the LEP’s area.
Rachel Quinn – Careers, Employability & Inclusion Manager for the D2N2 LEP – said: “We have made good progress in getting LEP area schools, colleges and employers, to work more closely together; but more remains to be done.”
“Young people need education, employability skills and ambition in order to access good career opportunities, and businesses need to employ people with the right skills if they are to grow; so better dialogue between educators and employers benefits both.”
“This new video series we’ve commissioned is another tool schools, colleges and Enterprise Advisors can use to approach the Gatsby Benchmarks’ standard of excellence.”
There are eight Gatsby Benchmarks but nine videos have been produced; with the extra one focusing particularly on careers advice for pupils with additional educational needs. The videos were produced by Colab Creation.
Dan Lamoon, Managing Director of Colab Creation, said: “I’ve been an Enterprise Advisor for over two years. The Gatsby Benchmarks have been integral key performance indicators for my school, to really focus and achieve clear progression in developing our education careers programme.”
He added: “We’re excited to see how the series of films are utilised by schools and what impact they will have in helping them implement the Gatsby Benchmarks.”
Contributors to and interviewees for the nine videos include representatives from DANCOP, the Careers & Enterprise Company, Derby and Chesterfield Colleges, University of Derby, University of Nottingham, Nottingham Academy, Whittington Green School, Ormiston Ilkeston Academy, Brookfield Community School, Derby Moor Academy, Landau Forte College, St Martins School, Murray Park Community School and Tibshelf School.
Schools and businesses wanting more information about the D2N2 LEP Enterprise Adviser Network, or to get involved, should go to web link www.d2n2skills.co.uk/d2n2-ean or contact Rachel Quinn – D2N2 LEP Careers, Employability & Inclusion Manager – on 0115 957 8757 ext. 2211 or email: Rachel.Quinn@d2n2lep.org
Further information on the work of DANCOP can be found on its website at www.teamdancop.co.uk/
Further information about this media release can be obtained from D2N2 Communications Manager Sean Kirby on 0115 957 8749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
