West Midlands towns get part of £2.5m funding for career hubs

Five West Midlands locations have been selected as part of a £2.5m investment in Career Hubs.

The Secretary of State for Education today announced the rollout of a programme begun last year by The Careers & Enterprise Company.

It launched 20 Career Hubs last year, grouping schools to help improve careers support for young people in the area. The department said that the hubs are already outperforming the national average in career education standards. They were first piloted by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership in 2015-17.

Now a further 18 career hubs have been announced, backed by an additional £2.5m funding, benefiting 1,300 schools.

Hubs will be rolled out in the Black Country, Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire.

100 ‘Cornerstone Employers’ across the country have committed to the initiative, including the CBI, Airbus, KPMG, Anglian Water and GCHQ.

Damian Hinds, Secretary of State for Education, said: “Careers Hubs bring together schools, colleges, universities and employers to share their expertise and improve the careers education on offer to make sure young people have the information they need to make the most of their talents.

“Today’s investment will give thousands more young people access to expert careers guidance as they take those first exciting steps into their future.”

Carolyn Fairbairn, director General of the CBI, said: Employers understand just how important their role is in preparing the next generation for the world of work and their enthusiasm for supporting schools has never been greater.

“Firms can sometimes struggle to engage with the schools and colleges that need their support. It’s therefore hugely encouraging to see more Careers Hubs on the way. There is no doubt they will play a pivotal role in helping employers get more involved.”

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) were invited to bid to establish Careers Hubs. Applications were judged on levels of need in an area and capacity to deliver.

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