More than 1,000 new work experience opportunities will be created for young people across the East Midlands under a \u00a32.2m programme designed to strengthen links between schools and employers.<\/p>\n
The funding, announced by East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, will provide careers support from Year 9 onwards, helping pupils explore employment, education and training opportunities before leaving school.<\/p>\n
Backed by the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s (EMCCA) Skills and Employment Committee, the Youth Ambition programme will be rolled out to every secondary school in the region over the next three years.<\/p>\n
Alongside creating at least 1,000 work experience placements, the initiative will introduce a regional Work Experience Portal to connect employers, schools and training providers, making it easier for young people to access placements.<\/p>\n
Additional support will be targeted at young people most at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training), including those with special educational needs and disabilities, mental health challenges and learners outside mainstream education.<\/p>\n
The programme will also include careers fairs, employer workshops and sector-specific events to help young people better understand vocational, technical and academic pathways, while parents and carers will receive guidance to support career choices.<\/p>\n
Careers leads in schools will also receive professional development aimed at improving careers education beyond the lifespan of the funding.<\/p>\n
Ward said: “Every young person in the East Midlands deserves the chance to build a bright future, whatever their background or circumstances.<\/p>\n
“This \u00a32.2m investment will connect them to the employers, sectors and wider opportunities that exist for them in our region.”<\/p>\n
The funding forms part of the Government’s Local Growth Fund allocation to mayoral authorities. Ward has allocated \u00a3107m across a range of regional programmes, with Youth Ambition designed to complement EMCCA’s existing \u00a390m annual investment in skills and employment initiatives.<\/p>\n
The programme also supports the East Midlands’ role as one of the Government’s Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas, which are testing new approaches to helping young people move into education, employment and training.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Region aims to create 1,000 placements as part of careers support overhaul<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2112345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127720],"coauthors":[95],"class_list":["post-2112344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skills","tag-derbyshire","tag-featured-story","tag-nottinghamshire"],"yoast_head":"\n