This article was written by Damian and published in this week's Petersfield Post and Herald editions:
"Last week was Colleges Week, celebrating all the great work done by further education colleges, not only in equipping students with the skills they need for the next stage of their lives, but also building important links with local businesses and communities.
We’re fortunate to have the outstanding Alton sixth form college here in East Hampshire, but of course local students have access to other great colleges close to us, including Havant, South Downs, Godalming, Farnborough as well as Peter Symonds in Winchester.
And this is in addition to the specialist construction courses available at Bordon’s Future Skills Centre and the choice of agricultural courses at Hampshire’s Sparsholt College.
Post-16 education is vital in offering opportunities for young people to pursue the academic and technical qualifications they need for future, and the scope for further education continues to evolve, just as the skill set required by our workforce changes.
The development of T Levels – technical qualifications that are alternative, but equivalent, to A Levels – was a key focus during my time as Education Secretary, and I’m delighted that three of these were introduced in September at Havant and South Downs Colleges, and more will be available at Alton from September 2021.
And as we witness the on-going impact of the pandemic, we’re likely to see a greater demand for new and emerging skills, and an increase in the number of people wanting to re-train. This is where further education provision can make a real difference, for young people entering the jobs market for the first time and for others who see their existing sectors under pressure and are looking for new opportunities.
The National Careers Service already provides a broad service to help people assess their current skills, explore career options and find appropriate courses. And the Careers and Enterprise Company helps support schools and colleges to deliver careers education, facilitating links with business via their Enterprise Adviser Networks and Career Hubs.
And locally, ‘Make the Future Yours!’ is a new free publication that aims to launch across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in November, aiming to help young people, aged 15-19 decide on their next step. The team behind the new initiative want to provide a comprehensive resource to help people find their way around what can be a complex range of options, including apprenticeships as well as further and higher education courses.
Having access to information and tools like this can make a real difference; to know what is available, to understand the difference between different routes, to see how others have benefitted and to be inspired to take that next step.
An issue that individuals often cite when applying for jobs is the question of work experience, and how to gain the skills that can make an application stronger. And this is a concern for employers too; how to ensure there is a large enough pool of people with the right experience for the roles they can offer.
And this is where the government’s new Kickstart Scheme can help people get that first step on the employment ladder, providing funding to employers to create job placements for 16 t o24 year olds who are on Universal Credit.
Hampshire County Council announced last week that they will be offering Kickstart placements from this November until June 2022, joining the wide range of opportunities now appearing that include roles with the NHS and major retailers, as well as positions in sectors as diverse as transport, IT, education and hospitality.
I was also delighted recently to meet (virtually) with two local students who have set up a new initiative called the Leg Up Network, which aims to provide internship opportunities for students from less supported backgrounds.
Recognising the impact that the pandemic has had on these opportunities, the team are working with employers to set up remote internships for students to gain some of the valuable experience that can help them with future job applications, using the virtual tools that we are all becoming very familiar with. Interested firms can see more at: www.linkedin.com/company/leg-up-network/
And the successful virtual Job Fair held by East Hampshire District Council in conjunction with Hampshire’s Job Centre Plus service is further proof that we can use new ways to link people with jobs, in this case promoting almost 55 local vacancies from 40 different employers.
These are undoubtedly challenges ahead for young people, but these are also opportunities and I would like to wish both the Leg Up Network and ‘Make the Future Yours!’ every success going forward."
