My World of Work 2020 hits the ground running

"My World of Work 2020 will help to ensure that our young people are ready to step into the workplace and play their part in driving the county's economy forward."

An exciting new initiative has been launched to bring young people, education and businesses together to explore the world of work.

Warwickshire County Council’s My World of Work 2020 programme will give Year 10 pupils the opportunity to engage with up to 100 employers across Warwickshire.

The programme aims to help young people build an understanding of the different sectors, career pathways and progression routes which will support them in building their future career.

It will offer an opportunity for pupils who are moving towards GCSE year to participate in activities that offer personal development in the classroom. Individuals will be supported to identify their own personal attributes, build confidence, prepare job applications, develop CVs and sit mock interviews.

Warwickshire businesses will play an important part in the programme and 100 companies, spanning ten sectors, are set to come on board. Employers are being invited to join the programme and showcase the careers they have to offer whilst also demonstrating the employability skills they look for when offering young people job opportunities.

Employers can support in many different ways, from industry talks to hosting interactive sessions at their own site.

The programme’s first event took place during National Apprenticeship Week at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College when 200 15-year-olds from a number of schools networked with employers.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council and portfolio holder for economic development said: "When speaking to local businesses we learnt that one of the main obstacles to future growth was a skills shortage.

"The Skills for Employment programme has helped to give 30,000 young people access to valuable work experience. My World of Work 2020 is taking this to the next level where we target business sectors and encourage young people of all abilities, backgrounds and interests to be inspired and give them a focus for a future career. The availability of a skilled workforce is key to the county's growth in future years.

"My World of Work 2020 will help to ensure that our young people are ready to step into the workplace and play their part in driving the county's economy forward."

Workshops for year 10s cover a range of employability skills, including how to speak to businesses, how to prepare a CV and key questions to ask. Pupils attending the launch event will already have completed a workshop to ensure they are fully prepared to make the most of it.

Fay Winterburn, the County Council's business skills lead, added: “It is a great way for employers to be able to engage with young people and this event will be the first of many, with employers hosting events too. We hope it will provide a really positive outcome for young people as to what the world of work looks like.”

Fay said that the aim is for 10 employers from 10 different sectors to come on board - 100 in total.

She said: “One hundred employers, large and small, across Warwickshire will be part of this. We recognise the importance of large employers on our patch and the great opportunities which sit behind the big names, but we also feel it it is really important for small businesses, who actually make up over 80% of our economy, to also have the opportunity and support to showcase the future careers they have to offer and the important part they play in wider supply chains and the Warwickshire economy."

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is a partner and sponsoring the business and finance sector. The chamber is also assisting with the production of marketing materials and the programme’s website.

The chamber’s involvement is part of a national British Chambers of Commerce initiative - Business Showcase Days - which aims to demonstrate how chambers of commerce across the country are linking local businesses to their communities: Fay said the chamber’s support was a huge boost and that it is hoped the programme, which is starting this year, will become a permanent one.