Ben Mason (myglobalbridge founder)
Monday was a big day in the world of careers education, as MP Robert Halfon questions the effectiveness of the Careers & Enterprise Company around careers advice and pathways for young people.
The Gatsby framework provides a fantastic opportunity for schools to measure themselves, however, practically applying the benchmarks is another question altogether.
Application requires time and resources, as well as a substantial employer network willing to help each and every school/college. Many schools/colleges will have such a network in place, however, whether due to location, man power, or access to a quality enterprise advisor, I’m not convinced equality of access will be possible for all students.
Many call for more investment! However, as we know from recent press, throwing money at something doesn’t always bring results. According to the Careers & Enterprise Company research, on average, schools are achieving 2.13 of the 8 benchmarks meaning there is still a long way to go.
Key considerations:
Equal access to opportunities across UK education
UCAS provides the only structured pathway beyond school/college
Roughly 2/3 of students don’t go to university and therefore don’t have access to a structured pathway.
A key influential & supportive member of staff (careers advisor etc), doesn’t always have the bandwidth / experience to support every student.
Over 800,000 young people are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), with 40% looking for work, therefore classed as unemployed.
Less than 20% of the Apprenticeships Levy fund has been utilised according to the Governments own figures.
44% of 5 million businesses say they want an apprentice in the next 5 years
Higher apprentices could earn £150k more on average over their lifetime
Over 20,000 apprenticeship opportunities are listed every month
We have a huge workforce coming through the education system with a great number of opportunities via multiple pathways. Is it a lack of connection between education and industry that is missing?
At the centre of the myglobalbridge pathway is the young person, regardless of what school they go to, or, whether they are in or out of education. Built by educationalists, we're here to support and strengthen the system connecting 'talent to opportunity' and providing 'one stop shop' for career engagement. As a digital platform, we can enable equal access to opportunities and a level playing field for young people to showcase and evidence their skills, aspirations and talents.
Having recently launched our 'UCAS-style' structured apprenticeship pathway, in conjunction with the NHS Business Services Authority, we are also excited to bring something new to the system. If you're a school, college, university, employer, apprenticeship provider - get in touch!
Ben Mason, Founder
ben@myglobalbridge.com
Sources and Bibliography:
House of Commons Library briefing paper (number CBP03052) Briefing note on Apprenticeships Policy -Employer link at LGA Institute of Fiscal Studies -Reform to Apprenticeship Funding in England 2017 English Apprenticeships: 2020 Vision – Dept. of Business, Innovation and Skills (Now Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. ESFA: Apprenticeship and Levy Statistics May 2018 UCAS online Office for National Statistics Gov.UK