£220,000 of funding secured to create new West of England Careers Hub

A new West of England Careers Hub is being set up to improve career opportunities for young people, thanks to £220,000 worth of funding from the Careers & Enterprise Company.

It was announced yesterday that the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) have secured funding from the Careers & Enterprise Company to establish the new Hub.

Managed by WECA and the LEP, it will initially work with 25 schools and colleges from across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

The schools and colleges will be supported to improve careers opportunities and work experiences for young people, allowing them to make more informed choices about their careers.

Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said: “Our region is home to over 40,000 businesses and has one of the highest skilled workforces in the country.

“We have many high-quality jobs and we want to give locally grown talent every opportunity to secure employment here in our region.

“The new Careers Hub will ensure young people have more opportunities to connect with the world of work and potential future employers.

“Evidence shows that if a student has four or more opportunities to engage with an employer, they are more likely to secure employment, and earn more during their career.”

Chair of the West of England LEP, Prof Steve West, said: “This is great news for our region. The new Hub will play a key role in the long-term success of our economy, building on the success of our existing Enterprise Adviser Network, and strong partnerships with UWE, schools, colleges, and businesses to ensure young people get timely and relevant careers advice and meaningful work experience.”

There are currently 40 Enterprise Advisors in the West of England, who are trained volunteers from the local business community.

They work with headteachers and school leaders, sharing their knowledge and experiences and helping to deliver better careers support and work experience opportunities.

Additional funds for the Hub will be provided by WECA, the LEP and Future Quest.

This article was first published on the Bath Echo website, here.