Marks and Spencer’s Post

Distinguished UK careers and employability consultant, Kate Daubney PFHEA FRSA imparts her expertise and insights in this new opinion piece for JANZSSA 32(1). Kate, who crafted the 'Careers Readiness' journey model: Discover – Focus – Action during her tenure as Head of Careers & Employability at King's College London, now explores the equal merits of 'Employability Readiness' in this innovative article. "Career Readiness strategies have been transformational in the UK … I would also encourage colleagues to address Employability Readiness with equal strategic priority. This will empower all students to enter their Career Readiness journey embracing their uncertainty about themselves and what they want to do, with the confidence that they can also get a good job in which they can succeed. I believe this genuinely creates agency for the student: they are empowered and enabled to achieve what they want when they are ready to do so, and not when our institutional strategy would like them to." Read the open access article in our latest issue, online now: https://lnkd.in/gbGeHTcQ

Tesco boss Ken Murphy has insisted youth employment needs to be a political priority after the “turbulence” of the last few years ... and I totally agree with him, 100%. Murphy said the barriers intensified for school leavers in some of the UK’s most deprived areas with more young people left looking for work and “an increasing youth unemployment rate”. He said: “This is a societal issue that needs to be addressed through the combined effort of business and government – and retail plays a crucial role in that. “Retail is one of the UK economy’s proudest meritocracies – it doesn’t matter who you are, where you live or what your background is, you can go from shop floor to boardroom with determination, ambition and drive.” He continued: “It’s also one of the UK’s strongest industries – and it’s high time government listened to how it can help unlock the potential in our young people, right across the country. My view is that we could replace the word 'retail' with 'transport' and say exactly the same thing ... and with less than 4% of the workforce in the UK Rail industry being aged 25 years or younger (NSAR Workforce Survey 2023), we have ourselves a real burning platform here! Stephen Morgan MP - as we discussed last week, this is a key area which we need urgent government support on, so I am looking forward to seeing it appear in your plans later this month! #transport #apprenticeships #youthemployment #career

At the core of our delivery

Launch Event Of The Mid Wales Employment And Skills Plan 2022 - 2025 Mid Wales businesses and organisations who are thinking ahead about their future workforce needs recently came together for an engagement day, Grow - Define - Deliver Together where the Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership Employment and Skills Plan 2022-2025 was officially launched. Held by the Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership (RSP), the event was an opportunity for businesses to network and explore the opportunities around upskilling, training and apprenticeships and guidance around procurement and tendering. Emma Thomas, Chair of the Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership said: "I'd like to thank everyone who attended the event. As a business-led partnership, we wanted the region's businesses to use the event as a platform to voice their opinion and to share their story - to use this as an opportunity for further development identification of challenges in all areas of skills, training, and the regional economy." The Minister for Llywodraeth Cymru Economi | Welsh Government Economy, Vaughan Gething MS officially launched the Employment and skills plan through a pre-recorded video, acknowledging the collaboration and co-production that that had taken place to bring together the ambitious plan for the region. The Plan identifies key sectors and skills, priorities for regional investment to support jobs and growth in the Mid Wales region and sets out the mechanism to create a more prosperous skills infrastructure for the region for the next 3 years and beyond. Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of Cyngor Sir CEREDIGION County Council Council and Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Leader of Powys County Council, jointly said: "Through engaging closely with businesses, giving them a voice to influence priorities for the region, this Plan addresses the importance of making strong connections between businesses, and the local learning system, so that we are creating the right conditions for a thriving workforce. "Being the first Plan of its kind in the region, we want it to be used as a way to leverage change in the region." If you missed the event but would like to get involved with the work of the RSP you may be interested in joining the Business Cluster Group that is being set up. Mid Wales Business leaders/experts can join the group which aims to help the RSP identify and address the barriers and issues affecting businesses in Mid Wales. More members are needed to ensure there is a balance of representatives from different sectors and a variety in micro, medium and large businesses. Emma continued: "Help us to understand your barriers to skills and recruitment, enabling the Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership to be your voice when and where it matters." To join the cluster group, email [email protected]. You can view the Employment and Skills plan on the Growing Mid Wales website: https://lnkd.in/d648QnSt #network #event #growth #business

Employment Services - there is NEVER a dull moment. I feel like that’s why we are life long addicts to the sector! The following reads like a shopping list but the reality is that working for an organisation with diversified service offerings results in exposure to all of this ( and more!) One thing I’ve learnt this last 12 months is how enjoyable it is juggling different services with support and how every service interconnects differently supporting similar outcomes. As labour markets continue to evolve, policy changes adopted and the need to continue to innovate servicing - the sector has a lot of future opportunities to get even more people into independent economic participation. ❇️Consultation papers (Settlement Services, Disability Inclusion Bill, ParentsNext and TWES Future directions) ❇️Market preparation advice for Skills for Education & Employment ❇️The release of the DES Quality Performance Framework ❇️Release of the first public performance ratings for Workforce Australia Provider Services ❇️Monthly dashboard release of TTW performance and continued discussion on policy application of the program ❇️Continued policy change announcements for Employability Skills Training provisions ❇️The release of the Australia Apprenticeship Support Services tender 2024-2026 ❇️Continued public hearings linked the the enquiry of Workforce Australia Services #EmploymentServices #FutureDirection #SupportingAustraliansWithEmployment #Industry #Participants #JugglingAct #Change #Innovation #Influence

As part of Youth Employment UK 2023, yesterday our Early Careers & Apprenticeship Manager, Kate Taylor attended the APPG for youth Employment Inquiry Report launch at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster which is looking at place-based approaches to tackling youth unemployment. Kate said, ‘With over one million young people currently NEET (not in employment, education, or training), businesses across the UK play a vital role in tackling and helping to reduce this number. Over the next 12 – 18 months, ABP are going to be looking at new ways to work with this untapped population and how we can work with our local communities to create opportunities where these young people can shine. Whether it’s growing our relationship with DWP and Job Centre Plus, engaging with local Youth Hubs and the Chambers of Commerce, or creating meaningful interventions such as work experience and careers support, we are committed to showing the food industry as a place that is open to all.’ #TeamABP #TalentAcademy #Apprentice #Graduate #YouthFriendlyEmployer #YEW23 #FindYourPlaceInFood

It's #EmployabilityDay2023! 😍 In our latest blog we'll hear from three individuals, each offering a different experience of The Prince's Trust Team, and each well-qualified to talk about the value of employability projects. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eiJTddKg #SkillsForSuccess #JobReady #CareerDevelopment #LifeSkills #WorkingForBetterWork

Calling all employers, careers leads and training providers… Are you interested in Employability Skills? Then why not come along to the next HEY LEP Skills Network Event and have your say in helping to shape and develop the new ‘Employability Skills’ Passport Framework. The next HEY LEP Skills Network Event will be held on Friday 26th January 2024. The Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) team, managed by the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce. Together we’ll be teaming up to bring a joint HEY LEP Skills Network and the HEY LSIP and Quarterly Forum meeting on Friday 26th January, from 8.00am until 12.00 noon to be held at the Craven Park Legends Lounge, Conference Room. The event will be focusing on the third key theme of the LSIP and the HEY LEP Careers Aspirations Group objective – 'Employability Skills and Behaviours'. Together, we will be looking at the benefits of ‘Employability Skills Passports’ and ‘Employability Skills Training’ through roundtable discussion and feedback activity. Discussing what employers really need; understanding what activities are already taking place to ensure our workforce is equipped with the necessary skills and competencies organisations need; and ensuring that employers have opportunities to sharing their views on what they require in terms of communicating their ‘Employability Skills’ requirement. Skills Network Meeting Agenda https://lnkd.in/ezDEAFqg Registrations are now live and can be booked via the below Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce website link: http://Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce (hull-humber-chamber.co.uk) This will be a breakfast event, on the day there will be a selection of hot and cold sandwiches and refreshments. We look forward to welcoming on day. #employabilityskills #skillsdevelopment #careerguidance #careersleads #trainingprovider #traininganddevelopment #employerengagement #employers #businessadvisor #business #training #networking #event #schools #opportunities Chris Howell, Gill Dillon MBE, Fiona Headridge, Lucy Gray, Rachel Simpson, Shaun Brooks,

In a recent article penned by our CEO, Mike Schilling, he explains the impact Community Benefits Agreements has on the #construction industry - "We should be proud that our CBA is delivering what it promised and more. The program is an example of how social and economic policy are not mutually exclusive. BC’s CBA shows how progressive policy can benefit local economies, benefit workers and their families and also benefit the construction industry long-term.” As a credit union, we are advocating for worker opportunity and access in an industry that is foundational to the growth of our province and contributes 9% to our GDP. Read more about the benefits of CBA here: https://lnkd.in/gx5B9AyF #socialpurpose #apprenticeships #constructionindustry