Career Academies UK joins the Government’s Business Compact
Thursday 12 January
Career Academies UK has been congratulated by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, today for opening up opportunities for young people and providing them with meaningful experiences of the workplace.
Career Academies UK is named as one of the supporters - the only charity - to become a part of the Business Compact, the Deputy Prime Minister’s flagship scheme to create fairer opportunities to getting the best jobs.
Career Academies UK will tonight be attending the launch in Central London along with 14 Career Academy students where the Deputy Prime Minister will announce the 113 businesses that have signed the Business Compact already from a broad range of sectors, many of them Career Academy supporters, heralding a major milestone in the social mobility debate. Other businesses will also called be upon to join the scheme which is expected to generate much interest at a time when youth unemployment is particularly high.
Chief Executive of Career Academies UK, James McCreary said: “We are very happy to be a part of this initiative and are very pleased to see that many of our supporting employers are too getting involved in widening opportunities for young people to boost their social mobility.
“Since 2002 Career Academies UK has been fostering relationships between educationalists and employers to help provide young people aged 16 to 19 with meaningful experiences of the workplace. As part of a two year enrichment programme, students are offered mentors, who are professionals in their field, opportunities to visit employer office and a paid six week internship- the jewel in the crown of the Career Academy programme. We know full well just how valuable these hands-on experiences are in giving young people a competitive edge in today’s jobs market. Currently, 85% of Career Academy students go in to university or employment with further training.”
Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said:
“This is an important step towards a society where it’s what you know, not who you know, that counts. Working with the Coalition, the biggest hitters in Britain’s business world are helping lead the way to a fairer, more open society.
“By opening their doors to young people from all walks of life, this marks the start of a culture shift at the heart of British business, driven by the belief that ability and drive should trump connections and privilege.
“I’d like to thank Career Academies UK for supporting the Business Compact. Today’s success makes me even more ambitious. This great news is just the beginning – I will be doing everything I can to bring even more businesses on board.”
More than one hundred of Britain’s biggest companies and top professional groups have signed the Business Compact, committing them to making entry into their professions fairer.
The Business Compact forms a key part of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Social Mobility Strategy, launched in April 2011, which sets out the Government’s determination to ensure every individual is free to achieve, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Businesses which sign up to it must agree to:
• support communities and schools to raise aspirations through, for example, reading and mentoring schemes or encouraging their staff go out to schools and inspire pupils about their careers.
• open opportunities to all young people by advertising their work experience places through schools, online and in other public forums, rather than just giving places to their mates.
• make access to internships open and transparent, paying interns the National Minimum Wage where they are legally entitled to it and providing financial support to ensure fair access, such as providing expenses and/or accommodation to those from less advantaged backgrounds to ensure they are not prevented from accessing opportunities by their financial circumstances
• recruit fairly and without discrimination, ensuring that their recruitment processes don’t allow candidates to be inadvertently screened out because they went to the wrong school or come from a different ethnic group (including through using name-blank and school-blank applications where appropriate).
Notes to editors
• For media enquiries about Career Academies UK and our pledge to help make access to future careers fairer, please contact either Nazneen Nawaz or Sarah Savage at Colman Getty: Nazneen@colmangetty.co.uk / SarahSavage@colmangetty.co.uk 020 7631 2666
• For further detail about the Deputy Prime Minister’s work on the Business Compact, please visit: www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/businesscompact
Photo credit - Crown Copyright
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