Recruitment and retention are increasingly difficult for businesses and employers across all industry sectors in the North East. Not only are there widespread problems recruiting, businesses are having trouble retaining staff and finding those with the right skills in the first place.
This employment landscape provides the backdrop for the activities of one of NE1’s most long-standing and successful initiatives, its youth engagement programme, NE1 CAN. Established in its current form in 2016, NE1 CAN provides a free programme of engagement and events delivering careers insight sessions to young people across Newcastle and the North East, the only one of its kind in the region available to all students, regardless of academic abilities. Working with crosssector businesses, the programme offers real life experiences and insight into different jobs and careers. Since its launch, it has worked with 82 education providers and over 7,500 young people.
Events are hosted by businesses in their offices, factories and work spaces to give young people valuable and practical insight into the real-life world of work. The great thing about NE1 CAN is that it is a free programme that is accessible and inclusive to all. Sessions are free for those attending, and for the businesses, and the door is open to all, subject to availability. The current schedule is fully booked with a huge demand for places and a waiting list for students keen to take part.
Given the current recruitment and employment challenges, there is no better time for businesses to engage with young people, to help create a pipeline for future employees across all entry levels from school leavers to apprenticeships or graduate roles .
Businesses regularly come to NE1 CAN hoping to promote unfulfilled apprenticeships, or job vacancies. It is a recurring theme, businesses advertise jobs but can’t fill them – young people, the potential recruits, can’t apply for these jobs, because they don’t even know they exist. There is a general lack of understanding and knowledge among young people of the opportunities that exist. It is NE1 CAN’s job to change that.
The overarching aim of the programme is to help young people understand what’s out there in the world of work, help demystify job titles, as well as showing the wealth of opportunities available here in the North East. The final piece of the jigsaw is to give young people a better understanding of what they need to get there.
Many of the roles highlighted by employers are completely unknown to most young people; they have never heard of account executives, SEOs, conveyancers, paralegals, estimators, dry liners, the list goes on, and this lack of knowledge extends across all industry sectors.
NE1 CAN brings these roles, job titles and businesses to life through in-person events. Young people get the chance to see the workings of different organisations, speak to people within businesses, and learn about the many and varied roles and opportunities available here in Newcastle and the wider North East.
Teachers and careers advisers attending these events are also exposed to these experiences and business settings, often for the first time, and they too learn something new each time they attend. This means they leave equipped with knowledge and a greater understanding of the employment landscape which, in turn, can be passed onto other students. It is truly inspiring and has a lasting legacy.
Smaller group events have been added to the programme this year giving practical, hands-on experience in specific jobs and industries. Last year a Chef’s Life event was held with over 50 young people looking at what being a chef is actually like. This was then followed by a smaller, more targeted workshop at Blackfriars’ Cookery school. Eight pupils, who were inspired by the Chef’s Life event, took part in a practical afternoon teaching session in the restaurant’s kitchen. The experience gained from both events will help these young people decide if it is a career they really want to pursue, and more generally will help with their careers planning, and applications for jobs, apprenticeships or UCAS.
Similar hands-on programmes are planned for other sectors in the future. The team recently worked with Newcastle Building Society at its head office delivering an event for 40 students focusing on apprenticeships. Samuel Phillips law firm is another Newcastle based company working with NE1 CAN. The company prides itself on being peoplefocused and is very keen to show the inner workings of the legal profession through the eyes of its business, and to encourage young recruits into apprenticeships and graduate opportunities in law.
With 55% of school leavers not going into further education, there can be no doubt that, as a society, we need to do better at engaging with, and getting young people excited about the wealth of employment opportunities available in the region.