By Kerry McCabe, Business Network Manager at NE1 Ltd
NE1 needs little introduction in Newcastle. Our work is highly visible and businesses recognise the key role we play in shaping the city’s business environment and public realm through events, activities, and on-street support such as the NE1 Street Rangers and Clean Team.
One of our other business support services, which may be less well known, but is equally vital, is our career insight programme, NE1 CAN, which we have been delivering for almost a decade.
Many city centre businesses will be familiar with the programme having worked with us over the last ten years, whilst for others, it may be a revelation that NE1 deliver such a unique and forward-thinking initiative.
Each school year, we deliver between 40 – 50 career insight events for young people in conjunction with local businesses, engaging with over 105 education providers from across the region. Our programme is built around the recently updated Gatsby Benchmarks, a framework of eight benchmarks central to government statutory guidance for secondary schools to deliver world-class career guidance.
Updated Gatsby Benchmarks call for more varied and meaningful encounters between young people and businesses, these changes have allowed us to rethink and develop our programme to deliver additional targeted work with smaller cohort groups.
An ambitious programme for this academic year has been designed in two parts, the first delivering our more traditional NE1 CAN events to KS3, 11 – 14 year olds and KS4, 14 – 16 year old students with 21 events for over 1,000 students delivered in partnership with 22 businesses.
The second part of the programme will focus on KS5 students, aged 16+, who are closer to the workforce and thinking about their next steps into higher education or employment.
Career cohort groups will bring together small groups of students from different education providers to attend a series of sector-specific events to increase their awareness and understanding of the industries and jobs they are interested in.
Delivery partners for this element of the programme include Northumbria Police, Bowmer + Kirkland, Primark, Scream for Pizza, Wagamama, Blackfriars and several city centre law firms.
As an example, our Chef Cohort will see students hosted by high-end city centre restaurant Blackfriars, local street-food venue Scream for Pizza and national chain, Wagamama, before these students take their learnings and deliver a cook-off in the last event. All students in this cohort will have an interest in becoming a Chef and will gain meaningful insight into the different types of restaurants operating in the city and where best suits their skills and personality.
Northumbria Police currently have three entry routes to becoming a Police Officer, they will work with NE1 CAN to host three events, one event for each route. Again, this approach is designed to help young people understand which direction is most appropriate for them, and help them to make informed decisions.
Another stand-out example of our work is with Primark, examining careers in International Retail Management. A global firm operating here in Newcastle and employing approximately 400 members of staff. Retail can sometimes be considered a stopgap, but it is a sector with excellent and well-paid management opportunities. We will work with a cohort of students studying business and considering a future in global management to give them an insight into the opportunities within the retail giant, Primark.
Alongside our brand-new cohort work, we will continue to deliver our usual programme, including events with Newcastle Hospitals Trust for 500 young people, events which focus on Architecture, and events with partners including Nissan, Lycetts, Thompsons of Prudhoe, and Deloitte, amongst others.
If you’re a business in NE1 or the wider North-East looking to engage with the workforce of the future, we are here to support you. Whether it’s promoting apprenticeship opportunities directly to young people, showcasing your sector, or supporting the creation of meaningful and diverse work experience programmes, we have the infrastructure and established relationships with over 200 education and youth providers to make it happen.
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