The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) aims to support young people in transitioning from education to the workforce by linking schools and colleges with employers through a network of more than 4,000 Enterprise Advisers.

Set up by the Government in 2015, almost all schools and colleges are now voluntarily working with CEC through accessing training for Careers Leaders, being members of Careers Hubs, partnering with business volunteers and using their Compass/Compass+ digital tools. Their expanded Career Hubs now cover 93% of schools and colleges in England giving young people and businesses the skills they need. Each hub is built on a dynamic partnership between schools, colleges, local authorities and other stakeholders working with local employers; giving young people the opportunity to connect closely to local skills and economic needs while helping businesses grow their talent pipeline. 

CEC’s network of 400 cornerstone employers, including scaleups, plays a crucial role in strengthening the talent pipeline, by encouraging the use of employer insights in education. In addition, its Strategic Partnership Fund invests in Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authority, working in partnership with them to drive local growth and foster ambition. 

CEC’s programmes that focus on enhancing support to schools and colleges,extended further in 2024. These include:

• Equalex 

In 2024, CEC has reinvented work experience so that it can better prepare young people for the future of work, and support employers with the skills they need. Equalex, piloted in Greater Manchester, is a new approach that sits alongside other proven activity, which is designed to support two weeks’ worth of high-quality work experience for every young person. 

• Teacher Encounters 

The CEC is in its second round of Teacher Encounter pilot activities, which sees local industry welcome subject teachers, and share industry insight and skills needs with tone of the key influencers of young people. The year 2 programme will double the amount of teachers receiving employer encounters and embedding work related content and local labour market information back into curriculum.  

Scale up Employers including; Wates, AGC Chemicals, and FrameStore have worked with Career Hubs across the country to embed their skills needs in teachers’ understanding and highlight the breadth of opportunity available within their sector, to thousands of young people across their local area. 

• Employer Standards 

Over 700 employers have used CEC’s Employer Standards tool which helps businesses of all sizes and sectors identify and plan work with schools, special schools, and colleges, and align this with your business objectives.

• ATE Transitions Framework

The CEC has worked with local businesses, educators and providers to locate the barriers to young people taking up technical education in every region of the country. Following the 2022/23 round of projects to develop the Transitions Framework, every Careers Hub has seen a change in the barriers and success factors they identified; highlighting that local tailored initiatives are supporting young people into pathways and spurring local economies.

• Primary 

Research has shown that young people develop a stereotypical understanding of future employment opportunities from a young age. This pilot initiative, which will run until 2025, will seek to challenge this. CEC Careers Hubs will connect business with primary education, and upskill teachers with an understanding of relevant workplaces – supporting over 2250 primary schools.The first wave of the pilot saw 92% of employers want to do more, due to the increase in pupils’ confidence and knowledge. Employers delivered over 270 encounters to over 24,000 primary pupils.

Careers & Enterprise Company website