The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is today launching four Careers Hubs across the capital to give young Londoners a head start in finding great jobs and planning their

futures.  The £11.5m investment, jointly funded by the Mayor, European Social Fund (ESF), and Careers and Enterprise Company, will offer support to all secondary schools, FE colleges, Alternative Provision and Special schools across the capital to develop high-quality careers education. 

The programme will connect schools with employers, training providers and Further Education colleges to develop pathways for young Londoners leaving school.

The Mayor is committed to providing young people in London with access to high-quality careers education, to ensure a great start in life and a successful future. The careers hubs will build on the London Enterprise Advisor Network (LEAN), which has so far connected more than 650 business volunteers with over 600 London schools and colleges, helping them build comprehensive careers programmes that reflect the real world of work. 

Young people have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. Their education was disrupted by schools moving to remote learning and many work experience programmes and job schemes for young people were interrupted. Careers education plays a vital role in supporting young people to discover the professional routes open to them, including in London’s new and emerging industries. The Careers Hubs programme will focus support on young Londoners who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, including targeted support for students with special educational needs or disabilities, and young black men in alternative provision.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I want put young people at the heart of our recovery efforts. This funding will help young Londoners identify their talents and passions as well as match their interests and skill sets with careers. High-quality careers education enables young people to explore which jobs and industries are right for them once formal education ends. 

“These Careers Hubs will play a big part in helping young people find their place in the working world and ensuring they can make the most of their talents.” 

Oli de Botton, the Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said: 

“Modern, 21st century careers education for every child, no matter their background or circumstance couldn’t be more important.

“Careers Hubs play an incredibly important role in making this happen. They are helping businesses, schools, apprenticeship providers and colleges to collaborate. I want to say a huge congratulations to the team in London for setting their Careers Hubs up, so it helps to improve the lives of young people.”

Alex Burghart MP, Minister for Skills, said:

“Careers Hubs ensure young people can see and know about the huge range of different jobs and career pathways on offer, and make decisions that work best for them and their futures”

"Good careers education is such a valuable asset, so it's fantastic to see that the Careers Hubs in London are launching, meaning more young people have the information they need to make the most of their talents." Photo by Nick Smith, Wikimedia commons.