02.07.12
Career talks boost pupils’ employment prospects
A new scheme is being launched by Deputy PM Nick Clegg to encourage workers to volunteer to give careers talks to pupils in state schools, which has been found to improve pupils’ future earnings.
The organisers aim to recruit 100,000 volunteers for the scheme, which helps state schools match those in the independent sector, where 80% of pupils regularly hear external speakers talking about career opportunities.
The charity running the scheme, Education and Employers Taskforce, found that pupils who have contact with employers at school will go on to earn 16% more on average than pupils without.
Clegg said: “Too many young people get the message that the best jobs are not for them. Inspiring the Future will give state school students the chance to see, hear and make a connection with someone in a career or job they might not have thought about.
“Today we’re calling on doctors, nurses, lawyers, builders, businesspeople, civil servants, farmers, mechanics, engineers and other working people to give up just an hour of their time to talk to students in their local state school about how they got where they are today. The power of making connections that inspire young people is immeasurable and can be life-changing.”
Volunteers and schools can register at inspiringthefuture.org.
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