“Is it feasible to believe that teachers can keep up with the ever-changing career landscape?
In an ideal world, all schools would be equipped with the means to build a network of relevant industry contacts, both national and local SMEs, who are able to support their school and students within and alongside the curriculum.
Historically, though, employers have for the most part interacted with young people in an ad-hoc way. HR departments have led university engagement; CSR departments have engaged with schools. Even work experience opportunities have lacked any consistency - and in the worst cases been offered to friends and family rather than based on merit of the young person.
Fast-forward to 2015,though, and I’m convinced the landscape will begin to look very different. Large employers like Nestle are already leading the way in demonstrating that all interactions between the worlds of work and school should be part of a joined-up engagement pipeline.
MyKindaCrowd’s own research recently found that 93% of teachers want a closer involvement of business to help them build practical skills and knowledge for their students. All young people across the UK deserve to have an equal future. That’s why, at MyKindaCrowd, we connect young people from every kind of background with great companies and improve their employment prospects.
This is achieved in an innovative, forward thinking way by working with companies to set business challenges; these are used as part of lessons within the curriculum, or online, or through free face-to-face workshops in schools.
Ultimately, we believe that when it comes to connecting young people with industry and business it’s important that wherever the ‘jumping on’ point is - from work experience at age 15 through to post graduate at 22 years - the relationship should be managed and nurtured to the point where that young person would like, and is able, to ‘jump in’ to a suitable and fulfilling role in a company.
Best wishes
William Akerman, founder and managing director, MyKindaCrowd
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