Member Article

?Results day is time for businesses to act? - Aspire

The business community must get involved to raise the aspirations of our young people before it is too late, Aspire is warning. As GCSE results are opened all over the North East, the Aspire campaign is being joined at a local school by its funders and supporters to spread its message.Culture change programme Aspire is a business-led campaign from the NECC and CBI, backed by the LSC, One NorthEast and Government Office North East through Connexions, and is working with the region’s youth and education organisations to encourage employers to react to the astounding statistics that 60% of young people in North East England believe they need to leave the region to fulfil their career ambitions. On the momentous day in every teenager’s calendar when they rip open their GCSE results, Aspire is making a special stop in its summer road-show at a school campus as the pupils receive their results. The roving double-decker bus is packed with careers and training advice from Connexions, information packs from colleges, universities and apprenticeship providers and real employers from the local area to demonstrate to the young people they can achieve their dreams right here.Alan Clarke, One NorthEast Chief Executive, said: “The regional economic strategy highlights the importance of nurturing and retaining young people in the region to help drive forward a new, knowledge based economy. “By working closely with business, the public sector - through initiatives such as Aspire - can help highlight the wealth of career opportunities available to young people in the North East.“Aspire’s NERD (North East Really Delivers) tour bus has been stopping in towns across the region all summer, bringing careers advice from Connexions and employers on board to show young people the wide-ranging choice of learning and career opportunities on offer here. GCSE results day (24 August) marks its last stops, when it detours to take in Whickham School early in the morning before it arrives at Sunderland city centre at 12 noon. A total of 40 local employers from chemists and construction companies, architects and scientists, performing artists and professional sports people have joined the tour to talk to youngsters about the enormous variety of job roles and career opportunities on offer to them.1600 businesses have already signed up to the Aspire campaign, and feature on the employers’ showcase on its youth website www.nerd-world.co.uk where young people can find out about local companies, job opportunities, sector showcases and general advice on the world of work in North East England. To sign up to the Aspire campaign and spread the word to young people that the North East Really Delivers register at www.aspiretoday.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .