Careers and Enterprise Company Initiative

Helping to link schools and colleges to employers and to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people.

What is the Careers and Enterprise Company Initiative?

The Careers and Enterprise Company was established in 2015 to help link schools and colleges to employers, to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work.

The government was determined that schools, colleges and employers should work in partnership to spread outstanding careers advice, guidance and inspiration to every young person across the country, regardless of their background or location.

What is the aim?

The initial focus of the Careers and Enterprise Company was to improve employer engagement through the creation of the Enterprise Adviser Network and to support schools to increase meaningful careers activities which required employer involvement and would help them to build long lasting employer relationships (Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6).

Due to the success of the EAN a 2-year pilot scheme was launched in the North-East in 2016 whereby a group of schools worked in a ‘hub’ to try to achieve all the Gatsby Benchmarks. The effect on the Benchmarks was so positive that this led to further hubs being created in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Worcestershire LEP in conjunction with Worcestershire County Council tendered a successful bid for a Careers Hub in July 2018 which was the beginning of the Inspiring Worcestershire initiative

Meet the team

Judy Gibbs

Skills and Investment Head of Service and Worcestershire LEP Director of Skills

Judy joined Worcestershire County Council in August 2013. Upon joining WCC Judy was initially tasked with building a team within the economic development directorate which could develop and promote the wider skills agenda across Worcestershire. This role was eventually expanded to cover the LEP skills lead role.

Her expanded role would include the co-creation of the Worcestershire Apprenticeship brand and concept to take apprenticeship engagement to a wider audience and build strong active relationships with employers which would create links with schools to support careers activity under the county council's and the Worcestershire LEP's joint "Connecting Schools and Business" initiative.

Over the past few years Judy and her team have built up a reputation of successfully delivering many ESF / ESIF, National and locally funded programmes and initiatives. Judy's group manager role within the council also includes the management of a number of teams including Libraries and Learning and the NEET prevention Team.

Matt Tope

Future Skills Programme Manager and Worcestershire LEP Careers Hub Manager

Matt joined Worcestershire County Council in September 2013. Matt was part of the initial team recruited by Judy Chadwick to work within economic development directorate to develop and promote the wider skills agenda across Worcestershire. This role was eventually expanded to cover the LEP skills priorities.

For a number of years Matt led the joint WCC and WLEP Connecting Schools and Business initiative to look at developing stronger links with schools and to look at ways in which Worcestershire employers could support the delivery of careers related education within schools.

Following the conception of the Careers and Enterprise Company initiative in 2015 Matt led the implementation and creation of Worcestershire's own Enterprise Adviser network. In September 2018 Matt took up the role of Careers Hub Manager following the Worcestershire LEP being awarded "Careers Hub status" which he would undertake alongside his wider programme manager role.

Alice Cook

Deputy Careers Hub Manager

Alice joined the delivery team in April 2017, since she started her role she has been working on mainstream school engagement has built up an amazing level of engagement across the entire school network.

Following the expansion of the delivery team Alice's role as Deputy Careers Hub Manager will be focused on maintaining the relationships she has already built within our Mainstream "Careers Hub" member schools across the Wyre Forest, Redditch and Bromsgrove districts. Alice will be tasked with providing these schools with the support they require to achieve ALL of the 8 x Gatsby Benchmarks.

Alice will work with schools’ strategic leads, their careers advisers and their assigned Enterprise Adviser to develop a programme of activity which ensures that local employers play a vital role in the delivery of careers education within her assigned schools.

Alice is also taking a lead role within the development of the Skills 4 Worcestershire careers signposting website and the organisation of the Worcestershire Skills Show.

Sandra Howells

Enterprise Coordinator – Southern Districts

Sandra joined the delivery team in November 2018. Her role as an Enterprise Coordinator will be focused on maintaining and building on our existing relationships within our Mainstream "Careers Hub" member schools across the Worcester City, Malvern Hills and Wychavon districts.

Sandra will be tasked with providing these schools with the support they require to achieve ALL of the 8 x Gatsby Benchmarks.

Sandra will work with the schools strategic leads, their careers advisers and their assigned Enterprise Adviser to develop a programme of activity which ensures that local employers play a pivotal role in the delivery of careers education within her assigned schools.

Sandra is enthusiastic and committed to ensuring that all young people get a wealth of excellent opportunities to improve their future outcomes.

Linda Garner

Enterprise Coordinator – Middle Schools

Linda joined the delivery team in September 2018. Her role as our Middle School Enterprise Coordinator will focus on engaging, building and maintaining new relationships within middle schools across the Wychavon, Redditch and Bromsgrove districts.

Linda will lead on the recruitment of Enterprise Advisers who will be placed within these schools, which in turn will increase the levels of employer involvement in careers related activities taking place across benchmarks 5 and 6.

Linda has worked for the last 20 years as a Branch Manager in a Recruitment Agency in Worcestershire and has an extensive knowledge of the local market place and the skills required by employers. She has excellent relationships with local businesses and knows the importance of raising the levels of young people transferable skills so they are more employable.

She also has a sound understanding of the diversity of businesses within the area and the challenges they are currently experiencing with regard to skills shortages and recruiting quality staff.

Hannah Strong

Enterprise Co-ordinator SEND Schools

Hannah joined Worcestershire County Council in October 2020. Her role as Enterprise Coordinator will focus on the SEND schools across Worcestershire, maintaining and developing the existing relationships built with the schools.

Hannah will be tasked with finding solutions to support the delivery of careers provision within our SEND schools network. Hannah will be working closely with the individual school Careers leads and their in-house careers advisers to ensure their young people receive a high standard of careers provision.

Hannah has come from an NCS (National Citizen Service) background where she successfully managed the Worcestershire contract for over 3 years, covering 60 Mainstream, PRU and SEND schools. Her previous role allows her to build on the great working relationship with our SEND schools and has an insight into the Gatsby Benchmarks and the areas that may need developing. During her time with NCS she worked with the NCS Trust to create bespoke SEND programmes making NCS inclusive for all.

Hannah has committed her career to people and strives to ensure equal opportunities are there for all. Her passion and drive will push the fantastic work already done to reach even wider parts of the sector.

Helen Airdrie

Enterprise Co-ordinator – Middle Schools

Helen joined the delivery team in February 2022. Her role as one of our Middle School Enterprise Co-ordinators will be to support our schools to find solutions to support the delivery of careers education to students within this setting. Helen will work closely with Linda and the wider network of careers leaders and careers advisers to ensure we continue to develop a high-quality careers provision for student attending Worcestershire Middle Schools.

Helen has been working for the last 13 years as a Careers Lead and Careers Adviser in both the state and independent education sector. She understands the challenges of delivering a careers programme within a busy curriculum but is passionate about the value of careers learning and helping young people to progress.

She has worked alongside a wide range of employers whilst arranging work experience, mock interview days, careers speed dating, assemblies, workshops and career days and is excited to bring this experience to her role. Prior to this Helen has worked within the horticultural and food industry.

Kieran Rodway

Enterprise Coordinator, Employer Engagement

Kieran joined the delivery team in January 2023. His role as Enterprise Coordinator will focus on employer engagement and in turn both the recruitment of Enterprise Advisers and employer activity support within schools.

Whilst Kieran will be based within the Careers hub he will also be working closely with the Worcestershire Growth hub.

This will enable us to expand our portfolio of businesses, large and small, willing to support the delivery of careers education within schools and expand on the number of Enterprise Advisers joining the Worcestershire network. Kieran will also be able to target specific industry sectors which could support activity such as their participation in the Worcestershire Skills Show, workplace visits and mock interview sessions.

Kieran brings with him a wealth of IAG and account management experience to match his resilient ‘can do’ attitude and approach.

Joe French

Business Support

Joe joined the skills and investment team in October 2020. Joe is currently a student at the University of Worcester and has taken on the role of Project Support Intern and will be with the team for a year. Joe’s roles vary and he will be supporting different teams and projects throughout his busy year with us.

Throughout his time at University, Joe has studied a range of modules which will be key to help him in this role, this was built on top of his understanding from studying Business at A level. Further to this, Joe’s part time work alongside his studies, provided him with management experience and contributed to him being work ready.

Laura Evans

Project Support Officer

Laura joined the skills and investment team in December 2021. Laura’s primary role as Project Support Officer will be to work with the Careers Hub Manager to deliver a bespoke project to undertake an evaluation of the current risk of NEET indicator.

Funded, by the Careers and Enterprise Company this project will identify any elements of the current indicator which could be improved making it more efficient and in turn supporting our local schools to identify those young people at risk as early as possible. Laura will also lead on the day-to-day support being given to several pilot schools testing the new indicator during the 2022 / 2023 academic year.

Laura will also support the wider team on a number of ongoing work streams and activities.

Laura has previously worked for Worcestershire Children’s First spending 3 years working as part of the Early Help team working directly with families experiencing a wide range of challenges around unemployment.

Liz Shaw

Project Support Intern

Liz joined the team in August 2022. Her position as Project Support Intern focuses on closely supporting different members of the team throughout key workstreams during the school year. This has included the Worcestershire Skills Show in March 2023 which Liz has helped to organise, the Power Up Mentor programme, and general overseeing of this Skills4Worcestershire website. Liz will also take on a general supporting admin role throughout the team.

Liz started this position after finishing her course at University, where she developed research skills and gained experience in time and project management. Furthermore, her previous experience as digital marketing assistant in a small, local business has given her social media and website development knowledge which she hopes to use to help expand Inspiring Worcestershire's online presence and improve her digital marketing experience in the workplace.