Black Country education project brings together schools and business

Year 6 pupils get a taste of career opportunities.

The Black Country 2030 Careers project funded through the Careers and Enterprise Company, and managed by the Black Country LEP is a collaboration of schools and employers from across the Black Country. Led by Black Country LEP and Sally Miner, Head Teacher of Ryders Hayes Primary School, employers and schools will work together to produce resources and activities that can be delivered by employers in Primary Schools across the Black Country to showcase the very local labour market and the jobs of the future.

A pilot event was held on 22nd May, and highlighted engineering/manufacturing jobs now and in the future, and was supported by Thomas Dudley, Mapei, TATA Steel Making Learning Work and NextGenMakers. Pupils from year 6 and their parents were involved in number of activities and got to explore some of the job roles of the future.

The full bid has been submitted to the Careers and Enterprise Company this week and the ambition is to be able to work with 22 Black Country Primary Schools next year delivering the 2030 Careers Programme.

Angela Moore Black Country Careers Hub Manager, said: “We want to build on the success of our secondary school programmes, the Enterprise Adviser Network and the Careers Hub, and we firmly believe that careers education should be delivered in primary schools to enable young people to start developing those all-important transferrable skills.

“Employers have a role to play in educating young people about the local labour market and the jobs of the future. Meeting a variety of people in different job roles can broaden a young person’s aspirations for the future and help them to identify their own skills.”

Sally Miner, Head Teacher of Ryders Hayes School and Teaching School said: “It was a real privilege for Ryders Hayes to welcome businesses from across the manufacturing sector. Their engagement with the children and the design of the event created a lasting impression upon our year 6 pupils – broadening their horizons and their appreciation of the endless possibilities for exciting careers in manufacturing in the Black Country.

” If successful with our joint bid, we will create a whole primary curriculum from early years through to secondary school transition to explore every employment sector in our local area and the requisite skills for a career in 2030, to be shared with primary schools across the region.”

For further information on the Black Country Careers Hub visit here