Research suggests that employer engagement experienced by young people in education and training has a positive impact on their performance in the world of work.

Since its launch in 2012, Inspiring the Future has worked with teachers in 5,500 state schools and colleges to invite over 135,000 volunteers to engage with students. Volunteers from different professions across the country spare an hour a year to hold career insight talks and subject talks, as well as network and provide CV help and mock interviews for jobs, apprenticeships and university.

The programme’s most successful campaign has been Inspiring Women that involve volunteer women who go into schools to talk to girls and young women about their jobs and career paths, balancing working lives with other responsibilities and challenging gender stereotyping.

Apprenticeship volunteers have furthermore connected with over 300,000 young people by helping young people understand apprenticeship options and the different routes into different professions. This has resulted in increased interest among young people in applying for apprenticeships.

Most employers who volunteered for the programme had not previous engaged with young students, but a high percentage of volunteers expressed that they enjoyed talking to students and felt that they provided students with a new and useful experience. More than a quarter of volunteers have also developed an ongoing relationship with a school or college.

The role of school governors is growing in importance as schools and colleges become more autonomous in the UK. An online matching service approaching employers who are interested in such as role is another recent Inspiring the Future innovation.

Inspiring the Future is managed by the Education and Employers charity and its success has attracted interest from over 35 countries across the world. The charity explains that conversations with other countries show a recognition of the issues also encountered in the UK, such as youth alienation and unemployment, skills mismatch, weak recruitment and employability, skills gender stereotyping, poor pupil motivation and social mobility.

Read the review of the Inspiring the Future programme here: www.inspiringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ITF-4-YR-Digital.pdf

Education and Employers Research, along with with the Inspiring the Future team and scholars from around the world, work to improve understanding of the impacts of employer engagement in education and training settings. Visit their research library at: www.educationandemployers.org/research-main