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Work Inspiration campaign led by Sir Stuart Rose on track to meet its target of
improving 100,000 placements by September 2010, as champion companies
including M&S, BT, Serco and Chime articulate commitments
3 December 2009: The Work Inspiration campaign (www.workinspiration.com),
launched on September 15th with a Big Conversation between 100 chief executives
and 100 young people, has achieved major success in its first 90 days, Sir Stuart
Rose confirmed to business leaders today at Business in the Community’s AGM.
"We are seeing nationwide momentum on this issue to mobilise business and
catalyse change. Businesses of all sizes and types, public and private, are
committing to make a change and review and improve the work experience they
offer. We are inspiring young people about the world of work and highlighting the fact
that there are many paths to success," said Sir Stuart Rose, chairman of Business in
the Community (BITC) and executive chairman of Marks & Spencer.
Work Inspiration is a national business-led campaign for employers across the UK to
provide better quality and more inspiring work experience for young people. In the
first milestone update since the launch, significant progress was revealed by
businesses of all sizes and in all sectors. M&S has committed to offer 2,500 work
placements for July 2010 and Chime Communications will provide 200 placements,
representing 20% of their workforce. BT has integrated Big Conversations into its
current apprenticeship programme and, in the New Year, will launch a 'federated
Work Inspiration' programme - where it will provide a 'hub' for the young people who
will then be 'subbed' into partner organisations.
Industry sectors are initiating better work experience for young people with Channel
4, Capgemini, Freshfields and Wates Group the latest companies to get involved.
Big Conversations to turn work experience into work inspiration will be driven by
Capgemini for the professional services, and there will also be a programme for the
media sector, the sports sector, and for rural and agricultural industries.
Following the national launch in London in September, regional gatherings of
employers and young people are now being planned all across the UK, kicking off
with Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham in early 2010.
Compelling research has revealed that work experience can be pivotal to young
people's future aspirations. In a study from the b-live Foundation, almost two thirds
of all teachers said that the strongest tangible benefits to students come from work
experience. Second, but a long way behind, are open days and enterprise initiatives
at 7%. This matched the opinion of employers – when asked what would make a
candidate most employable, 73% cited relevant work experience followed by work
placements at 51%.
The Work Inspiration campaign builds on CBI research into high quality work
experience and its 2007 report, ‘Time Well Spent’. BITC and CBI will be working
together to ensure more employers see value in providing placements for young
people and that the work experience they offer really delivers valuable opportunities
to understand the world of work and gain vital skills.
Also revealed today was a new interactive portal created by U-Explore to provide
essential tools to help employers provide motivating and inspiring introductions to the
world of work located at www.workinspiration.com.
The corporate sponsors of the Work Inspiration campaign are Accenture, BT, Chime
Communications, Marks & Spencer, McDonald’s, National Grid, Royal Mail and
Serco.
It has been developed, and supported by a range of partners. These include: Arrival
Education, Backing Young Britain, British Council, Career Academies UK, Council for
Social Action, City and Guilds, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Edge,
Enterprise Insight, Institute for Education Business Excellence, National Council for
Work Experience, National Education & Employer Partnership Taskforce, NESTA,
Talent & Enterprise Taskforce, The Prince’s Trust, Teach First; Trident from Edexcel,
UK Commission for Employment & Skills, U-Explore, WEXO, WorldSkills 2011,
Young Enterprise.
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