Careers Hub News
We hope you have all had a productive start to 2026 – The careers leaders across our 153 schools and colleges have been busy getting to grips with the update statutory requirements for careers alongside beginning to prepare for the governments intention to implement two weeks worth of work experience for all young people – more detail in the national update later on.
We have been busy too – we have recruited 3 new members of our team. Sam Baker joins us as an Operational Hub Lead, Olivia Dams as Careers Consultant – Work Experience and Lorraine Emerton Careers Consultant – Bedford Borough & Central Bedfordshire. We have some exciting projects taking place this year too, further details about how you can get involved to follow .
Finally, our schools currently need volunteers to support 14 career fairs, 1 apprenticeship evening, 1 industry immersion day, 1 mock interview day and 1 speed networking event. We have updated the Volunteering Opportunities area of our website, adding this to the dropdown menu for employers/volunteers for easy access, so you can see opportunities to get involved. Please add to your favourites now and share across your networks.
Upcoming Volunteering Opportunities
Opportunities to support Careers Hub projects
Growth Sector Taster Experiences in partnership with The Inspirational Learning Group (TILG)
A school based modern work experience activity for students in years 7 & 8, (aged 11-13) designed to equip young people with essential career knowledge whilst providing an opportunity to develop sector-relevant employability skills. The Inspirational Learning Group (TILG) will provide 20 schools in the South Midlands region with resources to build their own interactive South Midlands Key Growth Sectors Taster Experience.
Schools will select up to 5 one hour workshops of their choice from from key growth
sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing, Cyber Security, Creative Industries, Logistics and Agro-food
which have been developed in conjunction with leading employers. These workshops will be delivered
in school as part of a hands-on, carousel taster experience, providing students with an opportunity to
apply their skills to sector specific challenges and activities.
How can Employers/Volunteers get involved?
– Support the delivery of workshops.
– Inform students of your own professional journey and the skills you use in your own role,
– Provide students with 1:1 feedback as they engage in various sector- specific activities and employer-led challenges.
– Opportunity to promote the various progression routes into each sector.
Interested? contact sam@tilg.co.uk to sign up
Making Work Experience Work – Live Business Challenge
Delivered by Working Options in partnership with South Midlands Careers Hub
The Live Business Challenge is an in-school alternative to traditional work experience for students in year 9 (13-14) Students work in teams to respond to real business briefs from employers like yourselves, gaining hands-on experience and building their CVs.
Whats the commitment?
- One half day school visit to launch the challenge, one half day visit to hear the pitches – provide a real, engaging brief. Visit a local school to introduce your company and the challenge. Share your business context and answer questions
- Skills Workshops – optional involvement and delivery of 2 or 3 employability skills workshops or pitch judging.
- No financial cost – just your time, challenge and expertise.
Interested? contact claire@workingoptions.org.uk
Exhibit your Apprenticeship & T Level opportunities for free at the ‘Opportunities on your Doorstep Virtual Careers Fair’ in partnership with Amazing Apprenticeships
Tuesday 12th May, 5.30pm – 7pm
What is the virtual careers fair? The Opportunities on your doorstep Virtual Careers Fair is a free event for exhibitors to showcase their apprenticeships and T Level opportunities to parents, carers and students who want to hear directly from local employers and training providers.
Who should exhibit – training providers of apprenticeships and/or T Levels or any employer
based in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes with future opportunities who want to meet potential applicants.
How does it work? Each exhibitor has a dedicated breakout room. Attendees will rotate every 10 minutes to their chosen exhibitors to hear a presentation and have an opportunity for Q&A.
For more information, contact: Rebecca@Amazingapprenticeships.com
Complete the form HERE to secure your place to exhibit and showcase your opportunities by 17/03/26
School volunteer requests
| Date | Activity | School | Local Authority | Further details |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Careers Day | Sir Christopher Hatton Academy | North Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Careers and Pathways Fair | Moulton School and Science College | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Public Services, Sports and Active Careers Day | Chelveston Road School (SEN) | North Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Careers in Care | Milton Keynes College | Milton Keynes | Further details here |
| 04 Mar 2026 | Careers and Providers Next Steps Fair | Chelveston Road School | North Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Sir Herbert Leon Careers Fair | Sir Herbert Leon Academy | Milton Keynes | Further details here |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Guilsborough Academy Careers Fair | Guilsborough Academy | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Year 10 Mock Interviews | The Duston School | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Rushden Academy Careers Festival | Rushden Academy | North Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Employment and Opportunities Evening | Northampton School for Boys | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Brooke Weston Academy Careers Fair | Brooke Weston Academy | North Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Malcolm Arnold Academy Careers Fair | Malcolm Arnold Academy | North Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Sponne School Careers Fair | Sponne School | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Apprenticeship Evening | Northampton School for Boys | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Yr12 CV Workshop | Sponne School | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
| 01 Jul 2026 | Abbeyfield School Careers Fair | Abbeyfield School | West Northamptonshire | Further details here |
Raising awareness of the logistics industry to a younger audience and plugging the significant skills gap. How can you do this and what are the benefits.
Raising awareness of the logistics industry to a younger audience and plugging the significant skills gap are two seismic challenges for the sector. Step forward the South Midlands Careers Hub, with the objective of building career ready young people, creating a brighter future for industry. So, join the CILT East Midlands as we showcase how the hub can help tackle the two underlying problems, in a practical and manageable way.
Presenters:
Clare Coles – Careers Consultant, South Midlands Careers Hub
Vikki Morton – Careers Consultant, South Midlands Careers Hub
Michelle Warner – CILT East Midlands Group Member
David Gilmour -General Manager, Helix
Carla Dufty – Careers Lead, Careers Lead, Abbeyfield School
Elaine Kendall or Kori Construction will also be sharing her approach to work experience and the gains for Business Leaders in the Construction industry and Empress Burgess, Degree Apprentice: Production team leader for Wincanton, now part of GXO, will be talking about her volunteering role as a ‘Young Inspirer’ and how this has helped her to develop confidence in public speaking in addition to sharing advice on researching careers, decision making and taking that first step into the workplace.
Schedule
- Overview of a career’s hub.
- A student’s perspective on the career journey.
- The role of industry, through industry partners.
- Understanding the part that school career’s department play.
Register for the event HERE
National Update
Full guidance for Employers: Gatsby Benchmark updates available here. We have included some headlines below.
Defining Meaningful
The updated statutory guidance for careers clarified what meaningful looks like in practice, providing a simple to use checklist for employer encounters, experiences of workplaces and encounters with further and higher education. These checklists can be used as a helpful planning tool to maximise impact when volunteering in schools and colleges.
Encounters with employers and employees (Gatsby Benchmark 5) – an updated definition of ‘meaningful’ for Benchmark 5 clarifies that young people should encounter employers of various sizes and specialisms, and could focus on workplace skills or what it takes to be successful. There should also be time for learners to reflect on their learning afterwards.
A meaningful encounter will:
- have a clear purpose, which is shared with the employer and the young person
- be underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the needs of the young person
- have opportunities for two-way interactions between the young person and the employer
- be followed by time for the young person to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through the encounter
Experiences of Workplaces (Gatsby Benchmark 6) – experiences of Workplaces – Pre-16 experiences of workplaces have been pluralised, rather than specifying a minimum requirement of at least one, highlighting the value of progressive experiences throughout a young person’s time in education.
A definition of ‘meaningful’ has now been added to experiences of workplaces and clarity that experiences can take many forms, including through visits to workplaces, work shadowing and/or work experience. It clarifies that virtual experiences can complement but not wholly replace in person experiences.
A meaningful experience will:
- have a clear purpose, which is shared with the employer and the young person
- be underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the needs of the young person
- involve extensive two-way interactions between the young person and employees
- include opportunities for young people to meet a range of different people from the workplace
- include opportunities for young people to perform a task set by the employer or to produce a piece of work relevant to that workplace
- include the employer providing feedback to the young person about their work
- be followed by opportunities for the young person to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through their experience
Schools, colleges and independent training providers (ITPs) can take into account any part-time work a young person may have, if it genuinely offers them a meaningful experience.
Encounters with Further and Higher Education (Gatsby Benchmark 7) now explicitly includes independent training providers and technical education. An expanded definition of ‘meaningful’ encounters notes they should have a clear agreed purpose, with appropriate learning outcomes, and involve two-way interaction and the opportunity to meet both staff and learners.
A meaningful encounter will:
- have a clear purpose, which is shared with the provider and the young person
- be underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the needs of the young person
- involve a two-way interaction between the young person and the provider
- include information about the provider, such as their recruitment and selection processes, the qualifications that provider offers and the careers these could lead to
- describe what learning or training with the provider is like
- be followed by opportunities for the young person to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through the encounter
For further information view our twenty minute overview of the updated Statutory Guidance for Careers more details on the Gatsby Benchmarks available HERE
Modern Work Experience
Extract from May 25 updated statutory guidance
‘Young people want more opportunities to experience a wider range of workplaces to help them to make more informed decisions about their future. So, in addition to the strengthened Gatsby Benchmark, the government is reforming work experience to break down barriers to opportunity so that every pupil will have the opportunity to take part in 2 weeks’ worth of work experience during key stages 3 and 4.‘
Implementing 2 weeks’ worth of work experience
Our vision is that 2 weeks’ worth of work experience will be based on the following set of principles, building on the benchmark 6 definition of meaningful.
Two weeks’ worth of work experience should be broken down into:
- one weeks’ worth of work experience activities in years 7 to 9
- one weeks’ worth of work experience placement(s) in years 10 to 11
Experiences should be aspirational and inspirational, giving young people the opportunity to access a wide range of career opportunities, aligned to their interests and talents, local skills needs and national growth sectors. Opportunity should go beyond the horizons of their immediate friends and family.
They should be co-designed and delivered in partnership with schools and involve two-way employer-pupil interaction.
Work experience activities in years 7 to 9
Work experience activities in years 7 to 9 should consist of multiple, varied and meaningful employer-led activities to explore different industries and careers and involve active engagement with a diverse range of employers, including small and medium sized enterprises. Activities could include:
- multi-day work visits involving employer-set tasks or projects
- work shadowing
- in-person or virtual employer talks in the workplace, including technical demonstrations or tours of working premises.
These could be undertaken individually or as part of a group or class-based activity. Some or all of the activities can be in person, with virtual activities contributing but not replacing in person.
Work experience placement(s) in years 10 to 11
Work experience placement(s) in years 10 to 11 should allow pupils to experience a real working environment and begin to develop work-based skills and behaviours.
Pupils should be free to undertake their 5 days’ worth of work experience placement(s) in years 10 to 11 with more than one employer, irrespective of sector, and be able to spread their placement time across a number of days or weeks at any point during the year 10 to 11 curriculum. This might be advantageous to young people who are undecided on their careers interests, by offering scope to try more employers and sectors.
‘We expect that the work experience placement(s) in years 10 to 11 be in-person, but acknowledge that in exceptional circumstances meaningful hybrid or virtual approaches may be impactful in removing barriers to access. In those circumstances, we would expect best endeavours to use remote engagement alongside, but not instead of, in-person activity.
Planning work experience programmes
From September 2025, schools should be planning and, where able, reforming their work experience programmes according to these principles so that all pupils can benefit from the opportunities, development and learning that work experience provides.‘
Equalex Framework – The equalex framework, defines learning outcomes and objectives and allows educators to embed meaningful workplace experiences within a progressive whole school careers programme. Further details HERE
Let’s make it work: The Podcast
Each episode shares practical insights, real examples and actionable takeaways – including a closer look at equalex, our framework for high-quality, progressive workplace experiences
Employer Standards – easily plan, improve and compare results for careers education outreach
The Employer Standards provide a clear framework to businesses of all shapes and sizes to maximise the impact of employer engagement with young people, ensuring mutual value and long-term business success. Take the 25 minute self assessment here
Celebrating Success
Celebrating an Inspiring Day with Volkswagen Group UK
A huge thank you to Volkswagen Group UK for hosting an incredible Experience of the Workplace event for students. From practicing real interview skills, to meeting current apprentices, to discovering the amazing range of career pathways from Data and Business to IT, Motor Vehicle, and Finance, students were given invaluable insights into what their futures could look like.
The team at VW created a welcoming, energising environment that truly sparked curiosity and ambition. Opportunities like this make a genuine difference, helping young people understand their strengths, grow in confidence, and explore the world of work in a meaningful way. Their fantastic apprenticeship scheme is about to launch – all in time for National Apprenticeship Week!
Thank you, Volkswagen Group UK Ltd for inspiring the next generation and opening the door to such exciting possibilities
Mandy Browning, Careers Consultant Milton Keynes, South Midlands Careers Hub
It was an absolute pleasure to attend Kettering Science Academy this morning to meet six apprentices who shared their career journeys’ with students currently in Year 10. Assistant Principal & Careers Leader, Steven Scragg organised the Young Inspirers’ event in partnership with the South Midlands Careers Hub
This event forms part of the commitment for each school to promote apprenticeship and technical education. Real life insights provided by apprentices bring vocational learning to life and helps students to understand the breadth of options available to them.
All six apprentices provided honest and excellent responses to students’ questions, providing insight on how they prepared for interview, what it was like to start work in an unfamiliar environment, and integrate into a new team. Many thanks to Luke Heaviside of JLR, Dillon Considine of Office Mango, Louis Askew & George Smith of Weetabix, Sophia Wilson of Kier Group & Kim Pooni of Streets.
Thanks also to our apprentices employers for supporting their attendance and involvement.
Claire Coles, Careers Consultant North Northants, South Midlands Careers Hub
What a brilliant morning at Stadium MK Year 9 students from different schools across the city went to Stadium MK. Huge thanks to the Milton Keynes Dons Community Trust team who continue to show what it means to be at the heart of the city – opening doors, inspiring young people and helping them build real work‑ready skills.
In just a couple of hours, students explored teamwork, communication, confidence and problem‑solving in a setting that was supportive, inclusive and genuinely exciting. Mornings like this are such a powerful reminder of what’s possible when education and employers come together.
There are so many flexible ways for employers to offer workplace experiences. Two days or two hours, in‑school or on‑site, there’s always a way to give back and inspire future talent. Be part of the change
Mandy Browning, Careers Consultant Milton Keynes, South Midlands Careers Hub
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