Luton: The Foundation for Reach Society, in conjunction with Luton Council and the Local Employability Assistance Partnership Project (LEAPP), have successfully delivered their first ever Employability Day to be held in Luton. Hosted by Chiltern Academy, over 35 employers (local, national, private and public sector) and 30 professional role models from the Black community took part to deliver this all-day event at the end of last month.
More than 125 participating young people aged 10 to 19 and their parents or responsible adults were able to engage first-hand with employers and professionals and hear from them, practical advice and guidance on career opportunities and planning, plus pathways to success. Some young people reported that they found work experience and apprenticeship opportunities on the day; and others discovered value added summer schools like the Durham University Space to Explore Potential, STEP, summer school for year 12 Black pupils. Others discovered how virtual reality technology was being used by BT and a wide range of opportunities on offer by the travel firm TUI, the construction firm Keir, the health sector and by the uniformed services with the RAF, the Royal Navy, the British Army and Bedfordshire Police Service.
The council’s Adult Learning team was also on hand to guide and advise the young people. Brunel University also delivered a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) masterclass which was enjoyed by 30 young attendees. The last hour of the event was devoted to an expert panel of professionals from the local community who were put on the spot with a range of testing questions posed by the young audience members.
Cllr Aslam Khan, deputy leader and portfolio holder responsible for skills and employability at Luton Council, stressed the central role of education in order to access the local employment opportunities; and Ian Douglas, Chiltern Academy head teacher, expressed his delight in being a part of this historic event in the area.
Feedback from employers, role models and audience members was extremely positive. Employers and role models reported the “uplifting experience of interacting with so many engaged young people”. One of the event organisers, Pastor Trevor Adams commented, “There was a buzz throughout the day as everyone came together to deliver an inspirational event.”
Cllr Aslam Khan said, “We were really pleased to support the event. Many young people attended and were able to meet and talk with role models and it was a great opportunity to find out about career paths and what kind of roles are available from a number of employers.
“We are passionate about achieving our aim to make Luton a town that thrives and where no-one is left behind and working with our partners, we are here to support young people at all stages of their journey from school to employment so they can achieve their best potential and thrive”.
The organisers are planning the next Employability Day in spring 2023 Chiltern Academy have offered to host the event once again; and already several role models have offered to participate in the next event.