Liverpool City Region launches national pilot to radically shake up work experience for School children

AN ambitious national plan to reinvent work experience for School children is to be tested in the Liverpool City Region.

The equalex pilot will test a new framework to improve work experience for every pupil. It replaces the traditional 2 week block with multiple experiences totalling 10 days throughout secondary education.

Several prominent City Region employers; including:- Jaguar Land Rover, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, NHS England, Atkins Realis, Keepmoat, Kimpton and Unilever; are interested in supporting the pilot, along with small and medium-sized businesses, and 12 Schools.

The work experiences will be aimed at filling skills gaps and equipping local children for tech jobs in the City Region's pioneering Life Sciences Innovation Zone.

The pilot is one of four across England, each testing a different part of the new model, before the project is scaled up to allow for national roll out.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:- "Work experience is a vital part of a young person's education, helping to equip them with the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need for their future careers. But for too long, too many pupils have missed out on meaningful opportunities; leaving them at a disadvantage when they take their first steps into the world of work. That has to change. I'm delighted that our Region has been chosen to help lead the way on this innovative pilot. By giving School children real experience in some of our fastest growing industries; like tech and our expanding Life Sciences Innovation Zone; we're not just equipping them with the skills for the jobs of the future, we're making sure those opportunities are open to everyone, no matter their background."

The Government removed statutory requirement for Schools to deliver work experience in England in 2012.

Since then, Schools have struggled to prioritise placements and participation levels have dropped. It is accepted across the sector that only about 50% of young people have work experience.

The equalex pilot has been developed by The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), the national body for careers education, and supported by Careers Hubs. It is a multi year, multi-experience model supported by the curriculum and open to all learners.

The tiered approach provides a breadth and depth of workplace experiences totalling ten days throughout secondary education. The pilot is 1 of 4 national trials – including:- Greater Manchester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire – with each testing a separate aspect.

In the City Region, the initiative will target the key growth sectors of Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Creative, and Health and Life Sciences.

It will run in partnership with the LCR Careers Hub at no cost to the Schools involved.

Modern work experience should be flexible in terms of length and will run across Key Stage 3 and 4. Key stage 3 covers the first three years of Secondary School, while Key Stage 4 covers the final 2 years.

This will give students the chance to make informed choices and gain work experience before and after making GCSE options

The project will also examine the challenges faced by employers in providing work experience and look for ways to support and inspire businesses to take part.

Oli de Botton, CEO of The Careers and Enterprise Company said:- "We are thrilled to be working with the Liverpool City Region to launch a new work experience pilot for young people in the area. The approach means that learners from ages:- 11 to 14 will access the Region's fast growing industries over 10 days' worth of high quality experiences. Our goal is to ensure that all young people, particularly those who are currently missing out, can gain the experiences that help them get ready to thrive in the future."

Consultation launched to define City's 15 year economic vision

A public consultation has been launched asking businesses and residents to comment on a vision to grow Liverpool's multi billion pound economy over the next 15 years.

The Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy will set the framework for growth up to 2040 and the 8 week consultation, hosted by Liverpool City Council, aims to inform the development of the resulting action plan.

The vision for Liverpool 2040 is to create a strong and inclusive economy that leaves no 1 behind.

The strategy focuses on strengthening foundations to build a fairer, more prosperous, and sustainable City that creates opportunities for a good life for all its residents.

The draft strategy focuses on several key themes, including:-

Strengthening key sectors to drive growth, innovation, investment and productivity

Key sectors include:-

• Health & Life Sciences,
  

• Creative and Digital industries,
  

• Advanced Manufacturing and Maritime.
  

• Build a vibrant, productive and resilient business base.
  

• Ensure access to skills development, employment opportunities and career building.
  

• Place people at the heart of growth activity and supporting aspirations and networks.

Several public engagement events will be staged over the coming months to gather views from the public. People can also go online at:- www.liverpool.gov.uk/growthstrategyconsultation to find out more and give their feedback.

Liverpool currently powers a £16.7 billion economy, with over 14,000 businesses and around 230,000 people in employment.

However, significant challenges remain, including:- low productivity and investment, financial pressures on public services, inequality of opportunity in some communities, and health challenges.

In light of these challenges, the Council, which recently submitted a New Town bid to Government to regenerate a huge part of North Liverpool, is committed to supporting businesses and residents. Delivering an inclusive economy is a core pillar for Liverpool's new Strategic Partnership plan for 2040, which is to be launched in late April 2025.

This draft inclusive growth strategy will also complement other key aims such as the City's Net Zero commitment, the actions outlined in the 2040 Health of the City report as well as the Council's Local Plan, Housing Plan and Transport Plan.

To further underline the Council's commitment, since June 2023, its Business Support Service has provided advice and guidance to over 1,000 Liverpool businesses and supported 300+ residents with direct advice on starting up a new business.

The Adult Learning and Skills team has also supported over 4,500 residents to develop essential workplace skills, and the Ways to Work team has supported 1,708 economically inactive and unemployed residents with employment and skills services.

Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Development and Growth, said:- "This draft Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy is a vital piece of work and 1 which will come to define the conditions that support our businesses to grow. Feedback to this draft strategy is crucial, it needs to reflects the views and needs of our businesses, non-profit organizations, charities, and voluntary organization – be it education, transport, housing or digital connectivity. We also want to hear residents' views to ensure we create a strong, relevant and deliverable strategy, 1 that will inform the initiatives, interventions and investment into the infrastructure the City needs to underpin our future economy. All of this feedback will help us strengthen the strategy, ensure we deliver the right action for economic growth, and best placing us to build inclusivity so residents and communities thrive."

Councillor Lila Bennett, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Employment, Educational Attainment and Skills, said:- "The success of this strategy will be deeply rooted in the strength and diversity of our partnerships and our collective commitment and action. All our partners have a key role in driving economic growth and ensuring benefits are felt across all communities. We also want our partners, including the business community, to embrace and deliver for our residents by realising opportunities and addressing challenges, from climate change to AI, to train and upskill their workforce to be ready for the economy of the future."

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