This will cover 21 schools in north-east Derbyshire (including ones in Chesterfield and Bolsover), following a successful bid by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and partners.

Around £80,000 in support will enable D2N2’s Careers Hub (led by the Shirebrook Academy) to bring together schools and colleges together with employers, universities, training providers and career professionals to improve job opportunities for young people, focusing on best practice. Support and funding, a ‘Hub Lead’ to coordinate activity and build networks, a central fund for employer engagement activities, and training for a ‘Careers Leader’ in each school are set to be available from September 2019.

This is one of 18 Hubs have been announced (and two existing ones expanded), backed by a further £2.5million in national investment, delivered via the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC). The CEC, established in 2015, is a nationally funded body which helps link schools and colleges with employers, to increase employer engagement for young people. It works closely with England’s 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships, including the D2N2 LEP.

The Careers Hubs are based on a pilot scheme by the Gatsby Foundation (which is behind the Gatsby Benchmarks, an internationally recognised ‘checklist’ of what schools and colleges need to do to provide the best careers advice) and the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), run from 2015 to 2017.

Claudia Harris, Chief Executive of the Government-backed Careers & Enterprise Company, said: “Careers education is improving across the country. The accelerated progress we’re seeing in the first wave of Careers Hubs shows that this model is working and delivering for young people, with schools and colleges in this first wave of Careers Hubs already outperforming the national average across all aspects of careers education.

“We are delighted that the Government’s investment is supporting us to roll out this model to a quarter of schools and colleges in the country, helping more young people get the vital support and opportunities they need.”

Carolyn Fairbairn, Director General of the CBI, said: “Employers understand just how important their role is in preparing the next generation for the world of work and their enthusiasm for supporting schools has never been greater. Connecting business and young people is a proven way of improving life chances.”

She added: “Firms can sometimes struggle to engage with the schools and colleges that need their support. It’s therefore hugely encouraging to see more Careers Hubs on the way. There is no doubt they will play a pivotal role in helping employers get more involved.”

Funding for the Careers Hubs initiative is being delivered via the CEC, with funding from the Department for Education.