As a Careers Hub, we collaborate with 175 secondary schools, (inclusive of Alternative Provisions, SEND institutions and FE colleges), support 75 primary schools, and benefit from the partnership of over 300 dedicated employers across the region.
Our goal is to:
Every school or college that is part of the Careers Hub has a designated Enterprise Coordinator staff member from the Careers. The Enterprise Coordinator will help ensure that the best local careers and enterprise provision is made available to schools and colleges in their area by acting as a core link to existing provision.
Career Leaders can receive fully funded, accredited training from the CEC to accelerate your school, special school, or college towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks.
At EMCCA Careers Hub, we are dedicated to supporting every young person in taking their next best step by ensuring inclusive and equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their background, abilities, or circumstances. We understand the importance of promoting social mobility and making sure young people with disabilities, special educational needs, or those from marginalized groups have the same career opportunities as others.
To achieve this, we collaborate with 31 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) institutions and 10 Alternative Provision (AP) educational settings, providing tailored support to young people who might face barriers to accessing guidance and opportunities. Our dedicated staff for SEND work closely with these institutions, ensuring that the unique needs of each student are recognised and addressed.
This reflects our strong belief in the value of diversity in the workforce and our commitment to making sure every young person has the chance to achieve their goals.
This year the Careers Hub has funded four Supported Insight Schemes. A Supported Insight Scheme supports SEND schools to enable their learners to be prepared for an internship or employed pathway. It includes preparation for employability learning in school, work placements supported on-site by a Job Coach and Employer Mentor, and post placement consolidation of learning in school. Wrap-around career guidance can improve skills recognition and transition planning.
Our new funded programme for schools is exploring a social pathway for a SEND young person. The Adventure Service creates pathways for young people to develop key skills through outdoor learning and adventure.
Our Enterprise Co-ordinators Julia Matthews and Charlotte Bushell work to support SEND institutions across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, organising termly meetings for Careers Leaders and Enterprise Advisers to encourage regional collaboration. The first EMCCA SEND Career Leader and Enterprise Adviser Network Meeting focused on supported internships, employer engagement, and sustainable partnerships. Feedback showed high satisfaction, with 95% finding the sessions valuable and 85.7% of Enterprise Advisers gaining new strategies for partnerships. The event highlighted the need for ongoing collaboration and will be held annually.
Sue Woollett, Social Value Manager at Stepnell, said, “The highlight of the morning was hearing from two young men who completed supported internships and now work for Nottingham University Hospitals and the University of Nottingham. Their growth in confidence, support from colleagues, and success in roles like pest control were truly moving.”