SUNEMPLOYMENT

How to make most of National Careers Week to find right profession for you

National Careers Week aims to ensure all young people have access to great advice on jobs

CHOOSING a profession is one of the most important decisions youngsters ever make.

Yet 36 per cent of state school pupils say they have not taken part in any careers-related activities.

Advertisement
After deciding not to go to university, Rory Troughton joined the programme and it helped him land his dream jobCredit: Supplied

The findings from social mobility charity The Sutton Trust reveal that, as a result, two in five do not feel confident in their next steps in education and training.

Running from March 4-9, National Careers Week aims to ensure all young people have access to great advice on jobs.

This year’s theme is My Career Journey, with schools, colleges and universities coming together to highlight both traditional and new em­ploy­ment paths and ways of learning.

One of the most sought-after career paths is advertising and media, yet few young people from disadvantaged backgrounds apply as they don’t feel they have the right connections and qualifications.

Advertisement

The Brixton Finishing School trains and places new talent — with a focus on multicultural, white working-class and neurodiverse people — into entry-level roles in top firms, including Diageo, Saatchi & Saatchi and Meta.

After deciding not to go to university, Rory Troughton joined the programme and it helped him land his dream job.

Rory, 24, from Lewisham, South London, saidcareer: “My time at BFS was incredible.

“I learnt foundational skills which I still use today, and met incredible people.

Advertisement

Most read in Money

HELPING HAND
Thousands on benefits to get payment worth £288 before this weekend
OUT OF FASHION
Fashion chain owned by H&M to close ALL stores & vanish from the high street
SWITCH ON
Exact date TV licence fee will rise next year – and how you can get one for FREE
BREW-TIFUL
Starbucks is giving away free drinks to millions of workers for one day only

“Over the past three years I’ve worked my way up to be global data growth manager through the apprenticeship programme at media company VML.”

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said: “I see careers advice as the first rung on the ladder of opportunity.

"Too many people assume that university is the only way into a rewarding career, but it isn’t right for everyone and young people need to know about the fantastic range of options available to them, regardless of their background.

“We're witnessing a profound cultural shift powered by our skills reforms, with apprenticeships and technical qualifications transforming lives and providing in-demand skills.”

Advertisement