From our own research and anecdotal stories, we often hear from employers that they feel school leavers aren't entering the world of work with the right skills or knowledge.

The government has also acknowledged this and launched the Careers Enterprise Company - focused on bridging the gap between the world of education and employment.

Careers Hubs are funded by the Careers & Enterprise Company. In Lancashire it is co-funded by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council and delivered on its behalf by Inspira.

Lancashire Careers Hub is a collaboration of 154 secondary schools, send schools, alternative provision and colleges across the whole region who work together to deliver the Gatsby benchmarks. Collaborating with business partners, the public, education and voluntary sectors, they help improve careers outcomes for young people.

Evidence proves that a young person who has four or more encounters with an employer is 86% less likely to be unemployed or not in education or training, and can earn up to 18% more during their career.

Through both strategic planning and practical activity, the Lancashire Careers Hub inspires young people to get to know the world of work, understand what work is, explore their options and build real confidence about their future.

By bringing the right people together to create strong connections that put young people’s futures first and helps Lancashire’s economy to grow and prosper, we are on an exciting and positive journey.

Matching schools with business volunteers, and providing a robust development plan – Careers Hubs have proven to be very successful.

If you're a school, college or business and would like to find out about how you can get involved, call us on 01931 711 300 or click here to fill out the form and we will be in touch.