The ‘Inspiring Dorset’ launches were held in Weymouth, ‘Primary Futures’ on Wednesday at Holy Trinity School followed by the ‘Secondary Futures’ event held on Thursday at All Saints School.
These events help bridge the gap between young people and businesses in Dorset by bringing the young people together with volunteer employees from businesses all over the county to share their career stories.
Matt Prosser, CEO of the Dorset Council, attended ‘Secondary Futures’ and spoke to the young people about the importance of interacting with businesses and the opportunities that are available to them in Dorset. Matt also joined in with the ‘Speed Career Networking’ part of the event where he shared his career journey, from being in the forces to his current appointment.
Small groups of young people were given six minutes to talk to each volunteer and ask them questions about their job role and career experiences before volunteers switched places, allowing the young people the opportunity to speak to a variety of individuals from different businesses.
Matt Prosser said: “For me it was great to see the enthusiasm from the young people as they think about their futures, but also to meet with the businesses in Dorset who are keen to see the young people stay in Dorset.” Hear more about what Matt had to say about the event
According to research from the Education and Employers charity website, the Inspiring Dorset campaign is having a very positive impact on the young people of Dorset; following activities with Inspiring the Future volunteers, a 78% improvement in students understanding of the value of education and qualifications was recorded and an 83% improvement in understanding the world of work.
Matt also talked about some of the research that was shared at the event in his video; “We heard about how important it is for young people to have interactions with businesses and that those young people who have more interactions with business are more likely to be employed and get a better salary.”
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