Fund launched to help young people facing enterprise postcode lottery

Emma Finamore
Last updated 20 Nov 2015

The fund comes out of a £20 million package announced last year, as part of the government’s One Nation commitment to improve the life chances of all young people.

A £5 million investment fund to transform the careers prospects of young people most in need of support has been announced by the government-backed Careers & Enterprise Company.

Organisations with a strong track record in helping young people who have previously lacked good quality careers and enterprise support will be able to bid for money from the fund.

The announcement of the fund follows research carried out by the Careers & Enterprise Company identifying the “cold spots” across England.

The are regions where young people are missing out on the support needed to help them prepare for, and take control of their futures.

The Black Country and Cornwall have been as being the most in need of support with linking up school pupils with business.

Other regions – less in need than the Black Country and Cornwall, but still in need – that have been identified are: Greater Cambridge and Peterborough, Liverpool, East Anglia, Northamptonshire, the South East, Tees Valley and Worcestershire.

The fund comes out of a £20 million package announced last year with the launch of the Careers & Enterprise Company, and is part of the government’s One Nation commitment to improve the life chances of all young people..

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education, said: “It is a commitment to social justice that drives this Government’s determination to ensure all young people, regardless of their background, have the chance to unlock their full potential.

“The Careers & Enterprise Company’s Investment Fund is exactly the kind of initiative that will encourage schools and colleges across the country to share best practice in careers provision.

"This will focus attention on areas where intervention is most needed, improving the life chances of young people from our most challenging communities.”

Claudia Harris, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said: “There is already a lot of excellent careers and enterprise provision in the country but coverage can be patchy.

This fund is intended to scale quickly, approaches with a strong track record and support areas and groups with greatest need.

“Building on what works and helping to fill gaps is at the heart of our approach to inspire and better prepare young people for the changing world of work.”

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