Trust Matters: Lessons in Leadership

Can schools help prevent a NEET crisis? | John Yarham

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In this episode, we're joined by John Yarham, Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national organisation working to help every young person access high-quality careers education, employer experiences and pathways into future employment.

With more than 25 years' experience across education, skills and careers, John shares his perspective on one of the biggest challenges facing schools today: preparing young people for a future of work that is changing faster than ever.

We discuss why traditional work experience placements are becoming harder to sustain, what a modern approach to work experience could look like, and how schools can help prevent more young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

John also explores the growing importance of essential skills, the role of confidence in career success, and how schools should respond to the opportunities and challenges created by AI.

We explore:

  • Why the traditional work experience model is no longer enough
  • Whether the government's ambition for every young person to complete 2 weeks of work experience is realistic
  • How schools can build meaningful employer encounters from Year 7 onwards
  • The early warning signs that a young person may be at risk of becoming NEET
  • What schools with exceptionally low NEET rates are doing differently
  • The barriers SEND students and pupils in alternative provision face when accessing work experience
  • Why confidence is often as important as capability when preparing young people for employment
  • What employers mean when they talk about "skills gaps" and the essential skills they value most
  • How AI is reshaping the future of work and what schools should prioritise in response
  • The importance of helping young people see opportunities beyond their immediate surroundings
  • Why careers education should be embedded into a school's wider strategy, not treated as an add-on

    • This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation for trust leaders, school leaders, careers leaders and anyone interested in helping young people make successful transitions into education, employment and future careers.

    LINKS

    For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 

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    Connect with John on LinkedIn.

    All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

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