The Hertfordshire Careers Hub, managed by Hertfordshire LEP, is delighted to be delivering an Effective Transitions Programme that will allow 150 students from 13 different secondary schools to receive mentoring that will support them to make more effective transitions into post-16 options.

Funded through JP Morgan Chase, Hertfordshire LEP was able to successfully apply for £200k in funding via The Careers and Enterprise Company. Disadvantaged Students, in Year 10, have been targeted based on receipt of Free School Meals and considered to be ‘mildly disengaged’ and at risk of not making the best and most aspirational choice when completing Year 11 (Key Stage 4).

Students will be allocated to a mentor, employed by The LEP’s delivery partner HCC Services for Young People, over a 2 ½ year period to help them understand the full range of options available to them. They will be encouarged to identify and highlight their own personal skills and qualities and to create a better awareness of the career opportunities available to them in Hertfordshire. The student and mentor will have regular check-in’s to ensure that they are proactively considering their next steps and the main aim of the programme is that these students can make stable transitions into post-16 whether that be to stay in school, move onto Further Education or begin their employment via an apprenticeship.

The programme will rely on the support of many of Hertfordshire’s leading employers to enable participating students to gain meaningful encounters with inspirational employees who will be able to discuss their own roles and career routes. This will help to highlight the wide range of aspirational career opportunities available within the county and the LEP’s portal ‘HOPinto’ will be used a primary source for local jobs information.

Delivery of the programme will begin this month.

Adrian Hawkins, Chair of Hertfordshire LEP Skills Board said:

"This is an amazing opportunity for our Careers Hub to deliver a focused programme that will enable many of our disadvantaged students in Stevenage, North Herts and Welwyn Hatfield to make more effective transitions at a crucial stage of their development. Supporting effective transitions, particularly for young people with disadvantage is a key strategic theme of the Hertfordshire Skills Strategy, our Careers Hub and the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal. We want to ensure that we can demonstrate a positive impact. The success of our application reinforces the strong partnership we have with Services for Young People and the excellent engagement we have with our Careers Hub schools. We are very grateful to The Careers and Enterprise Company for their support."

Alf Wood, Head Teacher – Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School said:

"We are delighted that some of our students will be able to participate in this scheme. We were very happy to support the LEP’s application as it allowed us to focus on a group of students who may not otherwise receive the level of additional support that they will benefit from. Ensuring all students can make successful transitions and ultimately achieve more aspirational outcomes is of great significance. I would like to thank JP Morgan Chace and the CEC for providing financial backing for this programme which will give a real boost to our pupils."