Employability is set to be one of the biggest concerns for young people this year as the job opportunities become increasingly limited and competitive as a result of the pandemic. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic fuelling high youth unemployment, financial insecurity and mental ill-health, schools need to be able to spot the warning signs of young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training), unpick the underlying issues behind students’ ‘behavioural issues’ and boost preventative support to help steer them towards a positive future where they can truly contribute to society.

In 2008 I was in my NQT year and teaching at South Rise Primary School. I had just been appointed as shadow ICT coordinator and given my first project. The ICT coordinator had applied successfully to the Local Authority for funding to start a community project with parents. We had written the application form, asking for money to buy five digital cameras. These would be used as part of a project to reach those parents whom we felt needed more of our support, or were “harder to reach” for whatever reasons. When we were granted the money, it fell to me to then run the project.

Here at Nesta, we’re gearing up for our flagship education and skills event, and we need you to get involved. 'Acting Now for Future Skills' will explore how educators and policymakers can respond to growing demand for the future skills highlighted by our recent report, 'The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030'. We know that we don’t have all the answers, so we want as many educators as possible to take an active role in preparing for the future.

As the late, great Nelson Mandela once said, “If you speak to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you speak to a man in his own language, it goes to his heart”. And for me, at least, there are few better ways to express just how valuable learning another language can be - by opening hearts, we open minds and by opening minds, we open doors.

Helping your students choose a career can be a complicated and confusing process.

The worlds of education and employment are changing so fast, many teachers can be overwhelmed by the opportunities available to their students and some prefer to stick to “what they know”.

Independent research from the Association of Colleges published in 2012 gave a clear indication of the problems facing teachers when trying to assist in this area: 82% of teachers believe they lack sufficient knowledge to advise pupils effectively on careers.