MORE than 19,000 young people across York and North Yorkshire will benefit from new support to prepare them for the world of work.

The local Careers Hub is expanding to support a further 34 schools, taking the total to 68 secondaries.

The Hub is run by the national body for careers education, The Careers & Enterprise Company, with the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Operating since 2018, the Careers Hub provides school staff with additional support, resources and training to deliver modern careers education.

The Hub also links schools with employers, further education colleges, apprenticeship and in-work training providers to ensure young people know about available options after they leave education, and the different jobs open to them.

Research by The Careers & Enterprise Company shows that schools and colleges that are part of a careers hub deliver more support to students, have stronger links with local employers, offer more work experience opportunities and develop innovative ways of linking the curriculum with different jobs a student could go on to do.

Over the next year, the York and North Yorkshire Careers Hub plans to work with the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme, providing vital careers and skills information on apprenticeships, T Levels and traineeships, showcasing the pathways and opportunities open to young people.

Sam Alexander, chair of York and North Yorkshire LEP's skills and employability board, said: “This expansion provides a fantastic opportunity to support schools and colleges to work collaboratively, share best careers practices, build strong and sustainable relationships with businesses to drive high quality careers provision.

"Supporting our area ambition to ensure every young person is equipped to make quality decisions about education and employment, putting careers at the heart of future growth for a greener, fairer, stronger economy.”

Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart MP, said: “Good careers education is such a valuable asset, so it’s fantastic to see that the Careers Hub in North Yorkshire and York is expanding, extending the support to make sure more young people have the information they need to make the most of their talents.”