A major event is set to bring together leading schools and employers from across Mansfield to an innovative careers conference, aimed at helping teachers better prepare their students for the world of work.

The Careers in the Curriculum Conference, organised by D2N2 LEP Careers Hub and East Midlands Institute of Technology, will take place for the first time on March 8 and bring together more than 45 teachers and 10 employers including JCB, Ideagen, NHS and Bloc Digital.

The Mansfield schools and colleges set to attend include The Brunts Academy and All Saints Catholic Voluntary Academy.

It comes amid a pressing need to bridge the gap between organisations and educators and help young people secure their first role in the workplace.

The number of young people in employment between October and December 2023 fell by 94,000 compared to the previous year, while the number of young people who are economically inactive increased by 180,000.

Events like the Careers in the Curriculum Conference will help teachers enrich their lessons with wider links to employment opportunities, but also help drive economic regeneration in the area by encouraging the retention of young local talent.

The collaboration between The East Midlands Institute of Technology and D2N2 LEP Careers Hub is the first of its kind and will give young local people an advantage in developing knowledge and exposure to technical skills.

The D2N2 Careers Hub is funded by the Department for Education and is one of forty-four skills infrastructure across the country.

It aims to connect employers to local young people and their training staff through a range of schemes and programmes for young people to benefit from.

The D2N2 Careers Hub works with 175 secondary schools inclusive of Further Education institutions, support centres and SEND schools.

It also collaborates with 75 primary schools as part of the Department for Education’s new pilot programme ‘Start Small Dream Big’.

Inclusion is a key priority of its work, with the local enterprise supporting all young people regardless of background and ability.

It partners with the Youth Futures Foundation as part of the Connected Futures research programme to develop an understanding of the support systems for young people with learning disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum Conditions and identify changes that would enable more effective support into employment.

By working closely with universities and colleges, as well as raising awareness of alternative routes to higher education such as apprenticeships and technical education, it improves how schools and colleges prepare young people for the best next step in their career or education.

The Careers in the Curriculum Conference will take place at The University of Derby Enterprise Centre and teachers will take part in three roundtable discussions.

The session will focus on: skills attitudes and attributes; pathways, apprenticeships and technical education and finally a tour of Bloc Digital and the Institute of Technology.  There will also be talks from employers, opportunities to network and a chance to meet apprentices.

The chief executive of D2N2 LEP, Will Morlidge, said: “There’s a growing need for initiatives like our Careers in the Curriculum event, which can be seen in the wide uptake of schools and colleges across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

“If you are interested in connecting with the East Midlands Institute of Technology or D2N2 Careers hub please contact Rachel Quinn, director of the Institute of Technology, or Lana Jay, careers and young people lead at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming our educators and employers on Friday and helping teachers to best prepare their students for their next steps – whatever they may look like.”