A coalition of leading businesses across the King’s Cross, St. Pancras and Euston area has come together to help local young people gain the skills, confidence and experience needed to succeed in the world of work.
Through Urban Partners, a partnership representing organisations across King’s Cross and Camden, 74 students in secondary school and sixth form recently took part in the annual World of Work Week, a programme designed to give young people direct exposure to professional careers and workplaces.
The initiative comes at a time of growing national debate around how to support young people into education, training and employment, with policymakers exploring solutions to rising levels of youth disengagement.
Students from local schools participated in a range of activities throughout the full 5 day working week, a real-world challenge was set based in the local community by major employers. The students gained insight into a range of skills, learning about different aspects of the task set, and spending time curating and building a business case proposal for solutions.
Organisations involved in the programme included London St. Pancras Highspeed, Havas, Springer Nature, LNER, King’s Cross Group and Green & Fortune, with employees volunteering their time to help students develop skills and gain insight into a range of career pathways.
The programme culminated in a judging day, where students in teams presented their proposed solutions with a comprehensive business case before a panel of judges drawn from participating organisations and faced questions from them and their peer group student audience.
The initiative is designed to raise aspirations, broaden young people’s understanding of career opportunities and help equip them with practical skills that can support their future employment prospects.
Urban Partners also worked with the Department for Work and Pensions, to help potential new teaching assistants gain some practical skills and experience working with students, helping them reach their workplace potential.
Wendy Spinks, Chief Commercial Officer at London St. Pancras Highspeed and Chair of Urban Partners said:
“World of Work Week is an important initiative that gives young people a unique opportunity to explore different careers, build confidence and develop the skills that will help them succeed in the future.
“By bringing together businesses, schools and communities, Urban Partners helps open doors to opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. The enthusiasm, creativity and ambition demonstrated by students throughout the week has been truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing the lasting impact the programme will have on their future aspirations and careers.
“London St. Pancras Highspeed is proud to support the Urban Partners programme and play its part in helping local young people realise their potential.”
The programme highlights the role local employers can play in supporting social mobility and strengthening links between education and industry.
Urban Partners brings together businesses, cultural organisations and community stakeholders across King’s Cross and Camden to deliver initiatives that support local people and create positive social impact across the area.
Organisers hope the continued collaboration between schools and employers will help more young people develop the skills, confidence and connections needed to take their next steps into employment, further education and training.
About Urban Partners
Founded in 2011, Urban Partners is a community business partnership made up of a diverse range of organisations from across the King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston area, with membership that is voluntary and members giving their time, expertise and resources to achieve the partnership’s shared vision and mission for the local area. The King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston community is supported by Urban Partners through active partnerships that create thriving places to work, live and play. With over 100 members representing more than 15,000 employees, Urban Partners has delivered social impact locally for over 10 years.
This is the 3rd successive year of the World of Work week program.
Member organisations are, London St. Pancras Highspeed, Havas, Springer Nature, King’s Cross Group and Green & Fortune, HS2, Precis Advisory/ Belgrove House, Google as well as Eurostar and LNER
Participating schools include: St. Aloysius, Parliament Hill, La Sainte Union, Haverstock and UCL
About London St. Pancras Highspeed
London St. Pancras Highspeed owns and operates the UK’s only international high-speed rail link and the stations along the route – St. Pancras International, Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International – connecting London to Kent, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
