BOURNEMOUTH’S biggest private employer, JP Morgan, is funding work with excluded students in Dorset as part of a £2milllion effort to transform the lives of more than 1,000 young people.

The local project will trial intensive one-to-one careers guidance with students excluded from school and will reward those who take part in work experience.

It will be coordinated by Dorset Careers Hub, which supports 76 schools and colleges and their 51,000 students.

Rebecca Davies, head of enterprise, skills and industry at Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, which runs the hub, said: “We are delighted that this funding has been awarded to young people in Dorset who face tough challenges.

“Our dedicated team are keen to start delivering new bespoke initiatives to make a long term difference to those on the programme. Working with our education professionals, we will be taking a long-term view on how to develop employability skills for life and finding goals, raising aspiration and helping to secure positive futures.” 

The Dorset project is one of 10 in England which form part of a 75million US dollar global initiative by JPMorgan Chase to prepare young people for the “jobs of today and tomorrow”.

Oli de Botton, chief executive at the Careers & Enterprise Company, which is rolling out the initiative in the UK, said: “Helping young people find their best next step out of school into work, training or further study is important at the best of times. As we help this generation bounce back from the pandemic this work become critical. As a headteacher I’ve seen first-hand just how transformative high quality, high impact careers education can be for the most disadvantaged young people – particularly at key transition points.

“This project will deliver cutting edge approaches to careers education for those young people who battle the odds. Built by communities, for communities, our goal is to support approaches that remove barriers and help young people transition securely onto brilliant pathways.”

Stephanie Mestrallet, head of UK philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, said: “Quality and timely careers information, advice and guidance is critical to helping young people fulfil their potential and succeed in future careers. With the rapid proliferation of technology, the world of work is transforming at an incredibly high pace, and young people from low-income backgrounds need extra support to clear pathways to good jobs.

"We are delighted to be supporting the Careers & Enterprise Company to provide intensive support to over 1,000 young people over the next two years and to build the evidence for what works in supporting effective transitions to the future job market.”