OxLEP Skills launches new online experience aimed at inspiring young people to discover top-class careers

Young people and parents from across Oxfordshire are set to benefit from a new online platform giving an insight into some of the world-leading career opportunities available in the county.

The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) Skills team – with the support of several partner organisations – have launched the virtual ‘Find Your Future’ platform which aims to support young people to make informed choices about their futureas well as inspiring them to understand the opportunities that exist in the county across a variety of sectors.

Over 70 Oxfordshire-based businesses are involved in Find Your Future each benefiting from a virtual ‘pod’. Participating companies include the Harwell Campus-based Diamond Light Source – one of world’s leading science research companies – and Rebellionone of Europe’s biggest independent multimedia studios and a key part of Oxfordshire’s creative industries sector that contributed £1.4billion per year to the county’s economy pre-COVID-19.

Visitors are able to search ‘pods’ to find out more about the individual businesses and their possible career options.

Find Your Future – which will run for a 12-month period – sees some of Oxfordshire’s most-exciting fields of work represented including:

• Life sciences and pharmaceutical
• Engineering manufacturing and logistics
• Advanced engineering and transformative technologies
• Creative media and digital technology
• Construction planning and design
• Healthcare and social care
• Hospitality leisure and tourism
• Public sector and services
• Space
• Further and higher education
• Learn about Oxfordshire and employability skills
• Apprenticeships
• Training providers

Visitors can also explore different career pathways too including routes such as; universities apprenticeships and T-Levels helping young people to decide what the suitable next step might be.

Find Your Future also offers further practical support too with companies such as; Oxfordshire County Council’s Education Employment and Training Service National Citizen Service and Adviza each having pods. Visitors can also gain advice on interview skills employability skills and find out information on the Oxfordshire labour market.

Nikki Wakefield Careers Hub Lead at OxLEP Skills said: “We are really pleased to be able to offer such a broad range of industry zonessupported by world-leading businesses. The platform will initially run for 12 months and we will be continually adding buinesses and information to the platform.”

“Having the labour market information included is vital to inspire visitors on what is available to them in Oxfordshire compared to the rest of the UK. We would encourage all visitors to visit this pod in particular.”

Find Your Future launched online on 25 March. Support material for parentsteachers and young people have been produced to help them get the most out of the platform and this can all be accessed via the online platform.s

Head to Find Your Future

Find Your Future has been funded through a partnership between the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) and OxLEP and developed by Oasis Studio.