Futures

Since launch at the start of the academic year, the programme has developed rapidly. This has been made possible by the truly collaborative approach between the Futures Team, our schools and our employer partners.

We are proud to see the positive impact that Futures is making, not just on our current students but also in supporting their wider families, as well as engaging our long-term alumni and assisting them in finding not only employment, but a pathway forward into the future they deserve. Within the first 12 months of the programme, we have supported 34 young people directly into employment and are working closely with a further 119 to help them find their first role.

The programme’s success is underpinned by over 350 partnerships with employers, including John Lewis, Caddick Construction, Wagamama, Microsoft and more. Our partners have been incredibly generous with their time, effort and ability, providing invaluable experiences and inspiration for our young people.

Over the last 12 months, passionate and engaging professionals from a wide range of professions and sectors have attended our schools and talked to our young people about their job role, chosen career path, and how they progressed along this journey, realising over 3,000 young person and employer contacts. Through these Futures Ambassador sessions, our young people have continually been made aware of the different jobs within so many industries, the skills required, and the opportunities and rewards that could potentially be on offer to them.

Young people have also been given a host of opportunities to connect with employers through group visits to workplaces, enabling 395 individual experiences to gain a real understanding of the world of work. This activity brings to life the job roles that the young people have heard about through Future Ambassador sessions and accompanying careers related learning.

Our newly launched mentoring programme has also proven a great way to link inspirational professionals with our young people. Our Futures Team provides everything required to enable each volunteer mentor to gain as much benefit and value from this as our young people.

In collaboration with The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity we created the Futures Employer Award, celebrating the commitment of teams that have created opportunities and experiences to encourage and inspire aspirational futures for young people with a wide range of special educational needs. To date we have recognised six companies with the award, including the likes of Roadchef, Wilmott Dixon and Inclusion Housing.

And this is just the start. Next year will see the launch of our WG Futures Curriculum. This is designed to build on the incredible work already being done across our schools to prepare our young people for life beyond education.

The Futures curriculum will be rolled out across our Post 16 and Year 11 cohorts and will provide a modern and aspirational learning experience that complements the real-world engagement and opportunities presented via our Futures programme and employer partners. It is all about even better preparation for our young people as they transition into their next steps, whether that be college, apprenticeships or employment.

With the future in mind, we’ve curated a range of innovative and engaging initiatives to ensure every young person has the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to thrive. The Futures Curriculum not only encompasses a rich learning journey, but also includes employer-led learning programmes, enabling our students to acquire the skills and understanding from real-world experts. From enterprise to personal financial skills, from digital skills to green skills, and from construction to design, we are working with leading partners to create truly unique experiences for our students.