Youth Voice Project
As part of the Somerset Careers Hub commitment to ensure a high standard of careers education across the county, a Youth Voice project was commissioned in 2025 to capture the views of young people about their experiences of careers education to date, as well as discussing wider policy changes such as the increase in hours of work experience to 50 hours between Year 7 & 11.
This work also aligned with Somerset Council’s Somerset Children & Young People’s Plan 2024-2030 which aims to amplify the voices of Somerset’s young people. One theme that emerged from the report was young people reporting they wanted to feel “Well Prepared for Adulthood” including wanting to be taught about life skills and support on their next steps after full time education. The aim was therefore to capture the views of young people to support the delivery of careers education in Somerset going forward to ensure that it would have the greatest impact on young people across Somerset, whilst also gauging their views on the current level of activity being delivered.
The report suggested the following recommendations for schools and the hub :
- Consistency: Work towards ensuring that all schools & colleges provide a standardised level of careers education to avoid disparities in opportunities and experiences among students.
- Curriculum Integration: Embed careers education consistently across all subjects, not just during PHSE lessons.
- Interactive Sessions: Move away from traditional assemblies and lectures to more interactive sessions where students can engage directly with employers
- Student Choice: Work towards a system that allows students to choose which employers or career paths they want to explore, fostering a sense of ownership and interest in their career education.
- Early Exposure to Work Experience: Introduce work experience opportunities starting earlier in their education.
- Variety and Quality: Provide a diverse range of work experience options and ensure the quality of these experiences is maintained. Consider collaborative work experiences and tie them into the existing system.
- Financial Literacy: Incorporate lessons on taxes, loans, mortgages, and other financial topics into the curriculum to prepare students for real-life financial responsibilities.
- Employability Skills: Teach and reinforce employability skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and technological literacy.
