Northern Ireland’s business community is coming together to support the delivery of industry-led careers inspiration events across the province, engaging almost 7,500 Year 9 pupils in June 2022.
4C UR Future LIVE is an innovative and fast-paced event that uses skills games and work-based challenges, designed and delivered in collaboration with local employers, to help young people get an insight into the future world of work.
The initiative, which aims to help every participant make more informed education and career choices, is the brainchild of 4C UR Future’s Founder, Rose Mary Stalker. Following a successful pilot in June 2019, the social enterprise is taking the show on the road this year, delivering an at-scale pilot of one event in every council area in June.
Managing Director of 4C UR Future, Rachel Doherty, acknowledges the support of the local business community in enabling the events to scale:
“Our work would not be possible without the support of our member companies, who recognise the significant opportunities that come from working together collaboratively, and at-scale, to tackle systemic problems; helping our young people discover their own attributes, strengths, and interests, and exploring how these might align with their future opportunities.”
“The careers landscape has become increasingly complex for young people and parents to navigate, with new in-demand skills, new types of jobs, and entirely new sectors emerging, resulting in major bottlenecks in the skills pipeline; inhibiting our local businesses from growing.”
“By working across all of the key employment sectors in Northern Ireland, 4C UR Future leverage and mobilise the skills and industry expertise available on our doorstep.”
The LIVE events are funded and resourced by the Northern Ireland business community and are hosted with support from ten councils. The events are free to schools, including free transport, which is being supported by Translink.
Charlotte Richardson, PR Manager at Translink, said:
“We’re delighted to be able to support this fantastic series of events, which are taking place across Northern Ireland; investing in our young people and building confidence, skills, and knowledge to help them identify the many opportunities and the wide variety of career paths and industries open to them. Access to events like this is vital to the next generation and to the workforce of the future and we’re proud to be a member of 4C UR Future.”
4C UR Future member companies represent all of the key employment sectors in Northern Ireland, with local success story Mount Charles Group, as well as the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS), on board to support the delivery of the events across the province.
Dr Tracey McCabe, Director of Group Human Resources, said:
“Mount Charles is delighted to be part of this initiative. Inspiring young people to help them choose their future career path is empowering for us as a people-focussed organisation, and engaging with Northern Ireland’s future talent early in their life journey can open up so many more opportunities for them.”
Lyndsey Irwin, NICS Head of Communications, Marketing and Outreach – Talent Management Division, added:
“The Civil Service is delighted to support the 4C UR Future initiative and events, which are an innovative, engaging – and most of all – a fun way to empower young people, helping them to recognise and develop their strengths and skills, and showing them how these can be applied in the world of work.”
“Our involvement with 4C UR Future also provides us with an opportunity to showcase the huge range of work undertaken by civil servants, and to open the eyes of young people to the possibility of a career where they can make a real difference to the lives of people here.”
It’s not too late for local businesses to get involved! For more information on 4C UR Future, go to: www.4curfuture.com, or email info@4curfuture.com.