ROBIN Walker has thrown his weight behind a Government initiative for business leaders to mentor promising students in their fledgling careers. The Worcester MP, who campaigns on education and skills as a former businessman, is backing the announcement by skills and enterprise minister Matthew Hancock, that under new guidance for schools, pupils will be inspired and mentored by employers and business leaders to pursue ambitious careers.

The aim is to ensure schools provide pupils with experience of the world of work to give them the confidence and skills to fulfil their potential. It will also highlight the importance of pupils gaining the skills that employers must look for when hiring, such as maths and science qualifications.

Mr Walker said: "As a member of the business, skills and innovation select committee, I welcome this announcement, especially as this is an area I have spoken on before and called for just such a step. For Worcester, big companies such as Mazak and Worcester Bosch are already setting a fantastic example by getting involved in the governing bodies of local academies and welcoming teachers and pupils into their factories. I know that Carl Arntzen, Worcester Bosch’s managing director is working closely with the Worcestershire LEP on their strategy to connect schools with businesses and ensure that the business community engages more with education. I also welcome the engagement of entrepreneurs in speaking to local schools.

“I was pleased to campaign earlier in this Parliament for financial education to be made a key part of the national curriculum and I am glad that all Worcester pupils will benefit from this in the future. We also need to make progress with teaching young people about the world of work and the way in which to present themselves for interviews and work experience. Along with investment in apprenticeships, traineeships and work experience programmes this guidance will help to ensure that more young people are ready for work when they leave school.”

The new guidance says a school’s careers and inspiration guidance strategy should offer mentoring and coaching, inspirational speakers, workplace and higher education visits, networking events and careers fairs, use initiatives that help to forge links between schools and employers, ensure pupils have information on the full range of education and training options and measure the effectiveness of their careers and inspiration activity by using official data on the education, training and employment of previous pupils.