{"id":60292,"date":"2015-08-12T11:54:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T11:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=f4748c4ca8d98d7937cf5793e17e30de"},"modified":"2015-08-12T11:54:00","modified_gmt":"2015-08-12T11:54:00","slug":"press-release-leading-businesses-and-thousands-of-young-people-back-government-work-experience-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=60292","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Leading businesses and thousands of young people back government work experience drive"},"content":{"rendered":"
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More than 30 leading businesses and 12,000 young people will be at the forefront of boosting work experience for young people in the UK, under a new government campaign launched today (12 August 2015).<\/p>\n

Two thirds of employers say that work experience is a crucial factor when hiring staff \u2013 more than those who prioritise academic qualifications \u2013 according to UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES<\/abbr>) research.<\/p>\n

In a first of its kind, the government is launching the \u2018WE can\u2019 campaign, in which 84 Youth Ambassadors from Youth Employment UK (YEUK), will give advice on how others can set up their own work experience placements and make the most of their time in a business setting.<\/p>\n

The government has also teamed up with industry body Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) as part of the new campaign to highlight the benefits of work experience.<\/p>\n

Employment Minister Priti Patel said:<\/p>\n

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Young people tell me they can\u2019t get a job without work experience, but they can\u2019t get work experience without a job.<\/p>\n

That is why we are launching the \u2018WE can\u2019 campaign to give young people practical advice about making the most of their summer holidays \u2013 and beyond \u2013 to gain valuable business skills.<\/p>\n

With 14 million jobs likely to open up in the UK in the next decade, this one nation government wants young people to be at the forefront of the opportunities to get the best start in life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The new \u2018WE can\u2019 campaign aims support young people make the most of those, by incorporating work experience into their career plans.<\/p>\n

It is being launched ahead of GCSE and A-Level results and will be supported by up to 12,000 young people who are part of the Youth Employment UK network \u2013 led by their 84 Youth Ambassadors from across the country.<\/p>\n

The campaign will encourage them to take \u2018workies\u2019 \u2013 the work version of a selfie \u2013 to demonstrate to their friends at school, college and university how the new skills they have picked up during work experience have helped them in their career.<\/p>\n

Young people can share their stories, top tips for finding work experience and the top three things they learned by using the #WEcan hashtag on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And the government has teamed up with the industry bodies in the recruitment sector to help get the message out about the role employers and recruiters can play in a growing jobs market.<\/p>\n

\u2018WE can\u2019 has already been backed by around 30 national companies, with the aim of 100 in the coming months, with the aim of encouraging businesses to create new work experience opportunities for young people. They include:<\/p>\n