Network Young – Developing Networks to Start Careers

With current careers advice in crisis, it’s time for a change, and 18 year old social entrepreneur, Duncan McCombe, from Bramhall is here to provide that with his innovative project; Network Young.

Network Young is a programme run in secondary schools for year 10 and 11 students (14-16 year olds). The programme will take place once a week for a half term with the main focus around networking. Network Young brings a mixed economy of adults to the classroom to network with the students. The idea behind this is to open the student’s eyes to the endless possibilities out there and then helping them devise a plan of how they are going to get there. This could be conventional education routes (College, University), vocational courses and apprenticeships or simply entering a company and working up the hierarchy- whatever is most suitable.

The Social Enterprise is still in the planning stages and Duncan is looking to trial it in a local school as part of the development process. It will run for a full seven weeks prior to rolling the scheme out across Greater Manchester.

“My reason for doing this is personal experience” Duncan says. “During my final year at college I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do next, the advice I received didn’t help and I still didn’t know whether I was going to apply to university the day applications were due. An opportunity I did get at college though was to represent Career Academies UK at various prestigious events.” Career Academies UK is an extra-curricular course Duncan studied outside his A-Levels. “Through doing this I had the chance to network with a range of influential business leaders which helped me choose what I want to do for a career.”

To back up his reasons for establishing Network Young, Duncan continues, “CBI Regional Director, Damian Waters, in a recent article, said that the quality of careers advice in England’s schools remains in severe crisis. For 92 out of 100 young people in the North West to not feel in possession of the facts they need to make informed choices about their future is a damning indictment.”

To follow the development of Network Young and see how you can get involved see www.networkyoung.co.uk for more information and follow them on twitter @Network_Young.

Buy us a coffee