International service business Serco has been on a journey working with Greater Lincolnshire schools, thanks to a new partnership with the LEP’s Careers Hub.

Serco’s Social Value Lead Chris Simm has worked with the LEP since April 2022 and has taken part in a number of different activities to support young people across Greater Lincolnshire with careers and employability.

The partnership began when Chris signed up for the Careers Hub’s Give an Hour campaign, and now Serco has developed its own work experience strategy. At the end of 2022

Serco completed its first SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) work experience programme with two students.

Over the past eight months Serco has supported eight educational establishments with a wide range of activities such as mock interviews, employability workshops, work professionalism sessions, careers fairs and business challenges. In that time the company has engaged with nearly 700 young people across the county.   

The aim is to help young people to understand the world of work and make them more aware of their own abilities and the different pathways into employment.

“The activity is important for supporting the next generation and for Serco to give back to the local community,” said Alex Nightingale, Enterprise Coordinator at the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.

“The company feels that education is an area where they can have a positive impact and support with skill development and aspiration raising.

"Serco has been such a valued employer in our network – they are consistently first to react when a school needs some input from local employers.

Chris Simm commented: “At Serco we are committed to supporting young people to develop skills and employability. To have reached over 700 young people in such a short space of time is fantastic.

“We have been really impressed by the students we have had for work experience and we will continue to support educational establishments throughout Lincolnshire into 2023.”

Scott Eley, SEND Employment Lead at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Alfie Allison and Ellis Wilson finished their work experience placement at Serco in November, and it certainly made my year listening to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and staff.

“The impact Serco is having on young people with SEND is fantastic.”

Serco employs people in Lincolnshire, all over the UK and abroad. The business has over 30,000 employees in this country working in a huge range of jobs from engineers and project managers to bid writers and IT specialists.

The Careers Hub is funded by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, the Careers and Enterprise Company and the Humber Outreach Programme.

If you would like to know more about the Careers Hub and how your school, college or business can get involved, get in touch.

Students Ellis Wilson (left) and Alfie Allison from Young People’s Learning Provision are pictured above with Chris Simm from Serco.