More than 300 students from 20 schools and colleges are set to take part in the region’s largest careers speed networking event, with over 150 employers taking part annually.
Careers Speed Networking (CSN) has become one of the highlights of the LLEP events calendar. Now in its third year, the event, run by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), expects more than 300 students from 20 schools and colleges as well as over 150 employers to take part.
The event is part of Leicester Business Festival, and works by giving small groups of students six minutes to ask an employer questions, before moving on to the next. This format gives young people the opportunity to speak to a wide variety of local employers.
For students, the benefits are clear: the chance to speak to employers, possibly for the first time ever, and to gain a better understanding of the world of work. Following CSN 2018, a student survey found that 95% of attendees felt more aware of their career choices as a result of taking part. One hundred and ninety-seven individual students said they knew more about the range of careers available to them, while 154 said they’d learned about jobs they never knew existed before!
For businesses, it is a chance to promote their sector to the workforce of the future, dispel myths around their industry or simply give something back to the local community. Last year’s event saw 23 industry sectors represented, and 143 individual employers. Ninety-eight per cent found CSN beneficial to their business.
To ensure participating students have an experience that is as varied as possible, the LLEP is calling on local businesses to get involved. Whether they have taken part in CSN before or are interested in contributing for the first time, all are welcome. Registration is still open, and can be done online at https://bit.ly/2k08Xxq .
