Chuka Umunna MP

The government has launched a new careers strategy to modernise careers education and make sure every that young person, whatever their background, can aim for the top.

The scheme was launched in collaboration with football legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs.

It aims to make a real difference for children in Streatham by offering them support and guidance beginning earlier, at primary school.

The proposals include the following initiatives:

- Providing a £10 million fund to support innovative ways of delivering careers education.

- Every young person will have access to a mentor – two new national mentoring champions will help increase mentoring opportunities between schools, businesses and higher education.

- Moving careers advice into the 21st Century with better online access to careers advice through Facebook, You Tube, blogs and forums and a new dedicated online mentoring scheme from 2010 to enable young people to contact professionals online.

The scheme aims to give more help to disadvantaged and disabled young people in accessing work experience so that all young people – regardless of their background, ethnicity or gender – can realise their full potential.

Every young person will get careers education up to the age of 18 in line with raising the school leaving age.

The new strategy has been endorsed by Manchester United player Ryan Giggs:

“Mentoring was very important to my career, Sir Alex has been a mentor to me since I started out and has helped me not only in football but in my life. If young people can receive the kind of mentoring that I did it, it is sure to give them a good start in their chosen field and lead them to success.”

A key emphasis of the government’s scheme is the partnership of schools, businesses and parents, on which Sir Alex Ferguson said:

“All sorts of people can influence children in their career choices, but it is important that teachers, parents and businesses spot talent early on and nurture young people to achieve the best they can.”