OUR AIMS

London Careers Festival aims to:

• Support schools to meet their Gatsby benchmarks
• Connect young people with employers from a range of sectors
• Inspire young people and fuel their imagination
• Discover and develop young people’s fusion skills
• Explore apprenticeships, further education and career opportunities

Over 80% of young people said that LCF has
helped them think about new career options. (LCF 2022)

FUSION SKILLS

A key theme for the London Careers Festival is what we call ‘Fusion Skills’.

The 12 Fusion Skills are:

1. Oral communication / presentation skills
2. Collaboration and teamwork
3. Initiative
4. Problem solving
5. Organisational skills (planning, time management, deadlines, prioritisation, multi-tasking)
6. Adaptability / flexibility
7. Written communication
8. Independent working / autonomy
9. Critical thinking
10. Resilience
11. Creativity
12. Analysis and evaluation skills

In the 2019 festival, it emerged that pupils found it easier to talk about the skills they want to use when they leave school (e.g. being creative, working in teams) rather than specific jobs. Similarly, many employers were interested in showcasing the skills needed to work in their jobs.

As a result, we enable schools  to filter the festival events by Fusion Skill.

Who is it for

The London Careers Festival is for pupils from the following age group:

• Primary
• Secondary
• Post 16
• Apprentices

Useful Information

• All London Careers Festival events are offered as an educational activity. We ask that schools, sixth-form colleges and youth groups follow their own ‘offsite/safeguarding’ policies and procedures.
• We have numerous resources available to ensure that you have an informative and enjoyable experience. Please contact us if you have any questions about these.

Any queries ahead of London Careers Festival, please do email the team at lcf@cityoflondon.gov.uk

OUR HISTORY

For several years, the Livery Schools Link (LSL) have hosted the Livery Showcase which invites pupils from across London to hear from trades and professionals related to the Livery Companies to learn about the jobs on offer, talk to employers, and receive advice on pathways and routes to employment.

Similarly, The Stationers’ Company started to host Apprentice Careers events from 2018 under the brand of ApprenticeFutures. The event was hosted at Ravensbourne University in 2018 where it was hugely successful, so much so that it needed a bigger venue.  It moved to the Guildhall in 2019 and became a part of the London Career Festival.  In 2020 it went virtual with 10 employers and their apprentices running sessions for students interested in finding out about their apprenticeship programmes.

The vision for the London Careers Festival was to bring together these two highly-valued and successful events and amplify them with the many and long-standing industry partnerships of the City Corporation to collaborate on a week-long festival focused on linking learners to professionals, employers and apprenticeship providers across a range of jobs and sectors. Schools across London would be invited to participate with a choice of events and workshops across the week.

So London Careers Festival was launched and delivered for the first time in 2019! Apprentice 19 and the Livery Showcase took center stage over two days at the Guildhall, and a range of employers across London hosted ‘fringe’ career events in their workplaces. There were 5,046 bookings, from 113 schools, hosted by 128 organisations and Livery Companies for events in 2019.

ApprenticeFutures

NOTE: Apprentice Futures will not be taking part in 2024, but you can book onto the Careers and Pathways Expo which explores many post-16 routes including apprenticeships, further education and direct routes to employment.

ApprenticeFutures continues to be a close festival partner and is an initiative by the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers.  We are a Livery Company in the City of London granted a royal charter in 1557, our membership has strong links with the Communications and Content Industries.  You can find out more about us here: www.stationers.org.

The ApprenticeFutures runs the annual  Apprentice Careers event at the Guildhall in London as part of London Careers Festival.  This event brings together a large number of well-known employers, providers, colleges and universities all of whom are involved in apprenticeship.  Its also has its own website  designed to help anyone seeking to find out more about Apprenticeships.  From what an apprenticeship is, potential apprenticeship roles in specific industries and sectors, information and feedback from apprentices themselves about what it is like to be an apprentice, to organisations that can help identify, recruit and manage placements as well as those that give general career advice and guidance.

The Stationers have supported those undertaking apprenticeships in our industries for centuries so it is only natural that we continue to do so, promoting and advocating apprenticeships to potential candidates through our membership and through the use of new technology.  We think it is important to encourage and support the aspirations of young people across the country as they consider their post-school choices as well as the ambitions of others who may already be in employment but looking to take on new skills and/or make a career change through an apprenticeship.

For more information visit our website here.

Check out the video below to see what Apprentice Futures 2022 had on offer.

Livery Schools Link

ABOUT LIVERY SCHOOLS LINK

LSL is a voluntary organisation that aims to promote support for schools in the Greater London area by Livery Companies of the City of London and their members, helping to prepare young people for the world of work.

They seek to act as the link between schools in need of help and members of the Livery who wish to offer assistance in any form. They act as a forum for the exchange of ideas and best practice in the field and maintain links with the education community.

The Livery Schools Link Annual Livery Showcase offers a special opportunity for students to meet and interact with those actively involved in a wide range of professions, trades and crafts. Pupils will get a chance to try practical tasks for themselves on some stalls and watch whilst craftsman carry out often intricate tasks on others. On the majority of stalls there will be young trainees and/apprentices who will chat to the pupils about how they made the decision to start a particular career path. Stalls are provided by many of the City of London Livery Companies and the students who attend will have a chance to learn about career paths they may never have heard of before.

Association of Apprentices

The Association of Apprentices (AoA) is a not-for-profit, UK-wide membership organisation for current apprentices and apprentices who have recently completed their programme.  We provide the UK’s only dedicated social and professional networking platform that connects thousands of apprentices for peer-to-peer support and learning.  Our members join to:

• Develop and expand their professional network
• Access relevant content and events that can count towards their 20% off-the-job training
• Get assessment ready
• Gain information, advice, and study tips to progress on programme
• Learn from experts and leaders through AoA’s tailored events
• Stay connected following completion for continuing professional development

Visit the AoA website here: Association of Apprentices