Youth Advisory Group

I joined the Youth Advisory Group to use my experiences and voice to advocate for a more inclusive approach to education and skills development. The ‘one-size-fits-all’ model doesn’t reflect the diversity of young people’s talents and aspirations. I aim to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between education and employment, ensuring young people are better supported to make confident, informed decisions about their futures. By sharing insights from my journey, I hope to inspire change and contribute to a system that empowers every individual to thrive in an ever-evolving world of work.

I'm Jake and I work as a security officer and in my spare time I enjoy playing game console, watching TV and seeing family/friends. My passion for wanting to join the YAG was new opportunity. It seemed like a good way to fine tune my current day to day skills and work skills while learning some new skills. Furthermore, being able to be a part of a team who has a huge objective to aid young people in finding careers by listening to youth voices is a huge honour and responsibility for me. I look to take on this challenge in positive way by using my skills and qualities, as well as my teams, to help as many young people that I/we can.

I joined the YAG because I strongly believe that good quality careers education can have an incredible impact on a young person's entire career, and that every young person should have access to excellent guidance and advice to help them for many years to come. I'm passionate about making sure that the particular needs of young queer people are taken into consideration in the CEC's work, and using my experience of stepping into a career to pave a better path for those following.

I think every decision you take at every stage of your life should be informed by an idea of what’s out there – which changes every month with changes in technology, politics, and world affairs. I wish young people could be encouraged to imagine their lives in ten or twenty years, track back and make choices accordingly. Our curriculums start broad yet narrow quickly but many jobs require breadth and are now interdisciplinary in nature. I want to help effect positive change in this area and by joining the YAG, I believe I can.

I am currently volunteering with a social mobility charity known as University which aligns with my passion for helping students of all backgrounds make informed career decisions. Through working at the CEC, I hope to contribute to improving careers education ensuring that all young people receive careers support which is tailored to their individual needs. As a young carer, I have a particular interest in how careers education can be adapted to support those in similar circumstances to mine, enabling them to pursue their aspirations despite the challenges they may face.

Careers education has been pivotal for me in seeing where my strengths lie and how this can be translated to the career I want. I joined the YAG to help in expanding this experience across the country and contribute to meaningful projects with like-minded members from diverse backgrounds. I am especially passionate about social mobility, specifically within corporate spaces, and hope that our work will help drive companies to deliver meaningful experiences and education to young people.

I’m year 13 studying Maths, Physics, and Engineering with the goal of going into a Project Management apprenticeship next year. I joined the YAG as I have a passion for careers education through the role of Director of Extra-Curriculars within my school. Alongside that I’m a senior cadet within the army cadet force.

Careers education and mentoring can empower young people to reach their full potential. Many struggle with low motivation or lack opportunities to develop the skills needed for their careers. I want to address these concerns and help young people believe in themselves and strive for their passions.

I am passionate about youth career education and by joining the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) I am dedicated to inspiring young people to explore diverse career paths. As a member of the Youth Advisory Group, I hope to actively contribute to efforts that make career exploration engaging and accessible. Believing in the importance of providing opportunities, I find the YAG the perfect opportunity to be involved in the efforts to ensure young people have the tools and resources to discover and pursue their potential, empowering them to make informed career choices.

I joined the YAG because I am passionate about representing young people's voices, shaping the way careers education works, and tackling the issues with it. I have aimed to improve people's attitude and confidence towards their future careers by speaking at and organising events. I hope that by working with the CEC we can ensure that all young people get access to relevant and helpful careers education throughout their education.

I joined the YAG because I want to impact change so that all young people feel confident in their futures. I think the disparities between opportunities given to some and not others is a huge problem in careers education today and that all students and young people no matter the background should be given equal chance at a happy and successful career. I specifically want to give my insights into the experience of people with intersectional characteristics like myself.

I joined the YAG because as an autistic woman in the creative industries, I'm passionate to bring my experiences and thoughts to the table within careers education. Every young person should have a chance to thrive and being in the YAG can allow me to be part of those conversations and focus in on making careers education more inclusive.

I joined the YAG because I strongly believe that high-quality careers education has the power to transform young people’s life chances and create real social mobility. Growing up in a single-parent household and being a widening participation student at university, I am deeply passionate about ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, have equal access to opportunities.

I'm an economics degree apprentice at the Office for National Statistics. I have been fortunate enough to support young people through my roles on the Apprentice Nation and the Sutton Trust Alumni Board. I aspire to go into a career that helps others and drives meaningful change. I joined YAG because I want to make a positive impact on young people, particularly those with low social mobility. I believe every young person deserves the opportunity to feel confident, empowered, and informed about their future, and I want to be a part of that bright, evolving culture.

I joined the YAG as I am invested in tackling structural inequalities in the UK, within education and beyond. I am currently studying Politics at university where I am involved in efforts to diversify the curriculum and empower students from ethnic minority backgrounds, and I also lead initiatives to develop and empower Muslim youth across the UK. I hope to support communities to understand what options are out there for young people, so that they are able to follow the career paths that are best suited to them.

I am committed to advocating for young people from underrepresented backgrounds in occupational settings. As a firm believer in the power of social mobility, I recognise the monumental impact a high-quality careers education can make. Drawing on my interests in neuroplasticity and personal adolescent experiences, I aim to help employers harness experiential learning and interactivity to create engaging and meaningful workplace opportunities. I also hope to highlight the positive benefits of employing a diverse body of young people within a company.

I joined the YAG because I believe good careers education has the power to change our society for the better, by tackling inequality and empowering the next generation. I have led campaigns for the inclusion of young voices since I was 16. In particular, I am passionate about advocating for the needs of young women in education and careers. Now in my early career, I hope to apply my background in public affairs and policy, as well as my campaign experience, to support the CEC.

I am passionate about youth social action and youth voice, giving young people a voice to have their opinions and ideas acted on in the form of change. Through my different roles like Youth MP or sitting on different national panels, I am able to deliver projects, build campaigns, set strategies and improve services. I am passionate about careers education as I believe that no matter what a child or young person's starting point in life they are provided with the same amount of opportunities, support, help and guidance. By removing barriers we are able to enhance their quality of education, careers education and career opportunities.

I joined the YAG because I hope to use my own personal experience to help uplift those from disadvantaged groups, like myself, to achieve their career ambitions! I believe that working with the CEC would help bridge the gap and enable social mobility between the disadvantaged and the advantaged. I am currently a year 13 student, studying A levels Politics, History and Sociology, aspiring to become a solicitor!

As someone deeply involved in both technology and education, I joined the Youth Advisory Group to help bridge the gap between young people's real experiences and the career support they receive. Through my work as a part time Youth Worker, providing insights into engineering to young people, I've seen firsthand how early exposure to technical skills and proper guidance can shape career trajectories. My experience as both an educator and student has given me unique insights into the challenges young people face when exploring careers, and my personal mission is to use my experience and knowledge to ensure every young person has access to meaningful career guidance that reflects real-world opportunities.

I study Biological Sciences at university and aspire to go into a career where I can apply my scientific background to make a difference. Within university, I help others reach their career goals by running a mentorship scheme for women in STEM and professional development events for state schooled students. For me, it's important that no matter how someone identifies, or their background, that they are able to access supportive and personal advice to reach their aspirations and open as many doors as possible.

Getting involved with organisations that value youth opinion is so important to me because we have so much to give! Especially where it concerns our future. Ensuring we can make what is to come less difficult is something I definitely value and wish to continue to be part of.