We are inviting employers (with a particular focus on businesses with 1-250 employees) to get involved in this exciting new programme that will help our young residents attain the skills needed by your business and secure jobs closer to home.

Led by a team of skills experts, employers can get involved in activities that will enable them to broaden their reach to thousands of young people – whether that is getting involved in careers activities, promotion of work experience, apprenticeships, entry-level and early career opportunities or closer working with education in the design and delivery of careers curriculums.

You will also be first to know about the wide breadth of programmes and funding available to upskill your existing employees - from short courses, technical and professional qualifications through to leadership and management programmes. 

Employers can also get involved by supporting careers education activities through our network of Careers Hubs which strengthen the relationship between business and education or accessing the HOP Into Your Future programme aimed at supporting disadvantaged and under-represented young people aged 16-24 in Hertfordshire.

By agreeing to the Hertfordshire Opportunities Pledge, supporting young people to make informed career decisions and transition from education to successful employment, your organisation will be able to showcase your career programmes on HOP’s Employer Spotlight. HOP is used by our schools, colleges and training providers to highlight to their students the variety of employment opportunities across Hertfordshire – a great chance for your organisation to reach a wide pool of talent.

Pendley Manor, MPC Property Services and Silver Fox have all recently joined the programme and are benefitting from activities including organising workplace tours for young people age 16-18, opportunities to exhibit at local careers fairs and exploring the viability of offering a ‘Developing Skills for Industry Curriculum Session’ to a local secondary school. And any vacancies gain additional promotion through our large network to schools and young people, facilitating job matching for 16-24 year olds.

There has never been a better time to recruit young people in Hertfordshire, investing in skills can ensure your business is future-ready. We only have 60 places to be allocated to SMEs and limited spaces on the HOP Into Your Future programme so register your interest now.

The project is funded by the European Social Fund and managed by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership with support from our partner Services for Young People. Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal, the premier gateway for exploring careers, employment and skills programmes in the county, is at the project's core.