Speaking at a recent roundtable at REC HQ, the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions Esther McVey underlined her commitment to ensuring that “the UK labour market remains the envy of the world, not just by understanding the future of jobs, but creating real results for individuals who want to develop their skills to capitalise on opportunities”. This will require a renewed focus on preparing individuals for the new world of work, which is where we come in.

Many recruiters are also working with schools, universities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs); our aim now is to use some of the intelligence gathered through the Future of Jobs Commission’s work to inform these ongoing discussions and to drive further engagement from REC members. Recent feedback from organisations like the Careers & Enterprise Company, the Education & Employers Taskforce and our chosen charity The Opera Global Youth Foundation has reinforced our belief that recruitment professionals have an increasingly important role to play in helping individuals navigate the fast changing labour market.

Specific areas where REC members can make a difference include facilitating work experience placements, providing advice and coaching, and taking a lead on inclusion and diversity by working with local charities. We will also be using the ongoing insight from the Good Recruitment Campaign (including the forthcoming TREC conference) to spread the word on how hiring strategies are evolving and what this means for future generations of workers.

Everyone should get the chance to succeed through work, which is why we need to build a better bridge between education and the world of work. The ‘Future of Jobs Ambassadors’ network will bring together REC and IRP members who want to help make a difference by providing heads-up to the next generation. Let’s do this!

If you would like to become a Future of Jobs Ambassador, please contact [email protected].