NI Businesses Play Their Part In Careers Inspiration Events

Northern Ireland’s business community is coming together to support the delivery of industry-led careers inspiration events across the province, engaging almost 7,500 Year 9 pupils in June 2022.

4C UR Future LIVE is an innovative and fast-paced event that uses skills games and work-based challenges, designed and delivered in collaboration with local employers, to help young people get an insight into the future world of work.

The initiative, which aims to help every participant make more informed education and career choices, is the brainchild of 4C UR Future’s Founder, Rose Mary Stalker. Following a successful pilot in June 2019, the social enterprise is taking the show on the road, delivering an at-scale pilot of one event in every council area in June 2022.

Managing Director of 4C UR Future, Rachel Doherty, acknowledges the support of the local business community in enabling the events to scale:

Our work would not be possible without the support of our member companies, who recognise the significant opportunities that come from working together collaboratively, and at-scale, to tackle systemic problems; helping our young people discover their own attributes, strengths, and interests, and exploring how these might align with their future opportunities.”

“The careers landscape has become increasingly complex for young people and parents to navigate, with new in-demand skills, new types of jobs, and entirely new sectors emerging, resulting in major bottlenecks in the skills pipeline; inhibiting our local businesses from growing.”

“By working across all of the key employment sectors in Northern Ireland, 4C UR Future leverage and mobilise the skills and industry expertise available on our doorstep.”

The LIVE events are funded and resourced by the Northern Ireland business community and are hosted with support from ten councils. The events are free to schools, including free transport, which is being supported by Translink.

Charlotte Richardson, PR Manager at Translink, said:

We’re delighted to be able to support this fantastic series of events, which are taking place across Northern Ireland; investing in our young people and building confidence, skills, and knowledge to help them identify the many opportunities and the wide variety of career paths and industries open to them. Access to events like this is vital to the next generation and to the workforce of the future and we’re proud to be a member of 4C UR Future.”

‘Race To Net Zero’ is just one of the games featured at LIVE events, which is being co-designed and delivered by NI Water and NIE Networks. With sustainability high on the agenda, the game focuses on the importance of the production of green energy and clean water.

Edel Creery, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement at NIE Networks, said:

Energy is a huge part of our daily lives, and for the younger generation in particular, understanding how our everyday decisions and energy choices impacts the world around us is a priority. NIE Networks’ vision is to deliver a sustainable energy system for all and we need young, creative thinkers and innovative problem-solvers to help us achieve that.”

“The ‘Race To Net Zero’ game is a dynamic and fun way to demonstrate to young people how they can get involved, showing that by collaborating with each other on the future of our energy systems, we can tackle climate change in a meaningful way. We are looking forward to meeting the engineers, designers, and innovators of the future at the 4C UR Future LIVE events in June.”

Learning & Development Manager at NI Water, Alan Moore, added:

We’re delighted to partner with NIE Networks to bring forward our important environmental messages and highlight the role that energy and water play in creating a healthy society for us all in Northern Ireland. As a key utility provider, we’re in a unique and privileged position to help our ‘stars of tomorrow’ consciously create a better future for our community, economy, and environment as part of what is sure to be a fun and energetic event!”

It’s not too late for local businesses to get involved!

Email info@4curfuture.com to find out more.

Hear from more of our member companies about why they’re supporting 4C UR Future, and playing their part in our careers inspiration movement:

Stephen Williams, Director of Juggernaut Digital:

When we were asked to get involved with the exciting plans 4C UR Future had for developing an innovative online platform, app, and in-person events, we couldn’t say no! 4C UR Future is at the forefront of careers education for young people and at Juggernaut we’re delighted to be part of this fantastic initiative.”

Tina Calder, Director of media agency Excalibur Press:

We’re delighted to support both 4C UR Future and 4C UR Future LIVE this year. Giving young people the opportunity to explore the ever-changing world of work, and opening doors to career paths they may not have considered, is absolutely vital. What I love about 4C UR Future is their ability to meet young people where they are, in a manner in which they understand, at a time when they need inspiration and encouragement to pursue their dreams.”

Gary Harden, Product Owner and STEM Group Chair at Liberty IT:

Liberty Information Technology just cannot wait to be part of the 4C UR Future LIVE events this year, especially after us all missing out on in-person events for so long. The technology sector continues to expand across all of Northern Ireland, and these LIVE events are going to be awesome. It’s a fabulous opportunity to show our young people just how exciting, challenging, fun and rewarding a career in IT can really be.”

Debbie Deans, Business Development Director at 21Training:

At 21Training we believe in making learning accessible to everyone, regardless of where they are starting from and what they want to do. We try to draw out the natural strengths of the young people we work with and this is why 4C UR Future’s approach is a natural fit for us. What they are doing is fresh, innovative, and exciting and we are delighted to be collaborating with the organisation and the other member companies in shaping and delivering the 4C UR Future LIVE pilot events.”

John Healy, Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate NI:

We are delighted to support 4C UR Future. The LIVE events are a fantastic way to inspire the next generation of young people, highlighting their strengths and future career opportunities, including considering technology as a potential career path. Engaging with our employees, who help to facilitate the LIVE games, will allow young people to hear about what it is like to work in Allstate and get first-hand knowledge of the vast range of roles a career in technology could take them in.”

Allison Dowling, Communications & Marketing Director at Belfast Harbour:

As a Trust Port, Belfast Harbour invests in creating a gateway to opportunity for all communities. Supporting the employability and skills development of our young people is a core strand of our community engagement activity, and plays a key role in building a healthy and sustainable workforce. We are delighted to support 4C UR Future LIVE, as it prepares to showcase a diverse array of career paths, and to inspire and inform young people as they develop their future goals and ambitions.”

Johanna Donaghy, Training and Development Manager at Cranswick:

We are delighted to play a key role in this innovative event. 4C UR Future LIVE engages with young people in a fun but clever way, helping them identify the skills and talents they have a clear aptitude for. This early intervention to help inform subject choices for GCSE, and ultimately career choices for the pupils, is inspired. Their interaction with the games and activities will not only help to identify their talents and skills, but also give them a taste of the types of jobs and careers they can steer their studies towards in the future.”

Christian Heath, Corporate Banking Manager at Danske Bank:

Young people need as much guidance as possible when considering their future career paths. One option, which is often not considered, is to think about starting your own business. Stimulating young people to think like an entrepreneur is a key driver of our game, “Like A Boss”. Encouraging and nurturing an entrepreneurial culture in Northern Ireland is vitally important to our economy – we are very excited to be part of 4C UR Future LIVE and to work with the potential business owners of the future.”

Niamh Heaney, Talent Partner at FinTrU:

As a technologically-enabled Regulatory Solutions company, FinTrU recognises the opportunities that come from working together in a collaborative environment. We are delighted to be working with 4C UR Future on this fantastic series of events throughout June, and are looking forward to meeting the attendees. Along with the other member companies, our aim is to work with the students to help them identify their strengths and showcase how their skills can support their future careers in a vast array of industries.”

Sharon McKinley, Managing Director of Specialist Services at Staffline:

We’re proud to support 4C UR Future LIVE, a dynamic event we feel confident will leave a lasting impact on the young participants. The interactive nature of the skills games and work-based challenges should give Year 9 pupils a real flavour of what the workplace entails and some insights into the future world of work. At Staffline, we believe it is never too early to think about a choice of career, or indeed careers. Collaborating on an event like this is exciting as we hear from the next generation about their aspirations, dreams, and goals for the future. I wish all the young people involved every success as they take the first step on their career journey.”

4C UR Future LIVE is for the game-changers. Want to get involved?

Email info@4curfuture.com to find out more.