03/10/24 

Four dedicated team members from the Cardiff Commitment will take part in the Cardiff Half Marathon this Sunday, but instead of monetary donations, they are asking employers to ‘donate' work experience placements to help transform the lives of young people in the city.

The Cardiff Commitment, the Council's initiative which works with external partners to introduce children and young people to the vast range of opportunities available to them in the world of work, has announced their plan to run for work experience pledges. The mission is to empower children and young people from the 129 schools across the city.

The team's participation in the marathon aims to draw attention to the crucial role that employers play in providing work experience opportunities for young people and highlights the importance of work placements in enhancing students' skills, educational development, ambitions, and career aspirations.

The Cardiff Commitment believes that connecting education with the world of work is essential for shaping the future workforce. By participating in the marathon, the team hopes to foster meaningful connections and collaborations between schools and employers, ultimately benefiting the young people of Cardiff. Employers who pledge work experience placements will get the chance to shape the future workforce, meet the next generation of young people who will be entering the working world and engage with them to influence the development of the right skills and attitudes for entering the world of work.

The Cardiff Commitment are asking businesses to donate work experience placements for their "What's Next? Award", which is a dynamic work experience programme designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and the professional world for students. Aimed at preparing participants for their future careers, the programme offers a blend of hands-on work experience, skill development, and career guidance and pupils receive awards to show what they have achieved at the end of their placement and theory work.

Cardiff Commitment Programme Manager, Victoria Highgate said: "Our goal in taking part in the Cardiff Half is to inspire employers, businesses, and industry leaders to pledge their support by offering work experience placements."

Deputy Leader for Cardiff and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Work experience placements offer young people invaluable hands-on learning opportunities, exposure to various industries, and insights into potential career paths. These placements help young people in the city to secure a job that enables them to reach their full potential whilst contributing to the economic growth of the city and providing businesses with the opportunity to make a real difference to young people's lives.

"I would like to congratulate the team on the physical preparations and personal efforts they are making by running the Cardiff Half Marathon and thank the staff for their support with the event and organising these vital work experience placements for pupils across the city."

Join us in our journey and support the Cardiff Commitment by offering work experience placements. Let's run together for a brighter future!

If you are interested in registering a work experience placement or supporting the Cardiff Commitment initiative please visit  https://forms.office.com/e/1HRmwBe7tn

To find out more about the Cardiff Commitment please visit;https://cardiffcommitment.co.uk/index.php/en/