Press Release
CMI welcomes government plans to build career aspirations
18 January 2010
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has strongly welcomed the government's response to the final report of the panel on Fair Access to the Professions – particularly its focus on building a network of career mentors for young people. This resonates with leading employers who are currently supporting the CMI's bid for a National Skills Academy for management and leadership skills for young people.
Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the CMI says: "So many of our employers lament the poor quality of today's work experience: too many programmes offer disappointing outcomes for both the student and employers. By bringing together a unique partnership of employers, youth charities who offer valuable challenges and initiatives and young people, we can create a mechanism to provide new structures for work experience and evaluation tools to really reap the benefits of experiential learning.
"The government is right that aspirations need to change if professions are to become more accessible, but this will only happen if young people have access to quality work experience and an ongoing network that offers practical support and guidance. It must do more than simply provide information about the available career opportunities. Young people are inspired by the reality of the workplace and by access to business leaders, not by yet another fact sheet."
Spellman also argues that, with their strong employer membership base and their extensive training provider network across both the further and higher education sector, professional bodies are in a unique position to ensure individuals can aim higher and have clear career pathways. She comments: "We have a new opportunity, in our NSA bid, to bring together many disparate – but successful – initiatives working in schools and colleges. The government's response is in danger of creating yet more initiatives when, instead, there is a genuine opportunity for professional bodies to take the lead in simplifying a complex picture and delivering real benefits for aspiring leaders and employers, alike."
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