Career Cluster

Funded by the European Social Fund and the GLA, Spark! are working with the London Borough of Hounslow, to deliver the Career Cluster with 15 schools and colleges, alongside dozens of local businesses and employers.

The project will support young people to develop their vital employability skills and work readiness, through meaningful employer engagement and work opportunities, whilst also supporting schools and businesses to develop long-term and sustained relationships.

Working with the below schools and college, Spark! will be supporting the development of sustained relationships between local businesses and the education institution. Schools will be supported to run 26-weeks worth of activities with their employer partners, to meet the identified needs of targeted cohorts of young people. This may be a range of innovative activities, including, but not limited to; workshops, mock interviews, employers supporting curriculum delivery, careers fairs, networking events, mentoring, enterprise projects, to name a few.

Local businesses will be matched with schools, and their employees will be able to volunteer their time, for one-off events or a series of engagements.

  • Brentford School for Girls
  • Chiswick School
  • Gumley House School
  • Gunnersbury Catholic School
  • Heston Community School
  • Isleworth & Syon School
  • Kingsley Academy
  • Lampton School
  • Logic Studio School
  • Reach Academy Feltham
  • St Marks RC School
  • Springwest Academy
  • The Heathland School
  • The Green School for Girls
  • West Thames College

As well as the in-school activities, more than 800 students will benefit from 5-day work experience placements with our employer partners, in industries that align with their career aspirations. In addition, teachers will be supported to gain a better understanding of the local Labour Market Information, and to develop a robust Careers Guidance Strategy, endorsed by their employer partners, ensuring that careers curriculum is relevant to employers and the local labour market.

If you are a business interested in getting involved in supporting this vital and innovative work, please get in touch with our CEO, Matt Lent, mattlent@sparkcharity.org.uk. We are particularly keen to engage with Small and Medium Enterprises with fewer than 250 employees.