Northumberland is an extraordinary place to build a career. World-class manufacturers, renewable energy pioneers, pharmaceutical innovators, technology companies and creative industries – the county has more to offer young people than most of them will ever realise. And that, in a nutshell, is the problem.
For too many young people growing up here, the careers on their doorstep are effectively invisible. Not because the opportunity isn’t there. But because nobody has ever shown them through the door.
Connect Inspires exists to change that.
Opening doors, changing minds
Developed by Connect Northumberland, Connect Inspires is a career inspiration programme that brings local employers and young people together in the most direct way possible: by getting students into real workplaces, meeting real people and getting their hands on the kind of work that those people do every day.
Every visit is free for schools to attend. Every visit follows the same powerful format: students arrive, tour the facility, meet the team, including young employees who were once sitting exactly where they are, and take part in a practical activity designed to make the world of work feel tangible, relevant and exciting.
No slideshow. No theory. Just experience.
The moment everything clicks
Ask any employer who has hosted a Connect Inspires visit and they will tell you the same thing. There is always a moment, sometimes it’s during the tour, sometimes it’s mid-activity, when you can see it happening. A student’s eyes widen. A question gets asked that nobody expected. Something connects.
For some young people, that moment is the first time they have ever considered what their future might look like. For others, it is the first time they have seen someone who looks like them doing a job they hadn’t imagined was possible.
Those moments are what Connect Inspires is built for.
Get involved
Connect Inspires is growing and we are looking for more Northumberland employers to open their doors and be part of it. Whether you’re in engineering, healthcare, technology, creative industries or anything in between, if you believe in this county’s young people and want to invest in their future, there is a place for you in this programme.
📧 Contact Liz Mayes to find out more: liz@connectnorthumberland.org
