A NORTHWICH company which provides careers and work-related learning services for young people across the north west and the Midlands is launching products to help schools, academies and colleges adapt to recent policy changes by the Government.

Mploy Solutions, which is based in Northwich, has introduced two programmes in response to the introduction of post-16 study programmes and the recent critical Ofsted report on the state of careers guidance in England.

The two services, which include a Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Audit and a Work Related Learning offer designed to support post-16 study programmes, were launched at the Academies Show at the NEC Birmingham on Wednesday, November 27.

Norma Guest, managing director of Mploy Solutions, who has 30 years of experience in the field, said: “A report this September found that three-quarters of schools visited by Ofsted were failing to provide adequate careers guidance, and that very few schools had the skills in place to do this.

“As a result Ofsted have strengthened the emphasis in the revised Inspection handbook on the quality of careers guidance – meaning schools and academies will have to do more to provide better advice and opportunities to bridge the gap between their pupils and employers.”

The CEIAG Audit will support secondary schools and academies in assessing how well they are meeting their legal duty to provide access to independent and impartial careers advice, while the Work Related Programme will support schools and colleges in delivering “meaningful work experience” that will be subject to Ofsted inspection.

Norma added: “Our highly-qualified team work with schools and colleges to help young people significantly boost their employment prospects through a number of solutions.

“These include professional and vocational work placements, improving employability and enterprise skills and careers education setting pupils up for life after school when competition amongst young people to get a job is fierce.”

MPloy Solutions, based at Gadbrook Park in Northwich, works with primary schools, colleges and academies across the north west and Midlands, providing tailored packages of careers support, work experience, enterprise and employability schemes.

If you would like to find out more about either of Mploy’s two new programmes please contact Norma Guest at norma.guest@ mploysolutions.co.uk or Angela Nash at angela.nash@mploy solutions.co.uk or telephone 01606 42823.