New careers inspiration platform

A call was made to businesses today to get behind a revolutionary new careers inspiration platform to help young people achieve their potential.

plotr will put young people at the heart of their career journey which will begin by appealing to their passions and interests through brands that they recognise such as Facebook, Universal, Burberry and Formula 1 and in places where they already socialise, on mobile, X-box and social networks such as Twitter.

Young people will be able to explore a ‘career world’ that inspires them - such as behind the scenes at a music video shoot of their favourite music artist or band - and the wide-range roles that exist within it; from sound engineer to accountant to make-up artist.

By indicating their preferences of career worlds and roles within them, combined with information stored in their profile, the platform will be able to provide practical information and advice, personalised to the age, needs, and location of that young person.

Young people will be able to access current ‘how-to’ information and videos from peers, employers, mentors and career experts that can help guide their educational and extra-curricular choices.

When the time is right, it will also match the young person directly to relevant opportunities.

They can then access information about education, apprenticeships, opportunities for social action and volunteering, university courses and work placements

plotr can start when users are 11 and follow them through to 24 after leaving University.

McDonald’s, Universal Music, Williams F1 and Starbucks are some of the names already on board.

This is an opportunity for the private sector to showcase the opportunities they have for young people, to help young people to understand the world of work in terms that make sense to them, and to guide them in how they reach it.

Britain’s biggest employers have spoken about the struggle to find people with the right skills for the jobs they have available. Today the message to them is clear: you have an opportunity to change that.

plotr will suggest subjects to study to help combat the lack of skills needed for certain roles, provide young people with lists of work experience and jobs nationally and locally, and offer employers a searchable talent database based on core skills and experience.

The platform is integrated into existing social media profiles such as Facebook and make suggestions based on their likes and hobbies listed on their page.

One fundamental objective of the platform is to break free of traditional job descriptions which have little resonance with young people. And instead to drive the young person’s journey through the site with reference to their personal interests and skills which they may want to develop.

Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd said: “We want to inspire young people and alert them to the range of career possibilities available to them.

“This is why plotr is invaluable. It connects young people to opportunities and enables them to easily explore and research different career ideas. With better access to information, jobs and advice in a forum that they trust, we are giving young people the tools to make the right decisions about their future."

Andrew Thompson, CEO of plotr, said: “With the development of plotr we aim to switch young people onto the wide range of careers out there by providing the right advice at the right time through a medium they can relate to. We hope it will inspire them to think about their future careers with renewed energy and optimism.”

Robin Wight, president of Engine Group, said: "plotr's careers platform can help brands to interact with 11-24 year olds inspiring them to choose a career in which they are truly passionate about - an industry first”.

Jez Langhorn, vice president of People, McDonald’s, said: "As a major employer of young people, we understand the importance of helping them to make the right career choices and inspiring them to achieve their true, long-term potential. That is why we are proud to be a Start-up partner of plotr and are excited about the opportunities this will offer the workforce of tomorrow."