South Midlands Careers Hub

What South Midlands Careers Hub does

South Midlands Careers Hub is a publicly funded careers education coordination organisation operating across six Local Authority areas in England: Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It was established under its current branding in 2023 (previously associated with SEMLEP) and is based in Northampton with a 10-person team. Its core function is to act as the regional strategic arm of the national Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), helping the network of 152-153 schools and colleges in its region meet the Gatsby Benchmarks for careers education and comply with statutory Provider Access Legislation.

The hub's service portfolio is centred on coordination rather than software. It runs the Industry Champions volunteer programme (50+ named volunteers) and Industry Partners/Enterprise Advisers scheme, the Cornerstone Employers multi-school engagement programme, the Modern Work Experience programme, regular CPD and masterclasses, an annual conference (180 delegates in September 2025), and Inclusion-focused programming launched in 2025. It delivers Level 6 Career Leader training in partnership with the University of Derby and integrates with the CEC's Compass+ evaluation platform, the Future Skills Questionnaire and the Careers Partners database. Named employer partners include easyJet, TUI, DHL, London Luton Airport, Santander and John Lewis Partnership.

The business model is grant-funded and free at the point of use. All services to schools, colleges, employers and students are provided at no charge, with operating capital flowing from the Department for Education via the Careers & Enterprise Company. There are no paying customers, no disclosed funding rounds, no investors and no parent company. The hub is led by Yvonne Ashby as Strategic Hub Lead and Sam Baker as Operational Hub Lead, and has no identifiable AI/ML capability, with its technology footprint confined to third-party administrative platforms (Compass+, FSQ, Careers Partners, Microsoft Teams, Unifrog).

Name

South Midlands Careers Hub

Legal name

South Midlands Careers Hub

Website

https://careershub.southmidlands.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Midlands Careers Hub is a publicly funded coordination organisation that helps 152-153 schools and colleges across six Local Authority areas in England meet Gatsby Benchmark careers education standards by connecting them with employers, Industry Champions and CPD programmes under Department for Education funding via the Careers & Enterprise Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career Education Coordination Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Career Services & Career Readiness (EDALABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Readiness & Employability Skills (Resume, Interview, Networking) (EDAMAKAG), Employer-Led Workforce Partnerships & Sector Strategies (EDAAAOAB), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

Keywords

• Careers education services
• School employer engagement
• Gatsby benchmarks support
• Career leader training
• Work experience coordination

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: The South Midlands Careers Hub is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) as the strategic arm responsible for supporting schools and colleges to improve careers provision. Services are provided free of charge to schools, colleges, and employers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The South Midlands Careers Hub is a publicly funded coordination body that connects schools and colleges with employers, industry volunteers, and training providers across Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, and Northamptonshire. Its services include Industry Champions and Industry Partners programmes, Cornerstone Employer relationships, Modern Work Experience facilitation, CPD masterclasses, Career Leader training in partnership with the University of Derby, Provider Access Legislation support, and annual conferences—all provided free of charge under Department for Education funding routed via The Careers & Enterprise Company.

Product overview

South Midlands Careers Hub operates as a strategic coordination platform connecting schools, colleges, employers, and volunteers across Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, and Northamptonshire to build career-ready young people. The Hub functions as a unified service providing Industry Champions (volunteer employers), Industry Partners/Enterprise Advisers (school-business partnerships), Cornerstone Employers (strategic employer relationships), Modern Work Experience programs, Hub CPD and Masterclasses, Career Leader Training, Careers Impact Internal Leadership Reviews, Provider Access Legislation support, annual conferences, and Inclusion initiatives. The core offering is the coordination and connection layer—not a single software product—serving approximately 153 schools and colleges with support for Gatsby Benchmarks compliance and career education quality improvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• South Midlands Careers Hub Coordination Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 180 delegates at 2025 Annual Conference
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner providing Compass evaluation tools, Future Skills Questionnaire, Career Leader training, and resources. CEC funds and supports careers hubs across England.
• Gatsby FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped and maintains the Gatsby Benchmarks framework. South Midlands Careers Hub supports schools in implementing the updated benchmarks.
• University of DerbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver local cohort Career Leader training, providing Level 6 Careers Leadership qualification for school staff.
• Cranfield UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for annual South Midlands Careers Hub Conference 2025/2026.
• Northampton CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts CL Network meetings for West Northamptonshire area.
• Bedford CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts CL Network meetings for Bedford Borough area.
• Northamptonshire Teaching School HubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides materials to support career leads in thinking about teaching careers and routes including Teacher Degree Apprenticeships.
• Chilled EducationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner raising awareness about career opportunities in the UK's chilled food manufacturing industry. Provides free lesson plans and hands-on activities for schools.
• Generation LogisticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational careers awareness campaign inspiring young people to consider logistics sector. Provides Education Hub with 50+ free curriculum-mapped resources.
• easyJetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWorks with Luton schools to inform students about apprenticeship opportunities. Has recruited alumni from Luton Sixth Form College into apprenticeship programmes.
• TUIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Luton Sixth Form College providing career inspiration days, support for careers fairs, and apprenticeship opportunities in aviation/tourism.
• London Luton Airport (LLA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnterprise Adviser network supporting schools. Collaborated with Chiltern Academy on sustainability-focused careers event.
• DHLcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDelivers Employability Programme with Lord Grey School including workshops and week at Outward Bound Wales.
• John Lewis PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry Partner providing careers support and early careers programs.
• SantanderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts tours of Unity Place for students, showcasing career opportunities in banking and financial services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• West Midlands Careers Hub: CEC-funded Careers Hub for the West Midlands combining schools, colleges, employers, and providers around Gatsby Benchmarks. Same model and funding source, different regional footprint.
• Greater Manchester Careers Hub: Regional CEC-funded Careers Hub covering Greater Manchester schools and colleges with the same Gatsby Benchmark implementation, employer matching, and CPD remit. Closest structural peer but operating in a different geography.
• London East Careers Hub: CEC-funded hub serving schools and colleges across East London with employer engagement, Gatsby Benchmark support and CPD. Direct structural peer in a different London sub-region.
• North East Careers Hub: CEC-funded regional Careers Hub covering the North East of England with the same school-college-employer coordination role. Functional peer operating under the same national programme.

Direct peers

• Youth Employment UK: UK charity supporting young people into employment through skills development, employer engagement, and the Youth Voice Census. Operates a comparable mission to the hub around careers readiness, employer connections, and policy advocacy for youth employment.
• Speakers for Schools: UK charity that connects state schools and colleges with professionals from leading employers for talks, workshops, and work-experience programmes. Operates a similar model of brokering employer engagement with schools and is a direct functional peer in the careers education space.
• Education and Employers: UK charity running the Inspiring the Future and Primary Futures programmes that connect volunteers from the world of work with schools. Closely mirrors South Midlands Careers Hub's mission of bridging education and employment at scale.

Broad incumbents

• Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC): National government-backed body that funds, sets standards for, and supports the network of Careers Hubs across England, including providing the Compass+, FSQ, and Careers Partners tools that South Midlands Careers Hub relies on. It is the strategic incumbent in the same space with broader national remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SouthMidlandsCareersHub
• Facebookfacebook.com/61563625736893
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-midlands-careers-hub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Midlands Careers Hub