A SHARED VISION: CO-DESIGNING AN ALL-AGE CAREERS FRAMEWORK IN COUNTY DURHAM
In May 2024, Durham County Council, in collaboration with the County Durham Economic Partnership Board and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Technical Funding Group, commissioned dmh associates to assist in developing an All-Age Careers Framework for County Durham. It was formally agreed dmh associates would carry out a research, facilitation, and planning piece of work, to prepare the ground for creating an innovative approach to support the careers support offer for people of all ages across County Durham.
To access copies of the published reports: An Executive Summary and Main Report are complemented by three separate supporting evidence-based technical papers: (i) LMI Analysis: Context for County Durham’s All-Age Careers Framework; (ii) Return on Investment (ROI): Context for County Durham’s All-Age Careers Framework; (iii) The Voices of Residents and Businesses in County Durham: Context for County Durham’s All-Age Careers Framework that have informed key findings and recommendations. The UK Shared Prosperity Funding Group met in late March 2025 to discuss a set of recommendations from dmh associates designed to support the implementation phase initially led by Durham County Council colleagues with their associated partners.
The research process (May – December 2024) involved: a Rapid Assessment of Evidence, a Review of Durham Insights and Economic Development input e.g. labour market intelligence (LMI) analysis led by Peter Dickinson at Warwick University IER; in-person meetings, group consultations and online surveys, engagement in Partnerships and Civic Forum meetings and a Formal Call for Evidence – in total involving 2,111 County Durham residents and businesses. Dr Chris Percy, Senior Associate, also produced a Return on Investment Analysis by examining international literature on typical returns from careers services at different life stage to inform a new employer focused ROI framework.
For further information: Contact: Dr. Deirdre Hughes OBE, Director of dmh associates, North Shields, England, Email: [email protected].