I was both staggered and disappointed to discover that 57% of children in Derby arrive at college age 16 without a grade A-C Maths and/or English GCSE. This is in spite of the experience and knowledge we have in our education system, the technology at our disposal and our dynamic business environment. So where are we going wrong?

One reason might be a lack of aspiration – the younger generation simply don’t know who to look to for their inspiration. Without inspiration, how will they know what opportunities are out there for them, how will they realise their full potential? As local businesses, we have a duty to give young people something to aspire to – and career leaflets and dull talks are not the way.

It was a visit to the Ideal Home Show that sparked the idea for this blog. Nothing to do with education, but I saw a model there I think we can transfer. At the show, a ‘real’ house is built within the exhibition centre, giving visitors the chance to see exactly how a product or idea could work in their own home. They can then speak to the professionals to find out the information they need to make an informed choice.

What if we could do this for careers, so young people could ‘test drive’ job opportunities before they commit? This is how I came up with the idea for the UK’s first ‘aspirational hub’.

My vision is a physical hub – a large, open-plan building – where local businesses can temporarily set up and showcase what a career with them really entails. There might be a house, so students could try out plastering, painting or electrical wiring. There’d be a hospital ward for budding doctors and nurses to have a go at the operating table (volunteer patients apply within). An office environment, a space where students can take apart pieces of a Rolls Royce engine or fix car parts – the possibilities are endless.

Whatever students might be interested in, they can use the hub to try out their potential careers in a controlled, safe and realistic environment – with no consequences if it goes wrong. They might find something new they want to try, and they can speak to local employers to get the information they need to take the next steps into their chosen career.

The two main challenges of such a hub are funding and running it. We know the Government is looking for ways to boost employability and skills, so perhaps it could help fund it. Here in the East Midlands we’re home to prestigious universities and high-profile businesses, for whom these are the next generation of students and employees. Situations will vary by area, but its partners like these that might want to run it.

For businesses like mine, it’s so important we support younger generations. They are our future, and by connecting them with local employment opportunities, we’re helping retain talent and create vibrant, successful places.