The association has plans to help young professionals by supporting their careers and to encourage more to join the industry. Key to this is the NextGen council – and FEA is asking young people to join it to create their own voice and help guide the industry’s future.
The NextGen plans were initially being put together by Greg Archer MBE, chair of FEA’s education and training committee, and the association’s chief executive John Cunningham.
The FEA is working on developing clear, tangible pathways into the sector for young people, with support for their career in terms of professional development and upskilling, plus the development of social and networking opportunities for them.
Cunningham said: “Of course, for these initiatives to work we really need young people already in the industry to be involved and to take the lead. We want NextGen to be a champion for young people, to mobilise and inspire them, to use FEA’s resources to ensure they have a voice – and to ensure that voice is heard.
“The FEA NextGen are the perfect people to represent our sector to schools and colleges, to advocate for the sector, evangelise even, about the great opportunities and careers that our sector has to offer. By amplifying young voices and encouraging collaboration, we are striving to shape a vibrant, sustainable, and forward-thinking future for our industry.”
The FEA’s board is fully supporting the NextGen proposals – the next steps include finalising the funding, putting resources in place to deliver the plan and reaching out to young people who would like to be involved.