Careers Navigator by Network Notwork CIC

27/08/2026

We are launching a new magazine to educate, inspire and empower children and young people in Teesside.

The NetWORKer Junior is a new magazine - a partnership between Careers Navigator by Network Notwork CIC Network Notwork CIC and SASS media - and will be packed with interviews with business owners and leaders in the region, careers advice, wellbeing tips, and much more.

Its USP is all the content is written by junior journalists aged from six to 19 and is edited and designed by a team of qualified senior journalists and designers.

For many children and teenagers, simply hearing from someone who has overcome obstacles, followed their ambitions or discovered a career they love can be incredibly powerful. Representation matters. Seeing people from different backgrounds, industries and experiences succeed helps young people believe that they can succeed too.

The magazine is co-edited by 12-year-old Alice and journalist and co-founder and director of SASS media.

Alice says: “Our magazine is important because it brings together lots of topics that matter to young people including careers, wellbeing, art, hobbies, business and everyday life.

“It gives young people useful advice and information while also inspiring them to explore their interests and think about their future. The magazine is a place where young people can learn new things, discover different career opportunities, express themselves creatively and feel supported with their wellbeing. Most importantly it gives young people a voice and creates something that is interesting positive and relevant to them.”

SPONSORSHIP is £80 for a half-page advert, £150 for a full page advert, and £500 for a double-page spread editorial feature and a full-page advert. All sponsors will also be highlighted in all media releases and social media.

If you would like to find out more about sponsorship opportunities, email Sarah Dale: [email protected]

The NetWORKer Junior aims to educate, inspire and empower the next generation. A new magazine targeting children and young people in the Tees Valley is launching in the autumn. The...

08/07/2026

There is a kind of inequality we do not talk about enough, because it is not always obvious, and it does not always look like money.

It looks like a parent who can send a quick message. It looks like: “Oh, my friend’s sister works there”, or “let me introduce you to someone”. It looks like a door opening, quietly, without anyone having to beg. And once you notice it, you cannot unsee it.

Some young people grow up surrounded by working adults who can explain the rules. They hear the language of work at the dinner table. They learn what different jobs look like, what they pay, and what the next step is. They learn how to write an email that gets a reply, how to walk into a room and feel like they belong, and how to ask for an opportunity without feeling like a nuisance.

That is social capital. It is not a buzzword. It is the difference between feeling like the world of work is something you can enter, or something you can only read about.

Read more at: https://careersnavigator.co.uk/the-quiet-inequality-who-gets-networks-and-who-gets-worksheets/

03/07/2026

What do you want to be when you grow up? Doesn't that sound like a generic question, but is it really when most young people start shrinking up as soon as it's said?

So if a child answers, "I don't know', or "nothing", or "I just want money", or even, "I don't want to be hungry", that is not a lack of ambition, that is the reality speaking. Poverty changes what feels possible. You can be bright, curious, and full of potential, and still struggle to hold a future in your head when the present is on fire.

This is an eye opening post by Dr Kat Carruthers about the frequently asked question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

You can read more on our Careers Navigator website at,

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is meant to be a hopeful question. It is meant to open doors, but for a lot of children, it does not land like hope. It lands like pressure, or like a trick question, or like something that belongs to other people. When you are worried about food, heati...

01/07/2026

Have you ever applied to a job or went to an interview giving it your all, just to find out your friend had also applied to it, but her parents knew someone who worked there that could get her the job? We call this the quiet inequality that no one ever dares to call out.

Months of planning, preparing, and mustering up your courage just so you can finally get the job you've always wanted is swept away by "Oh I know someone who can get you it"...

Dr Kat Carruthers has written an amazing blog post about the quiet inequality.

You can read more on the Careers Navigator website at,

I have been thinking about a kind of inequality we do not talk about enough, because it is not always obvious, and it does not always look like money. It looks like a parent who can send a quick message. It looks like: “Oh, my friend’s sister works there”, or “let me introduce you to someone...

01/07/2026

There is a quiet gap in careers education - work experience.

For lots of children and young people with SEND, they can miss out on work experience and then later counted as a NEET statistic.

SEND learners are often expected to be independent enough to cope without adjustments and grateful for any opportunity even if it is smaller, shorter or less respected.

If we are serious about preparing young people for adult life, SEND learners cannot be optional.

Read our co-founder Dr Kat Carruthers' blog on what happens when SEND learners miss out on work experience in our latest blog at: https://careersnavigator.co.uk/when-send-learners-miss-out-on-work-experience/

26/06/2026

Traditional work experience often acts as a barrier for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) as it traps them into a wormhole of needing work experience to be able to actually work. But how will you be able to get a job if everyone wants experience yet no one is willing to take you on due to being so scared of the risks and safeguarding?

Dr Kat Carruthers has written a blog post about SEND learners missing out on work experience.

You can find it on our Careers Navigator website, at

I have been thinking about a kind of inequality we do not talk about enough, because it is not always obvious, and it does not always look like money. It looks like a parent who can send a quick message. It looks like: “Oh, my friend’s sister works there”, or “let me introduce you to someone...

24/06/2026

Returning to work after being NEET (not in education, employment or training) can be daunting after taking time out to raise a family.

Confidence can dip and it can feel like stepping into a room where everyone else knows the rules. But take a step back and look at all the skills you have gained e.g. managing conflict, managing budgets, sorting routines, time management, organisation... the list goes on!

In this week's blog, our co-founder Dr Kat Carruthers talks about the topic of returning to work for new mums - and dads - having been NEET.

Read more at: https://careersnavigator.co.uk/returning-to-work-after.../ See less

18/06/2026

Sarah Walker - Writer and PR professional visited pupils at Linthorpe Primary School this morning and said “It was great to meet some of the lovely, welcoming pupils”.

From when we first arrived, we were greeted by two helpful girls who showed us the way to the hall with our heavy bags – and once set up we had some great fun pretending to be podcasters!

The students loved putting on their headphones and using the mics to have conversations with one another about everything from last night’s England game to the Government’s ban on social media for under-16s!

We spoke to pupils about how important networking is for businesses across the community, not just to find new clients but also to access, support, guidance and advice and make new friends.

We also talked about our ‘junior journalism’ work with young people to create our Networker magazine. Keep a lookout for more opportunities to be involved with that in the near future!

18/06/2026

Dr Kat Carruthers and Michael Carruthers have headed to the TVCA Careers Conference today at the Middlesbrough Football Club. It’s been brilliant to hear what is happening in the Tees Valley 👇

Andrea Naylor introduced the TVCA Careers Hub work and the Get tees valley working plan
“33,300 more residents in tees valley into work to meet the government targets.” Other elements include the “Work Well” and the “Tees Valley Connect to Work programmes”.

Janine Armstrong All schools and colleges (100%) are part of the careers hub in the region which is above the national average including above average compass completions. 56 businesses have registered for the CEC employer standards. You can register here-> https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/employer-standards

“Aspiring Pathways” for alternative provision and additional SEND support is launching in September.

Philip Todd The employer standards are focussed around inspiration, career readiness and collaboration and examines business - education engagement.

Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ) examines a young person’s career readiness, life skills and knowledge in addition to capturing the student voice leading to targeted interventions.

Fiona: Modern work experience and the equalex model. The TVCA pilot which is currently in 15 schools. The key framework will be built on “equity and quality” in work experience for all.

Janine Armstrong: SEND Enterprise challenge week 2026. 652 students from across 16 school and colleges sites. Seeking to expand on young people accessing the workplace.

Suzanne and Sarah: Volunteering as an EA or CBC. Seek for businesses to commit for the academic year to be matched with a school on a 1:1 basis to work together with the careers lead and senior leadership team. It seeks to support young people with transferable skills and to close the skills gap.

17/06/2026

We had a fantastic night last night at the Tees Valley Combined Authority Sector Pathways event showcasing everything we do at NetWORK NotWORK CIC and Careers Navigator. We had the pleasure of chatting to some young people who visited to find out about opportunities in their Tees Valley.