A FIRST ‘Cradle to Career’ (C2C) conference takes place in Wellington on Tuesday (February 10) to strengthen pathways supporting children and young people from early childhood through to employment.

C2C is a joint initiative between Wellington Town Council and Court Fields School, which is hosting the conference.

The town’s educators, professionals, and community partners will come together for the conference, which will bring to life an ‘Action for Opportunity’ framework.

The event will highlight how shared ambition, aligned services, and community collaboration can remove barriers and open doors for every child.

It is being billed as a day of insight, collaboration, and practical action.

Court Fields headteacher Polly Matthews said: “I am so thrilled for Court Fields School to be hosting the first Wellington ‘Cradle 2 Career’ conference.

“It shows the appetite for collective community action here in our town to improve the life chances of our current and future children and young people.

“I feel very fortunate to work with individuals, organisations, and agencies with such a commitment to making change in our community.

“Thank you to everybody for their support.”

Town council chief executive Dave Farrow said: “Wellington has a strong sense of community, and ‘Cradle to Career’ builds on that by connecting the people, places, and services that shape our town.

Wellington Town Council's considering employing its own planning officer to help cope with massive new house building.
Wellington Town Council is co-leading a Cradle 2 Career’ initiative with Court Fields School. (Tindle News)

“This conference is a chance to strengthen those bonds and ensure every family knows they are supported, from the very start through to the future of employment.

“That is why Wellington Town Council is proud to be leading, in partnership with Court Fields School, on the initiative.”

The conference will feature a series of interactive workshops covering key developmental stages and local priorities.

They include:

  • Early years - exploring foundations which give every child the best start
  • Employability - developing the workforce of the future through C2C
  • Mobile phones - understanding the impact of smartphone usage on young people and identifying practical strategies to support healthier habits
  • Building our reading town - uniting educators, families, and organisations to boost reading culture and literacy outcomes across Wellington
  • Family support and nursery readiness - strengthening early engagement and support for families

An optional twilight session on curriculum coherence in reading will also be available for educators seeking deeper professional development.

The ‘Cradle to Career’ approach is a shared vision for Wellington’s future, recognising no single organisation can achieve long-term change alone.

The C2C conference will offer a space for schools, early years providers, employers, health and social care teams, voluntary organisations, and community groups to think collectively about how Wellington can become a place where every child thrives.

Reach Foundation managing director Ed Vainker said: “At Reach, we are working with 70 communities around the country where school leaders are coming together to deepen the role that schools play in their communities to ensure all children can enjoy lives full of choice and opportunity.

“Wellington is at the cutting edge of this work - bringing leaders from across the community to collaborate and solve complex problems together.”