Future First Employability Sponsored by IGD
Mrs Adams, Life Skills Leader & HLTA with Careers, writes:
A fantastically motivational morning was had by Year 9 as they met 16 employers from Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. The sessions were led by Future First Employability which are sponsored by IGD, a research and training charity, who use a percentage of their profits to help educate young people in making their choices for the future.
The sessions started with one employer working with six students on the skill of introducing yourself as if you were at an interview. Students then had the task of interviewing the employers to find out about their daily work life and then one student from the group would introduce their employer to all of the other students in the hall. The task was later reversed with the employers interviewing the students.
The second task involved looking at a shop bought sandwich with the simple question ‘How many jobs are needed to produce this sandwich’? To our surprise it was over 20. We thought about how many times we go the shops, how many times we eat or drink out and how many different jobs and skills are needed just for one of these daily tasks that we take for granted. The students were asked to think about their skills and abilities and how they could apply these to the workplace, what were their dreams and ambitions and how could their time at Stanborough be applied to their futures.
One Tesco employer informed her group that the time she starts her working day depends on the seasons especially around Christmas time when she would start work at 3.00am, much to the surprise of one student who commented ‘but I’m in bed’! The employer continued to inform the group of the logistics of getting the stores ready for Christmas and the orders out to their customers. The employer finished by saying that she loves her job and wouldn’t have it any other way. Another employer informed his group that he was not able to use his mobile phone in his work place and that students are learning a valuable workplace skill by refraining from using their phones during the school day.
Each group of students met four different employers during the session from all different backgrounds, including one employer who was a former student who left Stanborough 11 years ago. Year 9 students left the session with an informative top tips booklet to reflect on in their future years.
‘The careers workshop was a lot of fun and interesting. I learnt a lot about different jobs, but I didn’t realise how many jobs there were in the food industry, which is a lot! We did lots of activities which were great. All of the employers were very kind’. Kyle Russouw 9K
‘It was a great opportunity to find out more about the food industry and the careers within it’. Ellen Green 9A
‘I enjoyed the session in the Hall because it helped to understand all the different jobs in the food industry. I spoke to employers from Tesco and Waitrose. We talked about what they did during their day and at the end I was given a booklet which I have found very useful’. Abigail Woolner 9H
