Career Academy reflecting on first year

Posting by Ranjit Hayer, Business Studies teacher and Career Academy Co-ordinator

We are coming to the end of the first year of the Career Academy, which is a national scheme, which raises the aspirations and develops the employability skills of young people. Career Academies UK has been working with the College to secure workplace networks and experiences for students, linking up with both local and national employers.

We had the third and final Local Advisory Board (LAB) meeting of the year this week and it was an opportunity for all the businesses that have supported the Career Academy  to reflect on how the year has gone.

Some of the Career Academy students were present at the meeting and spoke of some of the visits and guru lectures they had been a part of over the course of the year. They told those at the meeting what they had enjoyed about these experiences and what they had learned.

Sam Wallace, our very first Career Academy student to gain his internship place was at the meeting. He has a six-week paid internship at Coventry Building Society, which be obtained after a rigorous recruitment process. He explained what he had to do on his assessment day, which was just one part of the recruitment process. Sue Burrows, the Branch Manager of Solihull Coventry Building Society, who also sits on our Local Advisory Board, also explained how Sam coped with their live recruitment process.

Other topics that were discussed included how the students have benefited from the programme and the students were able to input themselves about how we could change some things ready for the new Year 12 students coming in September.

We are also looking forward to our Career Academy Celebration event in July. The event takes place on Monday 4 July at Arup’s offices in the Blythe Valley Business Park at 4.30pm. Staff from the College will be joined by the ten students who have formed this inaugural Career Academy. It will be hosted by Solihull MBC Chief Executive Mark Rogers.

At this celebration event, a host of business partners, together with other prospective future partners will join the College to celebrate what has already taken place, as well as looking to forge further business partnerships for next year.