Business Skills Pathway
Life skills for local students
The Business Skills Pathway is an opportunity for local businesses to be able to offer advice and ‘life-skill’ training to local secondary school pupils and also give them the opportunity to gain work placements for much needed voluntary experience. The businesses involved in this innovative programme are: inspire+, Grantham Specsavers, Viking Signs, SKDC, BGB Innovation and David Price Safety Guidance Ltd. Students attending are all part of the inspire+ Leadership Academy and are from local secondary schools; Priory Ruskin Academy, Walton Girls, St Hughs, KGGS, Charles Read Academy and Stamford Welland Academy.
The conference to launch this initiative was at the Grantham Guildhall Centre thanks to SKDC. Students participated in several practical workshops which were: leadership, researching companies for work, Interview skills & being ready for work and finally communication & presentation skills.
The aim of the conference is for inspire+ to be able to further up-skill their leaders on top of the sports coaching courses they provide and for the businesses to help support this development and promote the opportunities for work and business within Grantham. Following the conference all the students will get the opportunity to apply for work experience placements at the businesses. This gives them a great opportunity to gain real life work experience in business. This initiative is the first of its kind in the county and everyone involved is hoping for the programme to develop and attract more students and businesses to be involved.
Darren Joint, Viking Signs: “inspire+ already has a lot to be proud of, the addition of this Business Skills Pathway to the wide range of opportunities they can offer to enthusiastic and motivated students, really is the icing on the cake. For the Grantham Business Club this is an opportunity to further our aims of encouraging talented young people to consider careers with one of our great member businesses or even starting their own business here in Grantham. Viking Signs is proud to also sponsor the event and who knows – the next talented member of our already amazing team, might be one of the people we meet on the day!”
Bijal Ladva, Grantham Specsavers: “Specsavers and inspire+ have worked together for the past 3 years, and I feel that we have mutually benefited from our collaborations. Through facilitation by inspire+, Specsavers have gone into primary and secondary schools to give talks on the importance of eye health and careers. We are very excited to be part of this initiative, which promotes our core values and developing our next generation.”
All partners involved hope that the students will really benefit from learning life and job skills from local businesses and gain valuable experience to add to their CV when applying for jobs and universities with the pathway showing the way to work with local businesses.
Business Skills Pathway Case Study
Business Name:
Grantham Specsavers
Business Sector:
Opticians and Retail
How many Student placements did you have?
2
What type of activities did your placements get involved with whilst with your business?
Ola and Eve, both under supervision undertook customer facing duties, including pre testing and registering patients. They also had a timetable, so that they could experience the different parts of the business, including the lab and contact lens department.
How did your business benefit from having placement students?
Overall we benefited as we then employed 2 of the students for part time employment. One of the students, didn’t actually have time to complete the work experience, but interviewed so well, that we offered him a job in the Hear Care department. Hopefully, both students have expressed an interest in continuing with this sector for future employment.
How do you feel the students benefitted from their placement with your business?
Apart from the employment, I feel that the students gained the experience of going through the process to get a job. They had to write a CV, prepare for an interview, and then be interviewed. From the individuals we have since employed, we have seen their confidence grow.
Why was it important for you to offer placements to these students?
All employers should contribute to the community that they are in. We want to encourage these students, that if they work hard and apply themselves, they can pursue the careers they want. We also want to employ these students in the future, and pick the best of the bunch.
Business Skills Pathway Case Study
Business Name:
Grantham Specsavers
Business Sector:
Opticians and Retail
How many Student placements did you have?
2
What type of activities did your placements get involved with whilst with your business?
Ola and Eve, both under supervision undertook customer facing duties, including pre testing and registering patients. They also had a timetable, so that they could experience the different parts of the business, including the lab and contact lens department.
How did your business benefit from having placement students?
Overall we benefited as we then employed 2 of the students for part time employment. One of the students, didn’t actually have time to complete the work experience, but interviewed so well, that we offered him a job in the Hear Care department. Hopefully, both students have expressed an interest in continuing with this sector for future employment.
How do you feel the students benefitted from their placement with your business?
Apart from the employment, I feel that the students gained the experience of going through the process to get a job. They had to write a CV, prepare for an interview, and then be interviewed. From the individuals we have since employed, we have seen their confidence grow.
Why was it important for you to offer placements to these students?
All employers should contribute to the community that they are in. We want to encourage these students, that if they work hard and apply themselves, they can pursue the careers they want. We also want to employ these students in the future, and pick the best of the bunch.
inspire+
Kempton House, Kempton Way
Dysart Road
Grantham
NG31 7LE