UTC Swindon welcomed around 37 employers in for a bespoke Employability Ready Day, leaving EVERYONE impressed!
The employers from a variety of local companies ranging from Vodafone to Mercedes Benz to the British Army, spent Friday 27 January getting each and every student from Year 10 to year 13 interview ready with a range of techniques and questions.
Youngsters of all ages showed off their skills working on application forms, joining CV workshops and assessment centre activities, as well as National Careers Service exploration activities.
This was in preparation for a 30-minute interview every child had with an employer, who rated each of them on their appearance, application form, body language, confidence, and responses to questions.
Lots of the students scored highly and made some potentially important connections.
One student, Ben Tong, did so well his interviewer is sponsoring him for a scout trip, while another, Tyler Anderson, was even offered a job with vodafone!
A third student, Koka Rutherford, who’s set on a career with Mercedes Benz was interviewed by a Mercedes VIP with very promising results for her future…
The employers were full of praise for their interviewees, with Vodafone saying they were better than some ‘real’ applicants they get for jobs! Nationwide Building Society described UTC as a ‘great school with amazing people’; Procurri had ‘an amazing day’ and Great Western Railways said of their interviewee: ‘I wish I could have been like him when I was 14!’.
The praise went both ways, with the students giving the day 4.4 out of 5 overall in their student feedback forms. Some of the comments included the day felt ‘authentic,’ ‘insightful,’ and a ‘great opportunity’.
Head of School Neil Pouney, who praised the students for their ‘impeccable behaviour’, said the day was such a success that the school intends to run it annually.
“The kids smashed the interviews,” he said, “and we’ve had such great employer feedback. It’s been a great opportunity for the students to experience an interview in a professional environment. All ages got something out of it I believe – you can never have too much interview practice. This is truly transforming lives through learning!”
Many thanks to all the employers involved including: British Army, Mercedes-Benz in the UK, Comstore, PwC, , IQVIA, IET, Nationwide, Godwin Pumps, Waterman Aspen, Costain Group PLC, Reinshaw, BAE Systems, Vodafone, Procurri, First City Nursing & Care, Cole Easdon , UKRI and Great Western Railway (GWR).
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