Mentoring inspires City Academy students

A group of 12 Year 8 students from City Academy took part in the Ablaze One Day Career Mentoring programme with a team of four trained business mentors from Clarke Willmott.

The mentors described their own career journeys and imparted their knowledge of workplace skills and employability opportunities. Activities during the day encouraged students to discuss barriers, understand resilience and develop their employability skills.

Evaluations at the end of the programme revealed the following key findings: 70% of the students taking part felt more confident about themselves and their abilities, 95% said they were better at taking part in discussions, 85% said they felt better at making decisions, and 100% said they had learned about career pathways.

All students said they had learned about skills needed for work during the programme, which included teamwork, being creative, giving feedback, communication and decision-making.

Inspired by this mentoring programme some students shared their inspirations about their future career steps.

They said: “Study a subject at university which will help me with a career.”

“Look into completing an apprenticeship.”

“I want to become an architect.”

“I want to run my own café.”

“Open my own clothes shop.”

A spokesperson for the programme said: “Programs that inspire young students about their future options play a crucial role in shaping a progressive society. They foster positive youth development by promoting resilience, social and emotional competence which are essential for the growth of young individuals.

“I think it’s important for young people to meet more adults who have different career backgrounds, so they understand there are lots of different routes and opportunities for them. I also think it’s great for young people to meet adults who are not in their immediate circle to help build their confidence.”