King Edward VI College is appealing to local businesses to offer their students the opportunity to take the first steps onto the career ladder this summer, by offering a four week paid internship. The students, all of whom are studying A-levels and BTECs, will undertake the summer work placement as part of the Business Academy Programme.
Working in partnership with national charity, Career Academies UK, King Edward VI College has run the programme, that is designed to complement students’ studies, for the last eight years. The programme includes one-to-one mentoring with employee volunteers, visits and lectures hosted by business partners, and the internships.
Business academy co-ordinator Sam Gawn said “We are committed to giving our students the best opportunities possible and this programme really helps to inspire them and open their eyes to the range of different options open to them. Being able to connect regularly with someone from the working world gives them a fresh perspective on their future career, and the internship can often be a real turning point for them.”
Ellisons, Coventry Building Society, Willsons Solicitors, Delta Financial Systems and Santander are among the local and regional organisations who have worked with students to raise their aspirations and put the skills and knowledge they have learnt into practice.
Pamela Linforth, Human Resources Director at Ellisons said “Ellisons has offered a number of internships over the years as part of our commitment to King Edward VI College and our role within the community. We give the students a real work challenge and they are expected to achieve results. They always work well and can bring a new way of looking at things. This also gives our team members a chance to show their coaching skills so there are benefits all round. We will continue to offer paid internships and I would strongly recommend them to other companies.”
Taking part in the Career Academy programme can significantly improve students’ achievement and attainment. Over 85% of Career Academy graduates progress onto either university or directly into employment or work-based training. The students get to develop a range of other skills and attributes including communication and confidence, and learn how to spot opportunities, overcome challenges and implement ideas.
Jack Guise a second year student from Weddington said “Before my placement at the Coventry Building Society I was unsure if I wanted to go to university, but after working there and seeing things like their corporate academy I realised a degree would help me progress further in the future. The academy has shown me what options are out there and what steps I need to take to get there.”
Sam Gawn continued “We want to thank the business partners who have already agreed to offer our students an internship in their workplace. Through their support, our students have the opportunity to get a real and meaningful experience of a professional work environment. But we need more placements and would really like to hear from other local employers who might be able to help.”
If you are interested in getting involved, or finding out about other volunteering opportunities available as part of the Business Academy programme at please contact sg@ke6n.ac.uk or call 02476 328231
If you are interested in finding out more about the college and the wide range of courses on offer please visit the website at www.kecnuneaton.ac.uk or come along to our Information Evening on 16th April 2015.