Academy calls on firms to help ignite students’ career ambitions

A Solihull school is calling on business leaders and professionals to step forward and help students ignite their career ambitions.

Arden Academy, based in Knowle, is holding a Work of Work Day on Wednesday 5 March – an initiative designed to give students insights into the professional world.

Coinciding with National Careers Week, professionals from a range of industries are invited to deliver talks and workshops to Year 8 students about future careers.

It is among several initiatives run by Arden Academy to prepare students for the world of work.

Every week, the Academy runs a Future Friday session, in which professionals visit the school and talk to students about their job. 

Year 10 and 12 students are also given a week off during term time to take part in work experience.

Businesses are being invited to join Arden Academy’s ‘Futures’ community and support its range of careers initiatives.

Sharon Butcher-Johns, careers guidance counsellor at Arden Academy, said: “Now, more than ever, educators, careers professionals, and employers/employees need to work together to get tomorrow’s workforce job-ready.  A recent CIPD study found that employers recruiting young people said three-quarters were not prepared for the workplace. 

“Working with us could address this issue and create a stronger workforce - benefiting the individual, and strengthening business and the wider economy. 

“For the employer, it is literally investing in their business’s future survival; in the shorter term, it is satisfying knowing that you are doing something so meaningful, and potentially life changing.

“Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.”

Businesses interested in taking part can register to be on the school’s employer engagement database.

Pictured: Students are given an insight into the aviation industry