Ben Anderson is Project Manager at Training for Life:
Training for Life operates the City Apprentice programme, funded by the City of London. We work with people of all ages who have found themselves out of work. We provide them with regular training sessions and help set them up in paid and unpaid placements, with the ultimate aim of getting people back into work.
We have been working with City Action over the last six months and have enjoyed an extremely successful partnership. Through City Action we have received a number of visits from City firms including Financial Dynamics and Standard Chartered Bank.
Financial Dynamics talked to our clients about the PR industry and offered advice on how to develop their own brand, the best way to approach job applications and how to conduct themselves in an interview situation. It was an interactive and highly informative event, which was extremely popular with our clients.
The talk from Standard Chartered Bank was a revelation for all who attended the event. The talk was truly inspirational and had a profound effect on everyone in the group, regardless of whether they were planning to go into the banking industry. What the clients found excellent about talk was the fact the representative had advice and tips for everyone.
Working with City Action has been an excellent experience, it has provided a unique opportunity for our clients to meet business professionals and gain a real insight into a city career. In short the City Action opportunities provides clients with a real hunger to develop their careers.
For more information on Training for Life and opportunities to support their programmes, please contact City Action at city.action@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Ian Pope is the manager of the GETTING AHEAD programme at Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (THEBP):
At THEBP we are often asked by our volunteers what impact our programmes and projects have on the young people who take part in them. Often, despite the collection of feedback from students, volunteers and teachers (always good!), it can be like trying to measure the proverbial ‘piece of string’. Even more so when the student has taken part in a one off event or the concepts covered aren’t applicable until the student has left school.
So it was great to hear recently from a volunteer who herself had taken part in our GETTING AHEAD programme back in 1996. GETTING AHEAD is a programme of employability skills conferences for 14-15 year olds. Volunteers work with small groups of students through several workshops across a one day conference.
What was most surprising was how much she remembered about a one off event several years ago. She remembered the volunteer who worked with her and how it made her think about the world of work. She used the materials from the day to apply to sixth form college, her first Saturday job, and for university.
I often tell our volunteers this story as I feel it illustrates an important point: that volunteering for just one day can make a difference. The young people they work with may not be able to straight away put into action their help and advice but they will remember. For some students it will make a massive impact on their lives.
THEBP is a registered charity established in 1991. Our role is to encourage the public and private sectors to work with schools in Tower Hamlets on a range of projects designed to raise achievement and provide pupils with opportunities to improve their work related skills.
4,500 volunteers from over 250 businesses and organisations help and support 15,000 young people.
For more information on GETTING AHEAD and the other THEBP programmes please contact City Action at city.action@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Peter Jones is the Digital Volunteers Manager at Beatbullying:
Bullying is a malaise that affects us all. Practically everyone has had some experience of it, whether at school or work, as the victim, the witness or even as a bully. It is especially widespread amongst young people. Our research repeatedly indicates that 1 in 3 children and young people experience bullying and emotional child on child violence.
When bullying goes unchecked in our schools and communities, the breeding ground for gang culture, crime and violence prospers. Acknowledgement of these consequences is reflected in the growing number of support services for young people experiencing ‘offline’ bullying. At present, though, not enough exists to support them in the online environment, where we know at least 40% of young people have experienced some kind of cyberbullying.
CyberMentors is the latest project by Beatbullying designed to meet this need. CyberMentors.org.uk is a new service for the digital age: a traditional mentoring system delivered via a social networking site. Young people aged 10-25 are trained as CyberMentors, in schools and online, in universities and workplaces across the UK, so that they can offer support to other young people who have/are experiencing cyberbullying.
Beatbullying is working with a variety of partners in order to populate the site with young, dynamic and empathetic staff from companies across England. One of these is City & Guilds – a member of City Action.
Kathryn Kirkpatrick from City & Guilds has this to say about being involved with CyberMentors:
“We were drawn to working with Beatbullying on the CyberMentoring project due to the huge difference staff can make by using only a small amount of time. The scheme fits in well with our CSER programme and was easy to sign up for. Staff attend a one day training course and then volunteer for just 2 hours a week online. The feedback from staff was great and 100% of those that were trained said that being able to take part in this award winning and pioneering social phenomenon made them feel good about the company they work for”.
Beatbullying is always looking for new partners to work with on CyberMentors. We are holding our next training session on Saturday 20th February 2010 at our offices in Crystal Palace. Training will be from 11am until 4.30pm. If you, or anyone you know is 20-25 and interested in volunteering online for just 2 hours a week, please drop us a quick email to digitalvolunteering@beatbullying.org
Shenelle spent nine weeks within the Corporate Responsibility team as a City Business Trainee, a scheme funded by the City of London and facilitated by local charity, the Brokerage Citylink. The scheme offers many talented young people from the City-fringe boroughs a unique opportunity to undertake a paid work placement after their A’levels within a City business. This is Shenelle’s story of her placement:
“As I commuted to the City on July 6th 2009, I felt like an outsider amongst the well known businesses. However, by September 4th 2009 my knowledge about the City had developed immensely and I felt like a real City worker! read more
