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

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!

Approaching the east wing of the Guildhall for the first time as a member of staff at the City of London Corporation felt like a bird leaving their mother’s nest. My initial feeling was of excitement, as I was about to embark a valuable opportunity of working in a corporate environment, enabling me to learn new skills and meet new people. Nevertheless, my excitement was also accompanied by nerves as I began to question whether a 17-year old would be able to assist in bringing lasting social, economic and physical regeneration to the City’s neighbouring boroughs.

Once I arrived to the Economic Development Office, all thoughts of doubt had vanished. An introductory meeting with my line manager where I received information packs about the projects I would be supporting and the roles I would be carrying out reassured me that the next two months would be an enjoyable and exciting experience. The fact that I was introduced to my fellow team members and had lunch with them on the first day made me feel more relaxed as I was getting to the know the people that I would be working with.

During my placement I was assigned to various tasks in which I had to manage my time effectively in order to complete the work. My first task was to develop an annual questionnaire to send out to City Action’s community members, to identify the type of support they need.  Undertaking a telephone survey of the community organisations that responded was extremely rewarding and was one of the highlights of my placement.  I found it a privilege to identify the support community organisations need so that corporate volunteers can share their skills and resources. My work with City Action has encouraged me to increase my active involvement within the community.

My other tasks included supporting the City of London’s Employee Volunteering Programme, as well as the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards. Both of these projects gave me the opportunity to practice my writing skills which I very much enjoyed.

Supporting the Dragon Awards programme brought to my attention that as well as success and financial wealth, Corporate Responsibility is a high priority within the City. Writing the pages for the Dragon Awards dinner book showed me that the City goes beyond the Square Mile, as City companies actively support their neighbouring boroughs and the communities that face social exclusion or disadvantage.

Working as City of London employee for nine weeks has been a really positive experience. By working on various projects I have learnt a great deal and I will take these skills away with me so that I can enhance my personal and educational development. I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement and I would recommend the City Business Trainee programme to all A-Level students!”

In our January email update, City Action sent all our clients a selection of volunteering options within schools.  The sessions are aimed at helping the students discover the ‘world of work’, ranging from interview/CV workshops to developing their own product/business concepts.  The support of employee volunteers is vital to these sessions as they bring with them real life knowledge and are positive role models for the young people to spend time with.  City Action has had an excellent response to these sessions and many are now booked-up with willing volunteers. 

City Action also supports businesses that are looking to develop a longer-term relationship with a school, via a reading or mentoring scheme for example.  I have recently co-ordinated review meetings with several businesses and their school partners. The feedback that is given by the schools is always positive as they recognise the value that 1:1 volunteer support provides each child – conversations are littered with phrases such as ‘improved social confidence’, ‘raised self-esteem’ and ‘increased literacy levels’.

The value of business and education support was re-iterated at a celebration event I attended earlier this week hosted by the Southwark Education Business Alliance.  Many businesses ranging from global fuel suppliers to SME law firms were in attendance and all had developed a valuable partnership with a school. Southwark is a borough that has unique challenges – as 4 in 10 children are given free school meals (the national average is 1 in 10).  However, Southwark’s standards of education are continuing to rise and throughout the event  it was stressed how important employee volunteer support is to the schools, particularly to help foster the ‘mindset’ in young people that they would like to achieve in school and in their future careers.

The Government recognises the need for the education and business sectors to work in partnership with one another as their recent publication ‘Building Stronger Partnerships’ illustrates.   I hope that despite the downturn, businesses and their employees continue to consider volunteering as a great opportunity for staff to get out of the office (and their comfort zone!) and as a way of each individual developing personal/professional skills whilst supporting young people at a vital time in their lives -perhaps even more so than ever before.

There is a saying which goes ‘no experience without a job, no job without experience.’  The City of London Business Traineeship (CBT) Programme addresses this paradox by helping high achieving students from the City fringe boroughs to obtain worthwhile paid work placements in City businesses. This year, I was one of over fifty trainees to secure a CBT placement for two months over the Summer and it has been an experience I will never forget.

I was introduced to the programme in early Spring and was immediately keen to take part.  After submitting my CV, I was invited for an interview and then offered an internship at the City of London’s Economic Development Office.  Having an ardent interest in politics and economic regeneration, the placement appealed to me and I began on 7th July.

The first few weeks of my placement were spent with City Action and the Corporate Responsibility Team. Having never worked in the world of ‘CSR’ I was quite apprehensive.  I was immediately thrown in at the deep end creating questionnaires for the charities that City Action helps as well as assisting Corinne with her projects. I even had the opportunity to co-edit the City Action Summer newsletter which I enjoyed thoroughly. 

Networking events I attended such as the City Comm. event and the City Action Community Tour of Islington were fantastic as I got to meet people from both charities and businesses – that are entirely different ends of the spectrum.  The Community Tour was particularly impressive as we were shown the inspirational work of the charities in Islington – which is in fact one of the most deprived boroughs in the country – and how a little help can go to great lengths.   

Throughout my time at City Action I recognised the importance of CSR not only to the charities that are always in need of volunteers but also to the businesses.  The benefits that a CSR programme can bring to a business are remarkable – such as improving staff morale, raising brand profile and increasing staff recruitment and retention. 

My three weeks with City Action taught me a number of things, one of them being the importance of community involvement. As well as valuable experience, this placement has provided me with friends and colleagues who are very supportive and encouraging. 

As I go to university to study Politics and East European Studies in September, I will always remember my time as a CBT and how fascinating working in CSR is.  Thank you to everyone at City Action for making my placement so enjoyable.