Posted: 13/05/15
Employability workshops are just the job
Students at West Nottinghamshire College have been getting top tips on what it takes to succeed in the job market.
Engineering students Peter Oravecz, Michael Kirkbride, Sam Palfreyman, Tamas Kiss, Will Harper and Connor Dobbin at a Barclays Prepare to Work session
The college’s careers and employability team delivered a series of workshops and activities to prepare students for the world of work – looking at everything from what employers expect from applicants, to applying for jobs and succeeding at interview.
More than 850 students have benefitted from the sessions, which ran from February to early May at its campuses across Mansfield and Ashfield.
They were held as part of the Barclays Prepare to Work scheme – a national programme run by the leading banking group to help college students improve their chances of securing and maintaining employment. Participating colleges receive teaching resources and support to equip young people with the knowledge needed to successfully navigate the recruitment process.
Activities are designed to be both engaging and informative, and cover a range of topics including interview techniques, recruitment and selection methods, and understanding pay, while also raising awareness of entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities.
Former hit television game show Blockbusters was played to help students understand commonly-used phrases connected with employment, with the winners receiving USB stick wrist-bands containing examples of CVs and covering letters to employers.
Glenn Wilson, careers and employability consultant at the college, said: “The activities have been invaluable in teaching students the essential skills and knowledge needed when applying for jobs so that they can achieve their goals and aspirations.
“Entering the jobs market can seem very daunting, with interviews to prepare for and the need to demonstrate you possess the attributes employers are looking for, so this was about guiding students through the process in a clear and jargon-free way that gives them the confidence to succeed.”
Photo shows engineering students (from left) Peter Oravecz, Michael Kirkbride, Sam Palfreyman, Tamas Kiss, Will Harper and Connor Dobbin took part in an employability session at the college’s Engineering Innovation Centre, Sutton-in-Ashfield, on Friday 8 May, which saw them crowned champions of the specially-tailored Blockbusters television gameshow.
