Since September 2022, Services for Young People (SfYP) Talent Mentors have been working with 80 students at six schools in the Welwyn Hatfield area. The programme is for students eligible for free school meals and the support will continue for the rest of their time at school and for six months after they leave.
Liaising closely with the schools’ Careers Leaders, the Talent Mentors enable the students to overcome barriers to their personal and career development. They take part in activities and employer visits which improve their employability skills, important for doing well in any job.
Visits to local businesses
A visit to Warner Bros. Studios gave Stanborough School students an insight into the roles available at the state-of-the-art film studios based in Leavesden. Meeting members of the Entertainment, Facilities and Technology teams, they were able to ask questions about different job responsibilities and the skills and experience needed for apprenticeships at the company.
Chancellor’s School students attended an activity day at Roche Pharmaceuticals where they had a guided tour of the facilities, took part in a Q&A session around job roles and apprenticeships, and had the opportunity to shadow key corporate employees and graduates.
Students from Onslow St Audrey’s School visited the Tesco head office in Welwyn Garden City, where they took part in a product development competition. This involved designing a healthy meal, purchasing the ingredients from the on-site shop, cooking the meal and then presenting it to the Tesco Product Development Team.
Head of Year 11 at Onslow St Audrey’s School said:
“Thank you for facilitating the mentoring and employer visit. It was a valuable experience for the students, they were buzzing the whole way home after the trip.”
Find out more about SfYP programmes which support young people getting into jobs, education & training.
