Do you have kids? Do you worry about when they have to grow up and find jobs? The HR Headmistress has had an idea...
I talk to people a lot about employment skills, education, workplace learning and their children. I find parents are a constant source of funny stories and dilemmas regarding their kids - how much sugar you let them have, which schools to send them to, the other parents...
I think parents worry about the futures their kids will have. It's enough worrying about your work, health and family, but then the economic situation looks bleak and the future of work looks very different to the way it did five, ten, twenty years ago.
And there's a lot of talk that the knowledge economy does not catch the imagination of children like being an astronaut or footballer - management consultants don't feature often in stories, or on TV. And The Apprentice is not a good example. And there are plenty of other job titles where it's not clear what happens. Do your kids know what you do for work? Do they understand it? And perhaps more tellingly, do your parents understand what you do? Mine don't and my job is not so complex to comprehend. I had to remind my mother the other day that I don't actually work in HR. She was nearly there though.
To this end, our very own HR Headmistress, Kate Russell, has decided it's time to do someting about it. She's offering workshops, free of charge to schools to help them supplement their career education.
She's also launched a website called 'Fly your own rocket' offering free job seeking tools from CV templates, to cover letters and interview tips.
The workshops cover the practical aspects of what is required to secure a job and keep it and are designed to to help prepare school leavers for the workplace.
Build and Fly Your Own Rocket comprises three key workshops, the first of which, ‘Plan Your Journey’ deals with choosing the right area of work.
Secondly, ‘Build Your Own Rocket’ focuses on applying for a job and preparing CVs and cover letter. It deals with how to handle interviews and most importantly, gives clear guidance on how to stand out from the crowd.
The final workshop, ‘Fly Your Own Rocket’ looks at what will be expected once in the workplace, how to keep a job and how to progress along the career path.
Kate said: “I have seen so many young people leaving school who are hopelessly ill prepared for the workplace. The problem is too many young people are starting off life almost unemployable because they lack skills and confidence; and often their conduct in the recruitment process is not up to scratch. I want to do something practical by giving a reality check before they jobhunt and get their expectations set in a realistic fashion about what it takes to secure and hold down a job.”
Interested?
Susie Fisk is the programme co-ordinator. Schools and colleges interested in Build and Fly Your Own Rocket, which is free of charge, can contact Susie and Russell HR Consulting on: 0845 644 8955 or email: hrhotline@russellhrconsulting.co.uk
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