Creating powerful partnerships – with Coventry Building Society
EmployabilityUK has developed an exciting partnership with the Coventry Building Society.
It’s one that will introduce around 80-90 employee volunteers to almost 100 students from six secondary schools in Coventry. Its purpose is to develop the potential of young people and by this we mean:
- Prepare a CV that is impressive, authentic and powerful
- Experience a challenging and realistic interview
- Understand the subtle requirement of work place behaviour
- Have the ability to research, design and deliver a presentation
- Develop resilience
- Make considered and informed choices
- Acquire increased financial awareness
The Coventry Building Society places its responsibilities to the local community high on its social agenda. More than this it creates opportunities for its workforce to participate by allocating specific time for volunteering activities. EmployabilityUK has developed a framework in which volunteers can receive awareness raising, support and structure. It’s a very powerful combination.
Powerful combinations are nothing without the people who provide the energy to bring them to life, to give them an identity and purpose and we have met some very special people. We have delivered 5 briefings attended by staff from across the Society’s departments. A deep cross section of the workforce attended, listened and contributed, it was they who brought our sessions to life.
When we bring colleagues together from across an organisation it seems right that some time is set aside to learn something about each other; what has motivated us to join in? And from colleagues who have recently taken up employment to those who had spent many years working for the Society there was a consistent theme and it is
The desire to “put something back”
There are other motivators
- An acceptance that young people need experiences provided by non-teachers in a different setting
- An understanding that it’s okay to be “uncertain” about choices and that expressing such uncertainty is encouraged and allowed!
The personal experiences of volunteers have led them to understand that there needs to be a well-structured process towards transition from school to the next phase whether it is work, further/higher education or training and that each option is of worth and value. We know that we have here an opportunity to deliver a powerful, meaningful and relevant programme to all concerned with benefits that will prove that once again “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
If you’re interested in any aspect of our work, please get in touch: we’d love to hear from you.
