Funded since 2006, City Careers Open House (CCOH) is at the heart of our work to raise aspirations among young people in the City fringes and make them aware of the employment opportunities in the Square Mile. Annually, over 1000 state funded primary and secondary school pupils are given the opportunity to visit a City firm including a tour of the building and the opportunity to meet employees from a range of departments. The two components of the project have the following objectives:
Secondary school programme
The secondary schools component is aimed at Years 8 to 10 (ages 12-15) and delivered by The Brokerage Citylink. It involves:
- a half-day interactive session at the City firm incorporating a tour of the building
- sign-posting of students to other raising aspiration opportunities
- post tour evaluation and 6 month tracking to measure the impact of the experience on students future subject and/or career choices
- a dedicated webpage, blog and annual roundtable event aimed at teachers
Primary school programme
The primary school component is aimed at Year 6 pupils (ages 10-11) with the option for their parents/carers to accompany them on the visit. The project is delivered by Prospects Services Ltd and involves:
- a drama based preparatory workshop to help pupils and their parents/carers get ready for the visit to the City firm
- a half-day interactive session at the City firm incorporating a tour of the building
- pre and post tour evaluation measuring the impact of the experience on participants perceptions of the project
- a dedicated website and quarterly meetings with teachers to stay abreast of developments on the project
- information aimed at supporting parents
If your firm is based in the Square Mile and wishing to host a tour please contact Katie at Prospects Services Ltd on 0208 315 1240 for the primary schools component or Rosa at The Brokerage Citylink on 020 7628 9904 for the secondary schools component.
For more information about the City Careers Open House programme, please email edu@cityoflondon.gov.uk
The High Flyers: Springboard to the City project works with City businesses to introduce young people not in education, employment or training -so-called ‘NEETs’ - to life in the Square Mile and the world of work. Delivered by Inspire! the education business partnership for Hackney, the project engages NEETs through voluntary and community organisations across the City’s neighbouring boroughs.
Over 140 ‘NEETs’ aged 18-24 and ‘pre- NEETS’ (young people aged 14-16 at risk of becoming NEET), will have the opportunity to take part in a half-day visit to a City businesses which will include a tour of the building and a workshop on, employability skills supported by employee volunteers. The workshop will cover the following topics:
CV writing
- Interview skills
- Skills for the workplace
- One to one confidence building sessions with employees from different departments
Over the duration of the project 30 of the most enthusiastic participants will participate in a one week placement at the City firm providing valuable work experience. All participants will receive support in identifying further training and employment opportunities after taking part on the project.
City businesses interesting in hosting visits to their premises, or in taking on work placements should contact Inspire! on 020 7275 6060.
City Opportunities is a career aspiration programme for young care leavers living in the fringe boroughs. The week-long sessions provide care leavers with:
specialist careers advice;
confidence and team-building activities;
tours of City firms;
workshops led by City firms;
information on accessing higher education and the support available; and
opportunities to network with City employees.
The programme aims to:
support care leavers to raise their career aspirations and develop an understanding of City sectors; and
provide City firms with an opportunity to engage in Corporate Responsibility activities that support a vulnerable segment of the local community.
The project is delivered by London South Bank University Schools and Colleges Team. City businesses looking to get involved should contact the Team on 020 7815 6722.
The City of London has approved two years of funding for the Future First Network delivered by Future First. The project will build alumni networks for state secondary schools in the City fringes providing an additional resource to schools by identifying a bank of potential volunteers now working in the City to act as mentors, fundraisers, donors and prospective school governors.
There will also be an opportunity for some alumni to go back to their schools to give talks and workshops for assemblies which will provide 690 of these students with a valuable aspiration raising opportunity and raise their awareness of City-type jobs.
To see if your old secondary school is part of the Future First network, please register on the Future First website.
The City of London will also part-sponsor Future First’s inaugural ‘Back to School Week’ scheduled to take place in February 2013.