CA: Full Steam Ahead!
It has been a busy term for our CA UK students so far!
Yr 12 met their assigned Business Mentors from O2. All of the mentors, who will work with our students on a regular and one-to-one basis, are Senior Managers within the company, many of them flying in from Glasgow and London to meet our students at the Preston Brook O2 building.
Yr 12 also attended a Business Conference and workshops at Accenture, by Manchester Airport, working with employees within the company and other A level students from the Northwest.
Yr 13 attended a conference at Salford Innovation Centre, Salford University, focussing on Accounting and Finance. Students took part in a range of activities and attended workshops which were run by Yorkshire Bank, The Financial Skills Partnership, KPMG and Penna plc.
Hopefully, all of the events will help our students to find out more about opportunities available to them when they leave St Chad's and where they can be found as well as enhancing their knowledge of the Business and I.T world.
For the Year 13 students the Careers Academy two years is coming to an end and they are now looking forward to their graduation in May. When we spoke to them, they said:
"The experience has changed my life"
"It has inspired me to aim higher"
"I'm so glad I took part in the Careers Academy Experience"
Well done to them all.
MOD Visit - November 2011
As part of the Capital Experience Day, St Chad’s School, Runcorn and St John Fisher School, Dewsbury were able to visit MOD Headquarters in Whitehall. During their two hour visit the groups toured the building including the historical Henry VIII Wine Cellar, part of the old Palace of Whitehall and deep underneath the building. Over lunch students were talked to by 9 MOD staff who described their roles and careers to date which for some included tours of duty overseas in support of operations. A particular highlight of the visit was a visit to the group by Lord Astor, Under Secretary of State for Defence who sits in the House of Lords and he briefed the students on his role, the working of Parliament, and even brought the Ministerial Red Box for the students to hold.
Andy Gillman MBE – who runs the MOD Education Outreach Programme and has hosted students on the capital experience day for at least 5 years commented – it was a real pleasure to host the two student groups. For some if was their first time in London and to be able to let them meet a Defence Minister in a building opposite Downing street and just up from Parliament – locations they usually only ever see on TV, was a great treat. The students were really buzzing as they left MOD and walked the short distance to the Royal Festival Hall.
Ruth Brown visits St Chad's
On 8th February 2011 the members of the Careers Academy attended a presentation at St Chad's School by Ruth Brown, Franchise Development Manager from Home Instead, a national care home franchise.
The subject of the presentation was franchising a new business and the group found it really informative. In addition, Ruth felt that it was extremely valuable for her to talk to a group of young people who were keen to develop an understanding of the business world.
Students on London Tour
On 30th November 2010 12 Business and IT Yr 12 students met at a very snowy St Chads at 4.45 A.M! All were dressed up nice and cosy carrying business wear in holdalls to change into on the way down, so that they arrived dressed to impress!
Our first stop was Lloyds of London, originally a coffee shop in Tower Street where brokers sold insurance to ships in the 1600s; now the biggest insurance market in the world with offices operating around the globe.
Once through security, we were taken by our usher up to the Boardroom on the 11th floor. The building is an amazing piece of architecture with the glass lifts travelling up the outside of the building giving us a breathtaking view over snowy London City.
After a speech by one of Lloyds senior executives, we were given lunch and a guided tour seeing just what it would be like to work in this industry in our capital city.
Our next stop was IndigO2 at the O2 arena where our students attended a conference with all the other Career Academy undergraduates form around the UK and where they were taught how to 'network'. Of course, this was a business skill that our St Chads students took to with enthusiasm and many contacts were made.
The day was inspirational and enlightening and our students were a credit to themselves, their families and our Sixth form!
STUDENT QUOTES:
'I hope we can go on more things like this. It was a really interesting way to learn'
'I've realised from today that I would like to work in the city. Something I'd not thought about before'