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Young Chamber support in schools

News from Young Chamber

Working in partnership with Careers & Enterprise Company and Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, Young Chamber is organising mini careers events with St Osmund’s School and St Mary’s School in Dorchester.

It has been identified that students progressing to upper school from middle schools after Year 8 need to receive the same level of careers support as their peers who attend upper school from Year 7.  This is especially important as middle school students join upper school in Year 9 – the same year they make their GCSE choices.

Research has shown employer contact from Y7 upwards can greatly impact students when it comes to career choices and it is has recently become a requirement for schools to make this provision.

Therefore we need your help!  We are seeking 15 business people from different sectors and with a mixed range of ages and genders to take part in a generic ‘speed mock interviews’ for Y8 students at the schools to prepare them for the ongoing careers activity they will take active part in when they attend upper school.  The interviews will be ‘light touch’ and fun, and will be the first experience the students have in this situation so they will learn a lot.

Format: 

  • Students will prepare a personal statement to bring to the event and employers will be seated at individual tables.
  • Students will be briefed on what to expect and what they are required to do in terms of greeting each employer and introducing themselves.
  • Employers will have the opportunity to read the personal statement before asking them questions relating to it (we will also provide a list of suggested questions for guidance).
  • Interviews will last 4 minutes each and students will rotate to a maximum of 4 employers during each session.

We appreciate this request is at short notice, therefore I would be extremely grateful if you could let me know by return email joan.senior@dcci.co.uk as soon as possible if you are available to take part in either – or both – sessions, as follows:

Tuesday 2nd July 08:30-13:00hrs at St Osmund’s Middle School, Barnes Way, Dorchester, DT1 2DZ

Tuesday 9th July 08:30-13:00hrs at St Mary’s Middle School, Coombe Road, Puddletown, Dorchester, DT2 8SA

As always, we will be supporting this activity through Dorset Chamber’s communication channels and will be very happy to mention your company’s contribution or time and experience.

Paul Appleby
Author: Paul Appleby