Amey, a leading provider of support services, is working in partnership with the Industrial Trust to inspire young people and help to equip them with the skills they need for their future careers.
Graduates on Amey’s Leadership Development Programme hosted the first in a series of workshops with Year 12 and 13 students from the Oxford Community School. The students were specially selected for being academically able but still at risk of not fulfilling their potential.
The students were given the opportunity to visit Amey’s Head Office in the Oxford Science Park and work on a project specially designed by the graduates. The aim was to help bring aspects of the student’s curriculum to life and help to improve attainment and achievement by giving them the opportunity to learn about graduate career opportunities within a real working environment.
The project offered a typical challenge faced by the business and required the students to listen to the problem, to consider potential solutions and to select and present the best option. Using simple maths skills and drawing on the knowledge gained in their studies, the students were able to determine feasible solutions to the problem.
Matthew Joint, Head of Resourcing at Amey, notes: “The students performed fantastically and were a credit to their school. We hope that by meeting our graduates and having the opportunity to ask questions about their career options, we have helped to give the students an insight into the breadth of opportunities available to them.”
Kirsteen Bailey, a graduate involved in the project also commented: “Overall, we were very impressed with the students’ attitudes and abilities – everyone became really involved with the project and competitive spirits came to the fore as the students tried to ensure that their team was successful. I was delighted to take part in the initiative."
Notes to the Editor
Amey’s Graduate Programme
As a major graduate employer, Amey takes on 120 new graduates each year, of whom 100 are engineers and 20 are placed on the Leadership Programme. While the engineering graduates develop primarily through their progress towards Chartered Engineer status, the Leadership recruits undertake a Graduate Development Programme that includes elements of technical training, leadership training and managerial training.
The partnership with the Industrial Trust is forming a part of the development programme, enabling the graduates to demonstrate leadership skills in designing the content of the project and conducting the visit, as well as acting as role models for the students.
The Industrial Trust
The Industrial Trust is England’s biggest provider of short in-company learning experiences for young people. It offers a range of programmes for young people and their teachers all tailored to agreed learning objectives. It has taken well over 100,000 young people and their teachers to the 700+ companies that support it.