Year 13 Students at Ron Dearing UTC have gained valuable skills and insight to help them prepare for their next chapter after full-time education.
The UTC hosted a number of personal development activities during the Autumn term to give students vital skills to help them succeed when taking their first steps into the world of work.
Activities kicked off with an application preparation session hosted by one of Ron Dearing’s founding partners, Spencer Group.
The business’s HR Director Yvonne Moir spoke to students and provided information and guidance on best practices when preparing for and attending interviews and assessment days, including what makes a good covering letter and how to tackle tricky interview questions.
Students also participated in elevator pitches with partner, Harper Fox, and worked on putting together short pitches about their selves, highlighting their skills, experience and best assets to offer a potential employer.
Over 40 volunteers from 15 employer partners also ran mock interviews for the students, who had the opportunity to take part in multiple interviews, utilising the feedback from each one to improve their performance in the next.
A Level Photography and Digital Media student, Kai Bulliment, said: “Ron Dearing UTC prepares you for employment from Year 10. I’ve taken part in mock interviews and had really useful feedback covering both my strengths and weaknesses, which will stand me in good stead for when I have actual interviews.
“It’s boosted my confidence, as I know I am capable of making a good impression.”
The personal development activities culminated with Ron Dearing’s annual Apprenticeship Expo. Eighteen of the school’s founding and employer partners attended the event and spoke to students about the exciting opportunities available in fields such as renewable energy, IT, engineering, health and social care, design and recruitment.
Year 13 Double Engineering, Electronics, and Computing student, Olivier Dobosz said: “It’s been great to see what opportunities are available. In recent weeks we have been learning a lot about how to interview, how to speak with employers, how to draft CVs and personal statements, and so much more.
“This has all been really beneficial and I’m feeling confident about applying for jobs in the future.”
Many of the school’s alumni, who are now succeeding in their careers, were in attendance and spoke to current students about the experiences of stepping into employment.
One of those was Tom O’Loughlin, who is now a Trainee Engineer at one of the school’s founding partners, Spencer Group.
He said: “When I was at Ron Dearing UTC I learnt about the different employees which are partners of the school and Spencer Group stood out to me because of its diverse range of projects, and the chance to work in all kinds of different environments.
“As a former student myself, it has been great to attend the Apprenticeship Expo on behalf of Spencer Group and share my first-hand experience of going from the school into employment with the current students.”
Students were able to ask questions and network with employers, gaining valuable information ahead of apprenticeship and job applications.
Megan Coates, Graduate Development Scientist at Smith + Nephew said: “As a Hull-founded business and a partner of Ron Dearing UTC, it’s great to be able to meet local talent at an early stage.
“The students are always so well prepared for life after education, and events like this – as well as a recent mock interview event that we were also involved with – really contribute towards this.
“We love getting involved with work like this. It’s great to be able to see the enthusiasm from the workers of the future, and who we may end up working alongside in years to come.”
Concluding, Ron Dearing’s Senior Assistant Principal, Glenn Jenson added: “As an employer-led school, it’s vitally important that our employers play a leading part in our curriculum. Part of that is the destinations and the support that we give our young people.
“The Apprenticeship Expo is a fantastic event where our current Year 13 students that are looking to go into industry with some of these employers, can actually speak with them face to face and find out about the types of careers that are on offer this year, and what the companies are doing in a little bit more detail.”
