Education summer wrap-up
Education summer wrap-up
Written by Malaika Safder, ELBA Apprentice
What a year for Education Works! As we come to the end of the academic year, we are looking back at what has been achieved. Over just the summer period, a fantastic total of 50 activities were facilitated. Let’s have a look at some of the events the team organised this summer:
Cyber Security Workshop (Accenture)
Accenture hosted a workshop at their office in London which kicked off with introductions and an overview of cyber security, followed by a talk on threat intelligence delivered by a senior Threat Intelligence expert. The students learnt about different cyber attacks, threat actors and motivations for an attack. The students then were given a cyber security challenge and were required to present their analysis, findings and conclusions. The day ended with a panel discussion with 10 members of the security team. They delved into their career journey, what they do and the different roles within the security team. The students had a great time and provided positive feedback after the session:
“Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to give us a wonderful session. I enjoyed learning about all the pathways into cyber security and how wide the job roles within cyber security are. This session encouraged me not to worry about choosing specific degrees I may not enjoy in order to work within a specific field due to the vast variety of roles available.”
– Student feedback
“I thoroughly enjoyed the activity we went through as we got to emulate what someone who works there would go through on a daily basis. It gave me a rough insight of what someone who works in cyber security has to do. I also enjoyed the luxurious experience at the office. I realised you didn’t need to do anything mildly related to cyber security in order to work at a cyber security firm, whereas before I believed that it was STEM in the majority.”
– Student feedback
ELBA and Red Lion Chambers Mock Trial at The Old Bailey Central Criminal Court
To conclude the Mentoring Programme with Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) students and mentors from Red Lion Chambers (RLC), the students took part in a Mock Trial at The Old Bailey. Red Lion Chambers volunteers acted as jurors and witnesses, with the Recorder of London, HHJ Mark Lucraft KC as Judge. The aim of the Mentoring Programme was to build students’ confidence and raise their aspirations, expand their professional network, and introduce students to the world of the Bar. Mentees were given the opportunity to showcase skills such as public speaking, critical thinking and the art of forming a persuasive, cohesive argument. The mock trial was a huge success and the mentees presented themselves professionally and confidently – a reflection of their hard work and dedication to the programme. A huge well done and congratulations to the mentees, and thank you to RLC for supporting the mentoring programme for another year!
“This experience has allowed me to have a deeper appreciation for the work lawyers do everyday and the sacrifices they make. This mentoring experience has solidified my conviction to pursue a career at the Bar and I would highly recommend this mentoring programme to any and all university students.”
– Student feedback
“I found the chances to conduct the opening speech, cross examination and closing speech very interesting since I have not tried any of these before. It led me to thinking if I am more suitable as a potential barrister or solicitor.”
– Student feedback
Career Insight Visit at Man Group
A group of Year 9 students from one of our partner schools in Newham spent the day at the Man Group office for a Career Insight Visit. The day began with a speed networking activity, followed by a detailed session on investing and portfolio diversification. The students participated in a ‘Trading Game’, competing against each other to see who could achieve the highest returns from their investments. The winners received branded merchandise, which was kindly gifted by Man Group! The day concluded with an office tour and an opportunity to network with two Man Group employees, one who is currently on the graduate programme and the other is on an apprenticeship scheme. Thank you to everyone at Man Group for hosting a really fantastic day!
“I’m happy to say that my time here was well spent. The volunteers were so kind and inspiring. I definitely feel like I might have a future here or in this field.”
– Student feedback
MW event at Arnold and Porter
The Mentoring Works team has been buzzing with excitement over the past few weeks, celebrating the remarkable achievements of all the students enrolled on the programme. Our mentoring journey at Arnold and Porter finished with a fantastic celebration event on the 19th of July. It was an absolute joy to hear from our mentees and mentors, and to learn about their inspiring plans for the future.
As we reflect on the month, a major highlight has been witnessing many students from this year’s cohort securing valuable work placements. It’s heartwarming to see the positive impact of mentorship and the bright opportunities it has opened up for these young individuals.
“Mentoring Works, in short, has been a huge success for me and has been a very enjoyable programme. I was paired up with an amazing mentor who was eager and willing to support me with all my needs throughout. Mentoring Works, my mentor, and the brilliant team, this would not have been possible. I am ever grateful to ELBA and would 100% recommend the programme to any aspirational students who are seeking support for their career.”
– Student feedback
Eden Girls BOSS Day – Mock Interviews
Eden Girls School held an interview day for their year 10 students, on BOSS Day to help inspire students with their future career choices. The aim of the Mock Interviews was to mimic a real-life interview so that the students had the chance to practise their interview techniques in preparation for the working world!
We had volunteers across multiple companies who signed up to interview – they did an incredible job making the students feel comfortable whilst also providing them with valuable feedback on the qualities employers look for.
“I felt like this mock interview was very insightful into how a real life interview may be. The volunteers gave constructive feedback for improvements and what went well!”
– Student feedback
“Volunteers made us feel comfortable to talk to them, good view of how interview will be and good feedback given”
– Student feedback
“A wonderful day with fantastic students – the future is very bright at Eden School!”
– Volunteer feedback
Citi Global Community Day Workshops
We had a very busy summer with Citi who held 8 workshops with multiple schools at their office in June as part of their annual Global Community Day. From Career Insight Visits to Assessment Centre Insights, the volunteers at Citi worked extremely hard to ensure the students had the most rewarding and insightful time at the company. Thank you for the ongoing support!
“Getting to know the volunteers was a delight, as we were able to gain an insight into the wide range of backgrounds that they had, and the routes they took to get to Citi. The unconventional routes surprised me, and opened my eyes to new avenues into business. Thank you for the opportunity!”
– Student feedback
“Getting a chance to talk to a variety of different professionals and being able to learn and take advice directly from them. The informality of this was especially effective as it meant there was a much more personal tone when receiving advice.”
– Student feedback
“It was very satisfying to be able to see the students both enjoying themselves and also thinking about business and finance through the business challenge. I am glad that they got to work with each other and practise their presenting skills. It was also good to give them exposure to Citi and the nature of the work environment here.”
– Volunteer feedback
“The engagement with the younger generation. Hearing their views, values, opinions is really important as they are the future and they don’t see the world the way we do.”
– Volunteer feedback
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