Education Team at ELBA – Supporting the Lost Generation

Written by Kerry Peters-Taylor, Programme Manager – Education Works

This year has presented us all with challenges, but for the Education Team at ELBA there have also been many opportunities to increase the way we engage and help our local students with our partner companies’ support.

We know students currently studying in all phases of education have been hard hit through the pandemic, with many fears about the longer-lasting implications of the lost learning causing a real decrease of motivation and mental wellbeing. However, the response from our partner companies to offer placements, apprenticeships, and work experience to help these young people has been phenomenal.

At the start of April, we had the pleasure of hosting an information session for students interested in a new scholarship opportunity from Chaucer. This incredible offer is for a student who would otherwise financially struggle to attend university an opportunity to attend, alongside being mentored by Chaucer and receiving work experience throughout. The insurance industry offers bright graduates a dynamic and exciting career, whether you choose to be an underwriter, working with brokers and clients or you prefer to focus on the data to help model risks, there is something for everyone.

We are also working with Linklaters, who managed to turn their work experience offer for students fully virtual, with students offered the chance to meet employees of the firm, work on real life projects and learn work skills. ELBA is supporting to recruit the June 2021 cohort for this experience.

Arnold & Porter joined our Mentoring Works programme this year. This summer, they are offering virtual work experience to Year 12 students who are interested in pursuing a career in law, recognising that entering the profession can be extremely difficult, especially for those from less-advantaged backgrounds. Sessions will include talks, activities and virtual company visits, and at the end of the programme, students are offered the opportunity to join our Mentoring Works programme to further their support.

Finally, we are also excited to have launched our Spotlight Sessions. We know how powerful it is for a student to meet with and hear from employee volunteers, which is more difficult to organise at the moment with schools and colleges still settling back in. These spotlight sessions are opportunities for students from across London to hear from and learn from employees, about a specific soft skill. These spotlight sessions have been designed so that any student, whether they be in their early years of secondary school or in their final year of university, can dial in and learn. We had our first session on Time Management at the end of March, with great feedback.

We are passionate about continuing to share and engage with this growing area of support, aimed at engaging students with work experience, employer interaction and skills development. As we start to plan for a return to normal, with all these opportunities and more taking place, we certainly feel the future is looking a little brighter.

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