Portsmouth schoolgirls inspired as part of launch of employability programme

INTERVIEW technique, finance knowledge and CV writing were just some of the skill workshops that more than 90 schoolgirls took part in to introduce them to the world of work.
By Millie Salkeld
Published 6th Mar 2019, 12:53 BST
Updated 6th Mar 2019, 13:55 BST
The Portsmouth Academy held Employability and Money Management workshops on Friday, March 1. Pictured is: (l-r) Evelina Nedvecka (15) and Keira Stringer (15) during a workshop with Portsmouth College. Picture: Sarah Standing (010319-2126)The Portsmouth Academy held Employability and Money Management workshops on Friday, March 1. Pictured is: (l-r) Evelina Nedvecka (15) and Keira Stringer (15) during a workshop with Portsmouth College. Picture: Sarah Standing (010319-2126)
The Portsmouth Academy held Employability and Money Management workshops on Friday, March 1. Pictured is: (l-r) Evelina Nedvecka (15) and Keira Stringer (15) during a workshop with Portsmouth College. Picture: Sarah Standing (010319-2126)

Year 10 pupils from Portsmouth Academy received talks from females speakers from Landsec and Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth College and Trac Finance with the aim to inspire students to raise career aspirations.

Rea King said: ‘I learnt such a lot from all the sessions and speakers and so much of it is things we would not learn otherwise like credit because that is is not on the curriculum.

‘It has really opened my eyes to more career paths.’

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The 15-year-old added: ‘I am actually hunting for my first job at the moment so this has really helped me to understand what I should put on my CV.’

The workshops were delivered by Active Communities Network (ACN) and was the launch of the development charity’s employability programme in Portsmouth.

ACN programme manager Charlotte Bishop said: ‘In the week of International Women’s Day, it was great to work with partners from local businesses to equip young women from Portsmouth with vital skills for the world of employment.

‘The female business leaders were particularly inspirational to the young women, showing them that if you show resilience in the face of adversity you can go on to have successful careers.’

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The ACN team hope to engage over 500 young people over the next two years through workshops, volunteering and work experience opportunities.

Yvonne Clay, senior marketing manager at Gunwharf Quays, said: ‘The pupils that we met were inspiring and passionate, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to talk to this group about our career paths, and to share some of our learnings during our career journeys to date.

‘The place of women in business is now more important than ever, and to help give young people belief that anything is possible is very inspiring.’

The E6 Team from Portsmouth College spoke to the groups about their six strand initiative made up of courses, training and experiences that focus on developing your soft skills in preparation for life after college

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Katie Jobe from the college said: ‘The mission of the E6 Team at Portsmouth College is to provide students with the opportunities to further develop and enhance their employability skills.

‘Working with the year 10 girls at Portsmouth Academy provided them with an excellent opportunity to recognise their employability strengths.’

Chris Bartel Head of Year 9 and 10 added: ‘Our students appreciated the opportunity to work with professionals from outside of school.

‘It is great to have made such a positive start to the partnership between The Portsmouth Academy and Active Communities.

‘We hope this will continue to enthuse our young people, demonstrate opportunities for them and enhance their prospects of making a significant contribution to our community in the future.’