Oasis Academy Shirley Park Showcases Excellent Careers Provision to DIT Permanent Secretary, Antonia Romeo

Antonia Romeo met the Associate Principal Adam Browne and staff responsible for careers provision and addressed students to discuss opportunities in the civil service and to share her own career 'moments of choice'. The school showcased the excellent work being done to provide crucial careers provision, which will enhance the life chances of its students. The DIT delegates learnt more about the work done at the school and in partnership with CEC and Coast to Capital. CEC works with the school and over 2,000 other schools and colleges to create connections with business. Its Enterprise Advisers, through its Network, provides strategic counsel to schools on engagement with employers and strengthening connections with local businesses. The school already has an exemplary offer of careers learning activities, and joined the Enterprise Adviser Network last June to enhance this provision.

 

Michelle Gibbins, Head of Careers, ensures that all students have a wealth of opportunities including interview skills for all students and two weeks of work experience at the end of year 10, and personal career progression planning sessions throughout year 11. She is supported by the school's Enterprise Adviser, Tessa Oversby, who is also one of the Academy Councillors. Tessa brings a wealth of experience from the world of work, having been an Employability Manager at Barclays Bank, introducing apprenticeships and production of free career learning materials. Both Tessa and Pru Rowntree, Coast to Capital Enterprise Coordinator for Croydon, are working closely with the school to widen their access to local businesses and knowledge of local opportunities based on work being done by Coast to Capital and Croydon Council. A group of ambitious students from the school have been given access to a CEC mentoring programme connecting them with local business people to support their career planning.

Georgina Angele, Regional Lead at The Careers & Enterprise Company said:

 

"It has been great to see the excellent work being done by Oasis Academy Shirley Park and inspiring to see first-hand the important partnership between the school and the LEP. Connecting young people with local employers helps to ensure they are better prepared for the world of work and we are pleased to be able to share our experience and insight with our colleagues from DIT."

 

Adam Browne, Interim Principal of Oasis Academy Shirley Park, said:

 

"We are very grateful to The Careers & Enterprise Company for all the work they do with our students. At Shirley Park we raise the aspirations of all our young people, providing them with the opportunities to fulfil their full potential. Through this partnership, they gain valuable experience of what they might like to do after they leave education. It was a pleasure for us to welcome Mrs Romeo and her colleagues from the DIT to show them how our students benefit from our work together."

 

Malcolm Brabon, Head of Services at Coast to Capital said:

 

"It was great to see Antonia Romeo inspire a room full of eager young people who had intelligent probing questions around international trade, Brexit and thinking about civil service as a potential career choice. It was clear that many of the students had increased their knowledge about the opportunities available to them which is precisely what the Enterprise Adviser Network is there to help achieve. "

 

The aim of the Enterprise Adviser network is to coordinate offers from volunteer businesses in order to increase the number of times that each student has a meaningful encounter with someone from the world of work.

 

If you or your business would like to support the Enterprise Adviser Network in Croydon we would welcome your input. Please contact Enterprise Coordinator pru.rowntree@coast2capital.org.uk if you would like to find out more.