NEWS & EVENTS 
Take a look at what has been going on at Learning to Work lately 
 
 
 
 
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK 
 
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 
 
 

SLOUGH PARENTS' APPRENTICESHIP EVENT OCTOBER 2019 

Together with top volunteers from Berkeley Homes, Beaumont Estate, BPS World, Brightred Resourcing, Resource Productions, Frimley Health, Slough Urban Renewal, HP Ltd, The Royal Collection Trust – Windsor Castle, GSK and Heathrow Windsor Marriott, parents and students had the chance to hear about the apprenticeship pathway into work and just how much local organisations value apprenticeships in the workplace. 
 
Resource Productions is a small enterprise and key player in volunteering in Slough who share knowledge and give back to the community. “It is really good to hear parents asking important questions on the value of apprenticeships and busting a few apprenticeship myths.” Dominique Montagnon, CEO 
 
 
Feedback from an event of this nature is most valuable heard from a parent’s point of view: 
 
“An informative evening which for parents and students was very worth while and a good introduction to represent the work place” 
 
We were pleased to welcome hundreds of parents through the door and gained an encouraging response enabling us to hopefully facilitate another: “As a parent I really appreciate a local service like this to find out what local employers are offering. It has been a very informative evening which has enabled us to make more informed decisions about steps post a GCSE qualification. I really enjoyed meeting the exhibitors and listening to the talks which were just the right amount the time and length.” 
 
BPS World sent a team to support parents with their decisions commenting: “A great opportunity to educate the wider community on apprenticeships as they are still not well known, and the benefits for those who are particularly looking at an alternative route to university.” 
 
“This event is really useful for students and shows young people the alternative routes available.” Hewlett Packard team. 
 
“We are delighted that we were able to offer this impactful event for Slough parents. The turnout proves the need for this type of activity that equips parents with the information they need to help their children make the right career decisions. We are extremely pleased that we were able to open parents’ minds to the opportunities offered by apprenticeships.” Rachael Burt, CEO, Learning to Work 
 
Learning to Work were able to gather together a distinguished group of people for the benefit of the Slough community thanks to the support of Mars Wrigley and their vision to drive local people into local jobs. 
 
Learning to Work continue to forge links with businesses to help students reach their full potential and hope to educate them and lead them into careers which match their skillsets. 
 
 

MARS WRIGLEY - LEGO MINDSTORMS SEPTEMBER 2019 

Slough’s *Mars Wrigley factory hosted the event where students were challenged to build a Lego robot almost from scratch and program it to win a race on a Lego racetrack. The students were placed into 12 teams of 4, with every student in a team being from a different school. This activity gave a taster of a real first day at work, working with a team of strangers. A volunteer from Mars mentored each group of students throughout the day. 
 
This event had an added advantage for students as it met the following Gatsby Benchmarks. Benchmark 2 ‘learning from career and labour market information’, Benchmark 4 ‘linking the curriculum learning to careers’, Benchmark 5 ‘encounters with employers and employees’ and Benchmark 6 ‘experience of workplaces’ 
 
*Slough Mars Wrigley have been awarded Rank 1 in the UK’s best Super Large (+1,000 employees) workplace for women in 2019 as well as Rank 5 in the UK’s best Super Large workplace in 2019. 
 
Contact us if you need more information on the Gatsby Benchmark and how Learning to work can help you. 
 
 

ST EDWARD'S MIDDLE SCHOOL - SCHOOL COUNCIL TRAINING OCTOBER 2019 

Their own MP - Windsor's Adam Afriyie - came along to talk to the children about the workings of the House of Commons. Students elected onto the School Council will get a chance to visit the House of Commons later in the school year. 
 
Mr Afriyie said: “I was deeply impressed and inspired by the questions and enthusiasm, but also the level of knowledge of politics. These training sessions will really help the pupils to find their way in life.” 
 
The event they had been attending was designed to teach them the skills of listening when they are in meetings and good teamwork. 
 
 

MOSAIC SOUTH EAST REGIONAL FINAL - ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE MARCH 2019 

Over the course of the programme all mentors have been enthusiastic and motivated which has encouraged students to mirror this same enthusiasm. The team of volunteers from Centrica (British Gas) who mentored Ditton Park Academy notified me that although they did not win, they have received the go-ahead from their director to donate the £500 investment that students would have received had they won, and will send a group of volunteers to the school to put the students' social enterprise idea in place. 
 
Learning to Work are so grateful to our school and business partners for making this year another huge success. 
 
 

OUR WORK WITH MAIDEN ERLEGH TRUST SCHOOLS 2018-2019 

 
 

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY LEARNING TO WORK JANUARY 2019 

 
 
 

SELCO STAR AWARDS OCTOBER 2018 

 
 
 

SHANLEY FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTING CAREERS - PLAN BUILD EVENT - OCTOBER 2018 

Nancy Lalor, operations director at Learning to Work, comments: “Learning to Work is thrilled to have partnered with the Shanly Foundation for the Design, Plan, Build event. Bringing careers to life and initiating interaction with professionals is key to helping young people explore the world of work and all it has to offer. 
 
“To enable young people to make informed choices about their futures and understand the possibilities open to them from studying certain subjects at GCSE, there is no better way than bringing them face to face with potential employers to understand more about expectation, entry levels and day to day life in a professional environment.” 
 
Students worked with staff members from Shanly Homes, to gain an overview of the construction sector and the range of career paths open to them. Volunteers introduced students to their organisation, described their roles within that organisation and discussed the skills and abilities they possessed which helped them achieve their career goals. Pupils were also informed of the entry level requirements for roles within the industry. 
The year 9 attendees were from Beechwood School, Herschel Grammar, Burnham Park Academy, Desborough School, Sandhurst School and Bishopshalt School. 
 
Tamra Booth, trustee at the Shanly Foundation, comments: “Working with young adults and educating them about the careers available to them in the construction industry is something that we are honoured to be a part of. We hope that the Design, Plan, Build programme educated the students about a career path that is frequently overlooked in education. Ultimately, we hopeit has inspired them to consider a job in this sector.” 
 
 

LEARNING TO WORK NEW HOME JULY 2018 

 
 
 

HEATHROW SECONDARY SCHOOL CHALLENGE APRIL - JUNE 2018 

 
 
 

THAMES VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EDUCATION AND BUSINESS PARTNER AWARDS 2018 

 
 
 

MOSAIC ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE SOUTH EAST REGIONAL FINALS MARCH 2018 

A budding team of young entrepreneurs from Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy won the Enterprise Challenge and took home the first regional trophy of 2018. The team won over the judges over with their unique idea of scanning donated textbooks to create a revision resource for students at their school, before donating the books to a partner school in a developing country. 
 
Well done to everyone that took part. 
 
https://www.mosaicnetwork.co.uk/lynch-hill-enterprise-academy-win-mosaic-enterprise-challenge-south-east-regional-final-2018/ 
 
The Grand Finals will be held in London on 16th May and teams will compete for the following prizes:- 
 
• £2500 for their school 
• £500 to launch their social enterprise prizes 
• A winner’s trophy plus individual prizes 
• A one of kind day in London 
 
 

SlOUGH YOUNG CHAMBER SPRING 2018 

 

SUPPORTING THE MOVE TO EMPLOYMENT MARCH 2018 

Learning to Work value the work that we are able to deliver in the community but it is only possible with valuable feedback of this nature and ongoing evaluation. This is one example out of dozens in the last Academic year where we have been able to turn around the lives of young people thanks to our team of keyworkers. 
 

SLOUGH ASPIRE CAREERS EVENT FEBRUARY 2018 

On arrival Year 9 students received a pathways presentation delivered by Learning to Work highlighting the various choices open to them at Post 16, followed by a fast paced Q & A session during which students asked questions exploring apprenticeships, skills for the workforce, entry level requirements and generally exploring the responsibilities and tasks behind the various roles held by each of our panellists. Equipped with the information received in Zone 1 students made their way to Zone 2 where they interacted for a further hour with over 65 exhibitors in the Market Place to further research the job opportunities that await them. 
 
Quotes: 
 
“Talent is the life force of British business and Slough Aspire, supported by our partners SEGRO Plc and Windsor Forest Colleges Group, is committed to investing in Slough’s future talent by sponsoring the Slough Aspire Careers Event. By creating this opportunity for the Town’s year 9 pupils to meet local businesses, from micros to corporates, we are helping to ensure that the Slough business community benefits from a talent pipeline that is skilled to meet their needs now and in the future.” Fiona Jones Chief Executive 
 
“A fantastic range of insight and experience gained that has inspired our Year 9 students for their GCSE options and beyond” David Wilkins, Herschel Grammar School 
 
‘Galliford Try Building Southern is delighted to be attending and supporting this fantastic Careers Fair for the second year running. By supporting this event we will be showcasing the diverse roles with the construction industry, while offering work experience opportunities and chance to engage with members of a project team’ Heather Bryant, Community Liaison Manager 
 
There is nothing we can’t do if we aspire. Learning to Work introduces school children to who they could be… It is such important work and I truly feel privileged to support them.’ Tan Ikram, Deputy Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate) of England & Wales 
 
The Slough Aspire Careers Event was an opportunity for business, college and universities to bring careers advice to life for young people, teachers, parents and carers and for all attendees to find out first hand about local opportunities available to them. Throughout the event the message was very clear that good qualifications are important however they only form part of the expectations from employers, it is the above and beyond that make candidates stand out from the crowd. Volunteering, evidence of a can do attitude, good team work and use of initiative could be the difference between securing a position or not, so the advice was start now, get involved and look at ways to start developing the above and beyond skills and gaining the above and beyond experiences that employers are looking for in their future workforce. Nancy Lalor, Acting CEO LTW 
 
 
 

LEGO MINDSTORMS STEM EVENT - CA TECHNOLOGIES JANUARY 2018 

Participating schools included Slough and Eton Enterprise College and Herschel Grammar School in Slough, Trevelyan Middle School in Windsor and The E-Act Burnham Park Academy. 
 
The session was part of CA Technologies’ Create Tomorrow initiative, which aims to plug the skills gap between young women and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers. 
 
“For Europe to stay economically competitive, we need more girls to pursue STEM,” said Sarah Atkinson, Vice President, Communications at CA Technologies. 
 
“Our aim is to help address the gender imbalance by building positive perceptions of women in STEM.” 
 
 

CHARTERS SCHOOL CAREERS EVENT JANUARY 2018 

This successful event left many exhibitors saying that the students were very engaged and asked lots of questions. The whole of year 9 and 11 attended at designated slots (nearly 500 students), with sixth form and Year 10 attending in their breaks, in all over 600 students come to visit the event. 
 
Thank you to all who have supported this event. 
 
 

THAMES VALLEY BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY AWARDS JANUARY 2018 

 
 

SEGRO PLC COMMUNITY AWARD NOVEMBER 2017 

Neil Impiazzi, SEGRO Partnership Development Director, said: 
 
“Learning to Work is a fantastic charity focused on getting young people better prepared for the world of work and inspiring the next generation of employees and entrepreneurs in Slough. The smart combination of helping young people to develop the employability skills, whilst giving something back to the community made the Volunteering Passport a very worthy winner of the SEGRO Community Award. 
 
The project selected is an innovative activity involving Learning to Work keyworkers supporting 12 young people to gain Volunteer Passports. SEGRO Volunteer Passport will run for 12 weeks and is a way for 16-19 year olds to gain a recognised qualification for their volunteering. The 12 young people selected will be given the opportunity to develop their self confidence, communication and work ready skills through volunteering in the Slough area. It is important that a culture of giving back is imbedded in young people’s lives to ultimately develop our volunteers of tomorrow. The young people will be able to enhance working relationships in the community and encourage partnership working by their involvement". 
 
“We are thrilled to receive this Award. As a charity we have been supporting education for over 24 years and this is founded on the principals of volunteering in the community. Every year thousands of business volunteers work with us and give back to the community where they live and work. We hope this initiative will provide the community with a new pool of volunteers for the future at the same time as creating a volunteer culture amongst the most vulnerable in our society ” says Nancy Lalor, CEO Learning to Work. 
 
 

VMWARE POST 16 STEM CONFERENCE OCTOBER 2017 

The event came to a close with a fast paced speed networking session where 21 business volunteers shared with students their knowledge, know how and top tips on the industry they work in. With so much interest and so many questions our volunteers then took to the floor for a final Q & A session before they headed back to the day job! 
 
We were thrilled to be joined today by the Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest, Councillor Mrs Tina McKenzie-Boyle (photo attached) who was both inspiring and totally engaged in the activities students were participating in. 
 
“The feedback from today’s event was very positive and clearly showed the appetite in young people to be able to interact and hear first hand from business ambassadors about the world of work. There are so many opportunities awaiting young people but where to start, what the various roles entail and how to find out about them is a daunting process for many young. Events like today have a lasting impact on young people and can be really motivating and thought provoking. For instance we heard today that 65% of young people are currently being educated for jobs that don’t even exist yet! Understanding expectations, current entry levels and what makes a successful team in the work place are all key to raising awareness for young people to help them focus on life after education. Nancy Lalor CEO Leaning to Work 
 
Todays WOOP (Worlds of Opportunity) event was led by Leaning to Work and forms part of a Berkshire wide initiative led by Adviza to recruit and upskill the talent that Berkshire’s employers desperately need to remain innovative and competitive. 
 
The WOOP programme promotes opportunities, seeks talent and helps to ensure that education and training programmes keep pace with employers’ needs. 
 
Berkshire suffers major skills shortages for jobs that require science, maths, and engineering or technology qualifications. 27% of all jobs in Berkshire are in these fields. 1 in 10 jobs is in digital technology – three times higher than the national average. Berkshire has 42,000 employers looking for these specialist skills. Many report that they struggle to fill vacancies, particularly for jobs in health, energy and the environment. 
 
 

GIRLS CAN CREATE TOMORROW - HOSTED BY CA TECHNOLOGIES SEPTEMBER 2017 

Over 80 local Year 8 girls attended the full day event, which saw volunteers from all four companies running interactive workshops designed to help students discover the value of STEM and the world of work. Other sessions included a People Like Me teaching session, delivered by executives from CA, to identify which personality traits are best suited to which STEM careers; and a panel Q&A with female role models from a range of different technology careers. 
 
Sarah Atkinson, VP Communications for EMEA at CA Technologies, said: “There is a major STEM skills gap in Europe, which is having a huge impact not just on our industry, but on broader society as our lives become more digital.” 
 
A member of the board of techUK and member of the Women in Tech Council, she added: “Together, industry, government and schools must work together to change the perception, often held by girls, that STEM jobs are just “for boys”, so introducing young women to such an incredible range of female role models can have a very powerful effect.” 
 
CA Technologies, which also supports the European Commission’s Grand Coalition on Digital Jobs, ran the Girls Can Create Tomorrow event as part of its Create Tomorrow initiative, an EMEA-wide program that engages its 2,000 strong workforce in the region in programs to help acknowledge the skills gap and champion the creation of digital jobs. Since its launch in 2015, Create Tomorrow has reached over 10,000 students across EMEA. 
 
Students attended from Herschel Grammar, Slough; Trevelyan Middle School, Windsor; Burnham Park Academy, Burnham; and Slough & Eton Enterprise College, Slough. 
 
Alizeh Noon, a 12 year old student from Slough & Eton Enterprise College, said: “I really enjoyed the event, especially the CA Technologies workshop on coding. I think it’s important for there to be equal numbers of boys and girls in STEM, and that people don’t underestimate girls. I’m even more interested in a career in STEM than I was when I arrived today.” 
 
 

THE LEXICON EMPLOYMENT PATHWAYS PROGRAMME 2016 - 2017 

The purpose was to deliver a series of employment pathways events to ensure that job opportunities were transmitted to as wide an audience as possible. This enabled BRP’s project partners to offer a first class service to their retailers to fill their available vacancies as seamlessly as possible. The activities supported promotion of the scheme to local residents and raised people’s aspirations in regards to careers in retail, hospitality and the leisure sectors. 
 
Over the past year, working with our partners at Bracknell & Wokingham College, Elevate Bracknell Forest, Mapis Project CIC and JobCentre Plus, Learning to Work has put together and delivered a programme of activities which have included running lively focus groups for adults and post 16s, Lexicon business insight days for students invited from all Bracknell Forest schools, retail careers insight sessions held at The Grange and the Coppid Beech hotels, a retail pathways course and job preparation workshops for stakeholders with SEND. 
 
This all culminated in two heavily over subscribed, very successful jobs fairs, one in June held at the Grange hotel and the latter in August at Garth Hill College. The data collected from all events highlighted the need for such activities to take place and recorded the successful outcomes from all of them. 
 
 

CONTROL TECHNOLOGY - DESBOROUGH COLLEGE JULY 2017 

The volunteers encouraged students to grasp a passion and take risks with it, instead of settling for the traditional, more ‘realistic’ career path. This was put into practise with the control technology that the young men were learning about during the session. The students were introduced to coding using LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ technology, and were tasked with building and programming a robot pod. The shyness in the room dissipated as soon as the robots were introduced, and was replaced with enthusiasm and excitement, as the students ran backwards and forwards from the racetrack in an attempt to make their robot avoid all the obstacles and beat the other teams in the fastest time possible. 
 
It was a fantastic session and we are extremely grateful to Honda for being a part of it. For more information about how you can get involved in WOOP opportunities and events, please visit www.woop.org.uk
 
 

FUTURE FOCUS - LANGLEY ACADEMY JULY 2017 

The first day was split between O2 and Slough Aspire, with students swapping over at lunchtime. 
 
At O2, with the support of an army of O2 volunteers, the students developed their interview skills and the importance of networking. This session was delivered in conjunction with ‘WOOP’ (Worlds of Opportunity’). WOOP is a project set up in Berkshire to raise awareness of, and get more young people engaged in, STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). As well as developing their networking skills, Langley Academy students also undertook one-to-one mock interviews with O2 employees. They were encouraged to build on their existing skills base, with the added benefit of potential gaps in their knowledge highlighted to them. This enabled them to identify their professional strengths and development needs. For more information about how you can get involved in WOOP opportunities and events, please visit www.woop.org.uk. 
 
The focus at Slough Aspire was branding and etiquette; Mars led a ‘How to Brand Yourself’ session, which dovetailed into a ‘Business Etiquette’ session delivered by Kevin McGann (an independent consultant). They introduced the students to the importance of developing a personal brand, because it is now recognised that qualifications without additional skills are not enough to arrest employers. It is for this reason that Langley Academy senior leaders chose Learning to Work to deliver the ‘Work Ready Conference’ to their lower sixth form. Our relationship with a diverse range of businesses enables us to introduce students to entrepreneurs, individuals working for large corporations (in this instance Mars and O2), recent apprentices and graduates, and so the list goes on. This provides students with the opportunity to engage with, and learn from, ambassadors across a wide variety of backgrounds. 
 
On day two, the students used their newly developed personal branding awareness and USP (unique selling point) knowledge to aid them when it came to the CV surgery. After John French (of French Estates), introduced them to the importance of a CV, and likened it to a passport (just as you cannot travel without a passport, you cannot enter the world of work without a CV), the students undertook the task of perfecting their personal profile. 86% of students said that they found the conference valuable, and special mention was given to the CV surgery. It was brilliant to see such enthusiasm as they became aware of just how many fantastic skills and qualities they possess something they often seemed to forget to promote. 
 
83% of students felt that the conference made them more aware of their own strengths and what they can offer to a future employer. Our business volunteers commented that over the two days, the students made significant progress in understanding how to identify their needs for the working world and address them in an impactful way. 
 
Thank you to our business volunteers for your continued support in helping young people make a lasting professional impression. 
 
 

WORK READY CONFERENCE - BAYLIS COURT & WINDSOR GIRLS SCHOOL JULY 2017 

Students were introduced to a wide breadth of different skills across the three days, but, equally if not more importantly, they were also introduced to approximately 100 business volunteers from a range of industries. 
 
With the support of our diverse business volunteers the students developed a wide range of skills involved in the world of work. Here is a taster of the workshops that we conducted: Interview Skills, how to network, finding their USP (unique selling point), how to personally brand yourself… and that’s just the start! 
 
Additionally, both schools undertook a CV workshop which involved an introduction to the importance of a fantastic CV from ‘Record Currency Management Ltd’ (at Baylis Court School) and ‘Reckitt Benckiser’ (at Windsor Girls School). Windsor Girls students will not only be able to use their developed skills in their everyday life, they will also be able to use them to support their Information, Advice and Guidance sessions in the autumn term. 
 
The conferences also delivered a range of Q&A sessions (including ‘Speed Networking – Women in Industry’), each one involving individuals across different backgrounds, industries and pathways. The increase in the focus on encouraging young women to enter the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), made the ‘Women in Industry’ session seem almost vital for both Baylis Court School and Windor Girls School, as they are both all-girls schools. The atmosphere of female empowerment on both days was palpable. 27% of all jobs in Berkshire are in STEM fields, and fascinatingly, STEM is the fastest growing sector in our local area. Therefore, it is vital that we encourage young people to explore STEM as widely as they can, because it is inevitably going to be involved in their future. The ‘Worlds of Opportunity’ (WOOP) project in Berkshire aims to do just that; WOOP has been set up to raise awareness of STEM careers, and is particularly keen to get more girls and women engaged. 
 
Check out their website for more information and opportunities on how you can get involved in STEM events (www.woop.org.uk). 
 
Everything that the young women learnt across the conference was put into practise with an enterprise activity on the third and final day. The students were asked to come up with an idea for an event, thinking about all the logistics, finances, marketing material etc. The pressure was on and boy, did they perform. It was brilliant to be witness to such a high level of focus and enthusiasm as the students came up with their idea and overcame stage fright to pitch their event. They pitched not only to their entire year group, but also to a panel of judges, including business representatives from ‘Penguins’, an events management company. 
 
One student from Baylis Court School made the following comment: ‘I really enjoyed these past few days and you’ve helped me be more aware of myself and my skills.’ The six days across both schools were hugely successful. This is supported by the written feedback we received from both the students and the business volunteers, and is also evident from the outstanding level of interest and enthusiasm that all 320 students displayed each and every day. We are enormously grateful to our community of business volunteers who made such an impactful difference to the students’ outcomes. 
 
 

JUNIOR MASTERCHEF JULY 2017 

During the first stage of the competition schools held internal heats to select a team of three budding young chefs to represent their school at the interschool final which took place on Wednesday afternoon. 
 
On Wednesday all nine teams took part in the final which was held at Sandhurst School. Teams had one hour to re-create their winning dishes. The winning team for the Year 7 competition was St. Edward’s Middle School, Windsor, the Year 8 competition was St. Edward’s Middle School, Windsor and Year 9 competition was Sandhurst School, Sandhurst. All age groups had to create a ‘Healthy Celebration Meal’, ingredients for the final were sponsored by En Route. Each winning team were presented with a shield that they will keep in school for the forthcoming year and each member of the team was presented with a cookery book. All the finalists were presented with weighing jug supplied by En Route, a voucher and a certificate. 
 
Spot Prizes were given to Year 8 student from St. Edward’s Middle School for a duck starter, Year 9 students from Sandhurst School for Chickpea curry and Year 7 student from St Edward’s Middle School for sticky toffee pudding. Additional spot prizes were given to the Year 8 team from Slough and Eton Business and Enterprise College for their attention to allergens in food and to Holly from Year 9 at Sandhurst School for her team leadership skills. 
 
 

PARLIAMENT - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JULY 2017 

With the government’s commitment to higher and degree apprenticeships set to continue through to 2020, guests explored best practice in delivering degree apprenticeships and how to equip students with the knowledge, behaviour and skills required to succeed in the jobs market. Discussions also focused on the role of business and universities in the industrial strategy are other aims including improving careers information, promoting STEM, supporting lifelong learning and developing Institutes of Technology. 
 
 

LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ - HEATHROW SECONDARY SCHOOL CODING CHALLENGE JUNE 2017 

Students heard first hand from staff about their roles within the airport along with the wide variety of opportunities available at the airport, and it came to light that not only do Heathrow employ gardeners, they are also currently recruiting for a filming manager, which just goes to show the breadth of opportunities available at the airport. The visit brought this year’s Heathrow Secondary School Challenge to an end, and gave students the chance to not only work with staff from Heathrow but also the opportunity to participate in a business insight day, visit Terminal 5 and ride on the new Heathrow Pods. 
 
During the Heathrow Secondary School Challenge delivered in schools to Year 8, students worked in teams to build LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ Robot Pods, programme them and then compete against their peers in a Top Gear style race off challenge. The events were very well received by all, however for the students joining Heathrow staff at the airport for the Final, it was a fantastic opportunity for them to link their initial experience to the real life Pods that they had heard all about at their school challenge. The students were provided with the opportunity to take a ride on the real life Pods, and they then visited the Control Centre to see for themselves just how the Pods work and ask questions to the team manning the Centre. 
 
A fantastic day was had by all, including the teachers (who at points metaphorically knocked the students out of the way to ask questions or get in the pods first), and it was great to see the students engaging with the Heathrow staff even better than before, and enjoying the challenge to the fullest extent possible. Well done to all! 
 
 

MINI MASTERCHEF - ST EDWARD'S MIDDLE SCHOOL JUNE 2017 

 
During the first stage of the competition schools held internal competitions to select a team of two budding young chefs to represent their school at the interschool final which took place on the morning of Wednesday 28th June. 
 
Pupils’ creations will be assessed by Hannah and Sian from En Route. 
 
The competition was very close but in the end the winning team were Queen Anne Royal Free CE First School, Windsor who received a trophy sponsored by En Route and a £10.00 voucher for both pupils. All the contestants in the competition received a £5.00 gift voucher and a cookery book and icing pen donated by En Route. 
 
Some of the pupils remained at St. Edward’s Middle School to enjoy their packed lunch before returning to their own school. 
 
All the pupils and staff that were involved in the competition said what a fantastic opportunity it was to take part in the competition and they cannot wait for next year’s competition. 
 
Learning to Work would like to thank En Route, Windsor for their support of this event. 
 
 

NEW RELIC - FUTURESTACK 17 MAY 2017 

Learning to Work was invited to attend to help raise awareness of the many ways business can support young people to become work ready. Inspiring our future workforce to consider STEM careers is high on the agenda at the moment given the lack of young people choosing career pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Interaction with business is an incredibly powerful way for students to find out about difference career paths and to develop the employability skills they will need in the workplace. 
 
After a recent survey carried out by the UK Commission for Employment & Skills it was revealed that a staggering 43% of STEM vacancies are difficult to fill. This is an alarming statistic in industry but especially in the STEM sector which supports key technological advancements that help build our economy and fuel growth. This percentage amounts to around 40,000 hard to fill jobs each year. 
The call for action on the day from LTW was get involved, simple as that! By taking every opportunity to engage with schools, students and teachers is the first step towards influencing young people to consider STEM careers, it will also highlight the many opportunities that await them within the STEM sector. Having a platform to address over 90 businesses does not happen everyday, so it was great to introduce attendees to the many ways they can get involved and make a real difference. 
The event had a great buzz and it was instantly apparent the sheer pace that New Relic and their customers are moving to ensure they meet the needs of their individual client base. 
 
The event was far more than just the opportunity to discuss how businesses can engage and help young people develop skills for the workplace. It was also an opportunity to question business on their succession planning, along with how they are securing top talent, attracting a diverse team, where are their new ideas coming from. The list goes on but the problems will not disappear unless it is addressed in a collaborated way to really have a lasting impact. We really need to ensure that we are educating and preparing young people for the jobs of today, tomorrow and far beyond, it is about equipping them for life and not just exams. 
 
Following Nancy’s presentation she was thrilled to accept a donation from attendees for £5,000 to support the work of Learning to Work. With the support of business we can continue to create bespoke, relevant and forward thinking activities and events to help prepare young people for the world of work, and further raise their awareness of the many opportunities that await them as they head towards their transition from education to employment. 
Our sincere thanks go to New Relic for the opportunity to be part of such an inspiring and motivating event and to attendees for their kind generosity. 
 
“Engaging all generations of the workforce is crucial to creating companies that transcend normal boundaries, understanding where our next Data Scientists, Mathematicians and Developers will be nurtured creates a crucial reliance between our education system and business. Building a close affinity between business and our next generation of workforce, enables us to benefit from their insights, skills and passion. New Relic’s FutureStack ’17 event, clearly demonstrated this demand is ever increasing and that business should embrace the opportunity to educate, enthuse and engender passion into the young now, in order to create the workforce of the future. 
 
Working with Learning to Work allows companies to understand and engage with what’s important to the generation of their workforce and how they can modify and adapt to ensure they correct the right talent. The New Relic FutureStack event, spoke about many key areas that we understand are critical aspects of learning for the workforce of tomorrow, adopting new practices, STEM interests and attracting the right people into technology careers” 
 
Mark Fieldhouse - New Relic  
 
 

APOLLO- WORK EXPERIENCE APRIL 2017 

Work experience is about experiencing the world of work and developing skills through practical activities. 
 
Learning to work has worked very closely with the Apollo, Haybrook College to match students to placements they could really achieve something from. 
 
To prepare them for their big week, Learning to Work delivered various workshops to ensure all students had a good understanding of workplace etiquette, increased knowledge of Health & Safety, the importance of first impressions and good customer service. 
 
We had 100% attendance from all students and thank you to all our employers who helped to support this. Take a look at their feedback on newsletter. 
 
 
 

STEP INTO STEM - CA TECHNOLOGIES FEBRUARY 2017 

The workshops gave a diverse insight into potential STEM careers including sessions on coding, artificial 
intelligence, engineering and toothpaste design, run by CA, Deutsche Bank, Mars and GSK respectively. 
Students also had the chance to “speed network” with a wide range of employees from each of the 
businesses. 
 
 
 
 

SLOUGH ASPIRE CAREERS EVENT FEBRUARY 2017 

Students and young people had the chance to ask questions, pick up ideas, listen to inspirational speakers plus make contact with potential employers. They were able to get personal advice on how to put together an impactful CV and practise their interview techniques. 
 
The event was also open to the general public on the first day and during this time students, parents, and Slough residents attended the event to find out more about job and training opportunities available. 
 
 
 

DESTINATIONS EXPO - WINDSOR RACE COURSE JANUARY 2017 

University can sometimes be pushed on students in every way, shape and form, so it was also great to see a multitude of career paths that embraced apprenticeships and other alternatives to university. It is increasingly more important for students to understand that in today’s day and age where it seems like everyone has a degree, it is necessary for them to get as much experience as they can in as many fields as they can. This is important not only from a CV point of view, but it also makes young people more interesting because they will have more to impress employers with. 
 
One student said that he was glad he had attended Destinations Expo because he had four or five different career paths that he was thinking about, and throughout the course of the day he had successfully gathered a lot more information on each career choice, and now had enough ammunition to make an informed decision. Another student said that she was previously unaware of just how many different types of apprenticeships were available, and after attending Destinations Expo she had realised that her very specific passion could be turned into an apprenticeship that seemed as though it was almost specifically created for her. 
 
This is what was so great about Destinations Expo: all career paths were catered for. There were companies looking for apprentices, institutions such as East Berkshire College informing students of alternative options to A Levels once they reached the age of sixteen, and companies looking to employ students as interns - the options were endless. Days such as this gently force students to talk to people they might never have thought of approaching themselves. They provide young people with the opportunity to quickly learn the kinds of things that they should be asking in order to make an engaging impression. They force students to come out of the comfort zone of a familiar school setting, and be thrust into a room with however many great companies and they encourage students to learn how to confidently speak to these companies as opposed to huddling in a corner with their friends. 
 
The day was a great success because the impact that it had on the students was visible without a doubt! 
 
 
 

INTERVIEW DAY - HERSCHEL GRAMMAR SCHOOL JANUARY 2017 

We had 20 Business Volunteers at the Herschel Grammar Interview Day, ranging from Businesses, Consultants from the Private and Public Sector, in total they interviewed 120 Herschel Grammar students for the following job choices:- 
 
• Customer Support Advisor 
• Underwriting Apprentice 
• Laboratory Apprentice 
 
As first the students were nervous and very unsure of what to expect but soon relaxed once the Business Volunteers spoke to them and gave them advice on what to include in their covering letter and CV. At the end of the day Students were asked to complete an evaluation form so we could evaluate how beneficial the students found the experience and we were able to measure the impact it had. 
 
Overall the students found the experience extremely rewarding and below are just a couple examples of this: 
 
94% of students said it improved their ability to present themselves in a positive manner 
92% are now aware of their own strengths and what they could now offer to a future employer 
75% now have a better understanding of the world of work 
91% now feel more confident about talking to and networking with people they have not met before 
100% agreed I was a valuable use of school time and agreed that The Business Volunteer helped them improve their CV and personal skills 
 
Learning to Work would like to thank the following Companies for taking time out of their place of 
work to help raise the aspirations of our young people: 
 
British Telecom, Morgan McKinley and Adobe and the Independent Consultants. 
 
 

02 MOSAIC TRAINING AT O2 BATH ROAD JANUARY 2017 

The business volunteers then had an opportunity to try their hand at the ‘business game’ in which players must create and sustain a successful business. Although the game is designed for the young students who participate in the Mosaic Challenge, one of the two groups of business professionals managed to finish the game owing the bank over four thousand pounds – luckily the currency used is all virtual! 
 
Overall, the volunteers were given a very good introduction to Mosaic and left feeling prepared for their upcoming mentoring. 
 
If you want to find out more about the Mosaic Enterprise Challenge or would like to become a mentor please contact us. 
 
 

 THANK YOU FOR OUR LAPTOP BAGS  

Learning to Work would like to thank Fujitsu UK and Centrica PLC for their kind donation of Laptop Bags.  
 
 
 
 
 

LEGO MINDSTORMS - CA TECHNOLOGIES NOVEMBER 2016 

“As a result of the STEM skills gap in Europe, the European Commission estimates that there could be up to 825,000 unfilled vacancies for ICT professionals by 2020. This needs to be addressed now, so that future generations can meet their full potential. Coding and programming skills are crucial in addressing this and events like this are vital in convincing young students that coding can be both fun and a viable career choice. They are a first step in inspiring boys and girls to consider a career in STEM,” said Sarah Atkinson, VP EMEA Communications at CA Technologies and head of Create Tomorrow. 
 
Students from Slough & Eton School, Holyport College, Ditton Park Academy, Easthampstead Park Community School, Sandhurst School, Upton Court Grammar and Windsor Girls’ School took part in the event. 
 
Caty Salter, 14, a student at Sandhurst School, said after the event: “I have really enjoyed today; not just the programming, but the introduction to the world of work. It has made me see that I definitely want to work in a STEM career. I was already interested in mechanics, but now I can see there are lots of other options open to me as well.” 
 
Amy John, Deputy Head of Year Nine at Slough & Eton School, said: “Events like this are important for getting students thinking about career options, and allowing them to see what a professional work environment is like. The students here today need to pick their GCSE options next year, so this is a great opportunity for them to learn about some of the jobs which will be available to them.” 
 
Waqas Arbi, Raising Standards Leader at Windsor Girls’ School, added: “We have brought students to this event for the past three years. They love it and leave full of confidence and interest in technology careers. Girls are underrepresented in STEM and it’s our responsibility to work with organisations like CA Technologies to help address this. “ 
 
The Create Tomorrow initiative is an EMEA wide programme that aims to engage CA Technologies’ 2,000 strong workforce in the region to help address the skills gap and champion the creation of digital jobs. CA Technologies is also a partner of the European Commission’s Grand Coalition on Digital Jobs and eSkills4jobs. CA works with local non-profit Learning to Work to deliver its Create Tomorrow programme in the UK. 
 
Learning to Work would like to thank CA Technologies for their continued support. 
 
 

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION - THE CURVE NOVEMBER 2016 

Andy Howell, Slough Uban Renewal General Manager, presented the development activity of SUR to the girls attending and said “The best way to demonstrate opportunities and deliver careers advice is to bring it alive and yesterdays event was an excellent example of just how powerful meeting, talking and networking is to excite our talent pool of tomorrow. Women in Construction was an ideal opportunity to break the many myths around stereotyping within the industry.” 
 
“Women in Construction was a very inspiring and beneficial event for our students. The girls gained a great deal from it and particularly enjoyed the speed networking activity asking some very pertinent and searching questions, which in itself showed how much they had absorbed from the event. They were very interested to find out as much as they could about the roles the ladies had within the various organisations. I know the girls were also reassured to hear that on the whole, the ladies had faced no problems being a woman working in the roles they had in traditionally male environments and that more and more women were joining these occupations. 
 
Events such as this are a really valuable way of introducing a range of careers to students that they otherwise would not consider (or even have heard of before) and they also help to correct any misconceptions and to reassure young people who understandably worry about their future jobs and careers that the best way to succeed is to work hard at subjects they enjoy and make the most of every chance they have to find out about a wide range of career opportunities so they can make informed decisions about their futures.” Thank you for organising the event, Deborah Savage, Upton Grammar School 
 
Student comments: 
 
On the 2nd of November, 2016, I was lucky enough to be part of the event 'Women in Construction' held in 'The curve' from 9:30 - 2:45 conducted by the members of Learning to Work and nourished by the presence of prominent women in the construction industry. The aim of the event was to inform, inspire and introduce us to the world of construction and to make us aware of the different job aspects within the industry. 
 
Before, taking part in the event, construction, for me, was just 'building'. However, the event truly changed my views about the industry and I realised that the career opportunities available within construction industry is numerous. We got a chance to talk to ten women who proved themselves in this industry and were able to ask many questions and they were keen to clear our doubts, which certainly were helpful to know more about the job prospects, their impact on community and discussed about their recent projects and development. We also did few workshops which improved our creative, logical and analytical skills along with gaining further knowledge on skills required for this industry. 
 
The lady who inspired me the most was said ‘She was forced to quit schooling due to financial crisis. However, this didn't let her passion die and her dedication and hard work has now made her as one of the leading female consultants and she has surely influenced lot of us.’ Sandra Neeliyara - Student 
 
 
“I think that events like this are extremely important for people of our age (15/16). It is so important to be informed about options available – I really enjoyed hearing about people’s experiences, Thanks!” – Upton Grammar School 
 
“At first I had very little understanding of women in construction but now I see that women are just as good at working in construction as men” – Langley Academy 
 
Feedback showed us that 100% of students thought it was a good use of their time and very informative. 
 
 

START EMPLOYABILTY NOW OCTOBER 2016 - JANUARY 2017 

The transition from education to employment or college can be a very daunting process so this new 10 week programme aimed at specific students has been well received by both schools and students. 
 
Through a series of interactive workshops, business visits and an individual support programme students will gain an insight into ways into work exploring various career paths and entry level requirements in areas of interest. They will gain an understanding of diversity in the workplace and meet individual role models who have themselves overcome a variety of personal challenges. Each young person will participate in a 1-2-1 interview and will be supported to create an action plan as they move through their final year in education. 
 
Nancy Lalor Operations Manager for Learning to Work said "We are thrilled to finally launch the programme and bring everyone together for the first time. Following 1-2-1 interviews in school students are now working together as the programme evolves and we start the process of bringing careers advice alive with the interaction of business, ambassadors, site visits and group discussions. 
 
Making choices about future plans is a very daunting prospect so SEN was created to offer a programme of activity and interaction to help make these choices as informed as possible. This targeted approach will support young people as they individually identify a pathway they would like to pursue. The LTW team will work closely with students and schools to create an action plan to make student aspirations a reality. We all need a little support to make things happen so this is just what SEN was created to do”. 
 
School feedback: 
 
“I have spoken to Vince and Nikki and they said they had a fantastic day with our students so thank you. The students found the ‘ice breaker activities’ useful and said it was nice to meet other students in different schools – they didn’t like working in different groups to start with but said it was actually better in the end. Great start to the programme.” Karen Green, Westgate School 
 
“I thought today went really well, a couple of students struggled a bit to talk to new people but I think today was a great idea so that they could start to get to know the other students and each other better. It was good to see our students come out of their comfort zone, a great achievement. They are all looking forward to the next session and having the chance to meet people from other organisations over the next few weeks. The students were very positive on the way back to school in the mini bus.” Ruth Turner, Langley Academy 
 
Alan Coates comment: 
 
“I think the opportunity for young people to participate in learning initiatives is very powerful in helping them to develop the skills and confidence they will need in later life. This project is very worthwhile! It is inclusive and innovative in its approach and progressive and sustainable in its outcomes. It is precisely the type of project that Heathrow Communities for Youth are looking to support. Well done to all involved ." Alan Coates, Chair of Ealing and Hillingdon EBP 
 
Start Employability Now was awarded the donation under Heathrow Community Funds Communities for Youth and will bring young people into contact with business ambassadors from MARS, Hilton T5, CA Technologies, O2 Telefonica, Slough Aspire, SEGRO and Barclays. 
 
Heathrow Community Fund is part of an independent grant-making charity set up by Heathrow’s owners to support and strengthen local communities close to the airport. In the past two years it has donated more than £1 million through three grant programmes, funding projects which support young people, help protect the environment and support active local communities. Funds come from an annual donation from the airport, donations from airline passengers and fines imposed on aircraft that breach noise limits. 
 
More information about the fund and how to apply for grants is available on the website http://www.heathrowcommunityfund.com/ 
 
 

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LATEST VACANCIES OCTOBER 2016 

Do you want to support and develop young people? Do you enjoy creating new events, activities and opportunities? Then we would love to hear from you, take a look at our latest vacancies to see how you can make a difference. 
 
 
 
 

BRACKNELL CAREERS EVENT OCTOBER 2016 

The daytime session accommodated over 800 students from the local secondary schools, allowing them to connect with business ambassadors and further education to give them an in site into their future paths. The evening session was open to the public in which many people attended and took advantage of the one-to-one interview and CV writing sessions. 
 
Learning to Work would like to thank all the business sponsors and Bracknell Forest Partnership for making this event a huge success. 
 
 
 

MARS LEGO MINDSTORMS SEPTEMBER 2016 

Learning to Work worked alongside Mars to deliver the LEGO Mindstorms challenge as a team building exercise for the reliability/maintenance team. The sessions involved colleagues being split into teams and working together to build their own LEGO robots, programme and compete them in a final Robot Race Off. We were very impressed by the interaction and enthusiasm of the Mars team with some building their robots in record time without instructions! 
 
We’d like to thank Mars for taking part and being a fantastic, enjoyable group to work with.. 
 
 

MOSAIC - Could you Mentor, Inspire and Motivate Young People? SEPTEMBER 2016 - ongoing 

Mentors will be fully supported throughout the programme by Learning to Work and all training and resources will be provided. 
 
We have two training sessions in October both being held at Heathrow/Windsor Marriott, Ditton Park, Langley Slough SL3 8PT 
 
Tuesday 11 October 2016 @ 9:30 – 2:30 - Secondary School Mentoring Programme 
 
Mosaic’s secondary school mentoring programme provides a package of opportunities to raise the aspirations of young people and then help close the gap between those aspirations and their attainment. 
 
Requirements: 7 hours over several weeks to be selected between yourself (the mentor) and the school. 
 
Tuesday 11 October 2016 @ 13:00 – 15:30 - Enterprise Challenge Training 
 
The Mosaic Enterprise Challenge is an annual, national competition during which secondary school students ages 11- 16 learn about establishing and running a business through a business simulation game. The competition is unique in that students benefit from being mentored by experienced business professionals who pass on their knowledge and skills about various aspects of business. 
 
Requirements: 1 hour a week for 6 weeks or 1 full day in January/February. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GET INVOLVED  
 
 SPONSORSHIP  
Our site uses cookies. For more information, see our cookie policy. Accept cookies and close
Reject cookies Manage settings