1 December 2008
City of London Corporation throws open doors for the next
generation
The City of London Corporation welcomed 15 students aged 16-19
from BSIX Brooke House Sixth Form College, Hackney on Thursday 27
November to give them an day of unique ‘behind-the-scenes’ insight
into the world of work.
In the morning, representatives from City of London Corporation
allowed the students exclusive access to its offices, ran workplace
tours and allowed students to quiz senior executives on what life
is like at the top in various City Corporation functions, including
City Affairs, employee volunteering, the City business model and
experience of the City.
A Capital Experience is one of over 30 economic
regeneration projects run by City of London Corporation which focus
on increasing educational attainment in City fringe schools and
raising the aspirations of young people in the City fringes to gain
employment in the City. The schemes also maximise access and
employment opportunities for City and City fringe residents.
The visit was part of a day-long event, A Capital Experience,
organised by aspiration-raising business-education programme Career
Academies UK and which involved 1,000 young people and 40 top
London-based companies.
Stuart Fraser, Chairman of Policy and Resources at City of
London Corporation, says: ‘We must work closely with the next
generation to develop a diverse and skilled future workforce. By
welcoming these young people to City of London Corporation, we can
equip them with inspiring, work-related learning experiences and
open their eyes to the career options available to them.’
The City of London Corporation currently supports the Career
Academy programme year round under which sixth form students
undertake a two-year curriculum equivalent to three A-levels,
complemented by real life workplace experience, visits to
businesses and guest lecturers in the classroom.
After their visit to City of London Corporation, students
gathered at the Royal National Theatre to share their experiences,
participate in a range of business-related activities and hear
inspiring words from Miles Templeman, Chief Executive of the
Institute of Directors (IoD) and top motivational speaker Action
Jackson.
The students also heard from three of the Prime Minister’s
Global Fellows, who have recently returned from placements in the
developing economies of Brazil, India and China.
John May, Chief Executive of Career Academies UK, said: “A
Capital Experience is a day when the doom and gloom of the
continuing economic crisis should be put to one side as businesses
across London throw open their doors to young people who aren’t a
million years away from entering the workplace. After all, the
future of this country – and our place in the global economy – will
be in their hands.”
Working particularly with students from diverse backgrounds and
areas of social need, who would not normally have access to such
opportunities, the Career Academy programme has a demonstrable
impact on progression rates into higher education and retention
rates between Years 12 and 13.
92% of Career Academy graduates go on to higher education, or an
equivalent level of work-related training, compared with a
predicted 40% based on their GCSE performance at the start of the
programme.
www.careeracademies.org.uk
Ends
For further information, please contact Rain UK – Rosalind
Jeffcoat on 00 44 (0)20 7222 4345 or email
rosalind.jeffcoat@raincommunications.co.uk
Notes:
The City of London Corporation is the “business authority for the
business district” and supports the international financial
services industry based in the UK, with its heart in the Square
Mile and, importantly, works in key regeneration partnerships with
inner London neighbouring boroughs. The City of London Corporation
provides local authority services for the Square Mile but also
works across wider London and UK.
Career Academies UK is a registered charity set
up by the business community in 2002, inspired by Career Academies
in the US. We lead and support a movement of over 500 employers –
from global corporations to SMEs – and schools and colleges,
working together to raise the aspirations of 16 to
19-year-olds.
Its formidable Advisory Board is chaired by the Chairman of
Citi, Sir Win Bischoff, named in 2008 as the most influential
business leader in The Times’ Power 100. From a pilot in three
institutions, over 100 UK schools and colleges are involved in the
Career Academy programme.
www.careeracademies.org.uk
The Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship is
funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to
nurture outstanding talent and enterprise in young people. The
programme was devised with and managed on behalf of the DCSF by the
British Council. The first Global Fellowship ran in summer 2008
when 100 exceptional school and college leavers from across England
spent six weeks experiencing the major new global economies of
China, Brazil and India at first hand including two weeks as guests
of major global companies including Shell and HSBC.
www.global-fellowship.org