6 August 2009
City of London Corporation funds new series of career
aspiration projects
New projects show the way for careers in the City
The City of London Corporation has today announced funding for
ten new projects aiming to raise the aspirations of young people
and parents from the City and City fringes and open their eyes to
the range of career choices available in the Square Mile.
The City of London Corporation, which looks after the Square
Mile business district, is injecting over £400,000 into the new
programme, which marks a 25% increase in funding for its career
aspiration projects.
Running from September 2009 until March 2011, the projects aim
to introduce almost 1,000 residents of the City and City fringes to
a whole raft of City-type jobs and provide almost 500 with training
opportunities.
Stuart Fraser, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee at
City of London Corporation, says, ‘For many young people from the
City fringes, the City has invisible walls of steel and a City-type
job can appear unattainable. The new projects demonstrate our
ongoing commitment to promoting a ‘City for everyone’ and opening
City fringe residents’ eyes to the host of career opportunities in
the Square Mile.
‘Many young people have considerable potential but have no
awareness of how to market themselves and the importance of
networking, training and internships. As well as educating young
people in these skills, we also aim to encourage parents to plant a
goal in their children early on, helping them to gain long-term
career aspirations.’
For the first time, parents in the City fringes will be
targeted. The City of London Corporation is giving £20,000 to The
Brokerage Citylink’s ‘Preparing the Parents’ project which will
provide 400 residents from the City and City fringes with a
valuable training opportunity, raising their awareness of City-type
jobs.
Families from the City fringes often have two distinct
disadvantages with regard to securing jobs in the City’s business
and finance sector; they do not understand the range of
opportunities on offer and the skills and qualifications required
and they cannot market themselves effectively in the job
application process.
The project will address these issues by working with groups of
parents and carers at the City fringe schools attended by their
children. Offering workshops on the City and job finding
skills, the project will help parents educate their children as
well as help their own job searches.
The City of London Corporation is also funding two projects that
specifically target young people from modern universities in the
City fringes. £48,900 is being given to the East London Business
Alliance’s (ELBA) ‘Business Club’ and £50,000 to the ‘Leadership by
Example’ project delivered by the Adab Trust.
‘Business Club’ gives students the opportunity to apply for a
place in the ‘Club’ and gain access to graduate skills sessions.
Eight sessions over the academic year, each accommodating 10
students, will be delivered by ELBA member employee volunteers and
will focus on a competency that employers can expect from
graduates.
‘Leadership by Example’ delivered by the Adab Trust will
specifically target BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic)
students and graduates from the City and City fringes. The project
will provide 100 young people with a valuable training opportunity,
introducing 20 graduates to City-type jobs and ultimately leading
60 graduates into employment. The project will involve assessment
centre workshops, development training and masterclasses delivered
by senior City executives.
Another project receiving funding from the City of London
Corporation (£45,000) is The Tower Hamlets Education Business
Partnership’s (THEBP’s) ‘Employability Skills in the City’ which
specifically targets Year 10 pupils from Tower Hamlets. The
project will provide 180 pupils with the opportunity to be
introduced to City-type jobs and aims to achieve this goal with a
3-pronged approach. A one day ‘Careers in the City’ workshop will
be followed by a one day ‘City Enterprise Challenge’. Finally
30 students will be selected for a three day ‘Summer Business
School’ at a prestigious venue.
The ten new projects continue the City of London’s ongoing
commitment to helping young people from the City and City fringes
gain employment in the City, adding to an existing programme of
previously launched career aspiration projects.
Ends
Notes to editors
City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, an elected body with responsibility
for local authority services inside the Square Mile, is committed
to maintaining and enhancing the status of the business City as a
world-leading international financial and business centre. It is
engaged in many partnership and regeneration projects across wider
London, working with national and other local government – as well
as business and the not-for-profit sector. It also provides many
special services for London and the UK. Full details on
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation
Press enquiries
Annabel Ward at Rain Communications UK
T: 020 7222 4345
E:
annabel.ward@raincommunications.co.uk