One of Young Enterprise’s most committed supporters is Sir Jack Petchey, who has worked with us since 2004 to support young people through The Jack Petchey Foundation.
At the close of another academic year, we wanted to shine a light on some of the fantastic young people we’ve engaged with this year and celebrate their learnings with us. Supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation we have been delivering our Jack Petchey Employability Masterclasses across London and Essex – reaching more than 2,500 young people!
Young Enterprise delivered our employability programme with the Year 9 students at a secondary school in Basildon, Essex, in July 2023. As a part of this programme, young people participated in a face-to-face employability session.
The masterclass is a practical workshop that provides students with an opportunity to learn about the skills and qualities that are required to be successful in the workplace, and how to ensure that they present the very best version of themselves. Young people discover different approaches to job hunting, finding out about tips and tricks which can help land an interview for their dream job. Learning how to structure and write a CV and cover letter supports learners in conveying their skills and qualities effectively.
Participating in the session was student C, an amateur wildlife photographer. He remarked on how he thought the session helped him to develop his skills for his chosen career.
“I’ve always loved animals,” he told Mike, Young Enterprise’s delivery lead. “I always begged my parents for a camera when I was younger, and they said no, you don’t need one. I love watching nature documentaries and I thought, I like cameras and animals, so I thought, why not explore the world and see what I can do.”
He continues, “I haven’t got the best camera. It’s a little starter one but I just go anywhere I can – like, for instance, parks for the birds – wherever I think there will be nature, that’s where I go.”
While he admits he’s still trying for his first amazing animal snap – he loves the process, and practice makes perfect.
Reflecting on the masterclass, student C explains that he was new to all the topics covered in the session – from CVs and digital footprints on social media, to job hunting and understanding key employability skills.
“We don’t cover this stuff in school, nobody really talks about this unless someone [external] comes in to talk to us,” he said.
He only came in during the school’s work experience week, especially for the Young Enterprise masterclass.
“I’ve learned how to make your CV look different to suit different jobs because I never thought of it like that,” student C explains.
He also enjoyed the personality traits quiz to learn more about his unique personal traits.
“I was a tawny owl and I agree with lots of the qualities – it said I was a good listener, enjoy testing, building friendships, independent, sharing ideas.”
Student C said he’s glad he did the course and had the chance to learn about how to present his skills to employers, as this will be really important for his future.
