This week learners from across South Thames College (STC) have engaged with a number of employers across their relevant different sectors, as they begin to plan for their future careers.
For the first time STC hosted a number of employers online, who delivered talks and guidance on careers in their sector, routes into employment after study, and the main employability skills they look for in staff.
Learners from Childcare virtually met one of the managers at Seahorse Nursery whilst Plumbing and Electrical Installation learners attended sessions with Mace (Battersea Power Station) and Wates respectively.
All of the learners spoke positively about taking part in the week, and feel they are now more confident to apply for jobs in the future.
Josien van der Meer, Assistant Community & Skills Manager at Mace, who delivered one of the sessions, said: “It was really enjoyable talking to the Plumbing learners this morning. I hope the session helped them, as they no doubt progress into successful careers in construction in the future.”
Kevin Williams, STC Plumbing Lecturer, added: “Thanks to the Employability Team for organising the talk with Mace this morning for our level 1 Plumbing group. The learners have just completed their 3rd unit called ‘The Structure of The Construction Industry’ which linked to many of the points discussed this morning. The learners have since contacted me, and said how insightful and helpful they found the talk. One learner said: "It was nice to hear from an employer’s perspective, in terms of what is expected of an Apprentice."”
This week is one in a series of on-going activities linking employers to learners in STCs different curriculum areas, and plans are now underway for a large-scale second Employability Week for all full-time learners in April 2021.
