Outreach to schools and colleges
Primary, secondary schools and colleges are key in motivating and enabling students to pursue higher education and in their choice of career. Many organisations are keen to bring the excitement of their sector or profession to school students
Community education programmes teach children for a number of hours on an infrequent basis. The teaching can cover anything, but is usually in relation to the industry or profession in which the employee or organisation works. For example, as in the case study extract below, it may be a simple matter of teaching children to build small models with an architectural theme.
Discussions
These can be valuable and involve less commitment or cost for organisations..
Summer taster days
These are generally longer than community education programs. Taster days can be located within the community or at the organisation, but tend to be targeted towards older secondary pupils and sixth form students considering entry to university.
Summer schools
Summer schools cover longer periods and give organisations an opportunity to train students and deepen their knowledge, while also giving students valuable work experience for their CV. These tend to be targeted towards older secondary and sixth form students considering entry to university.
School workshops
The duration of workshops is usually half a day to a day and is normally targeted at older secondary and sixth form students considering entry to university and/or employment in the organisation's sector. They are usually interactive and can involve role play, activity tasks and group debates.
Mentoring
Mentoring provides individual support in a confidential one-to-one relationship. Organisations participate in mentoring schemes with primary and secondary schools as well as at colleges.
Primary school schemes involve allowing employees time to read with children in school. This both benefits the school by raising children's reading levels and allows organisations to contribute to the community while promoting a positive organisational image. Secondary school, colleges and university schemes tend to provide career advice and guidance to those thinking about further education or their choice of career.
Coaching
Coaching targets more specific development and training which are not covered by mentoring or by a summer school. Organisations can draw upon their employees' specialisms to coach secondary and college students.
