Yesterday I was invited as a panelist on a webinar to inspire and advise students on what it means to join a career in the Digital / IT sector.
The webinar was organised by the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP) in partnership with the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). They are supporting all schools’ career programs by coordinating the efforts to provide students with meaningful encounters with local employers. Research shows that these lead to increased aspiration and a greater chance for future success in the workplace when students join a team to start working.
As a leader in a growing company, recruitment and retention of talent is always a challenge. I feel that dedicating a few hours a month to try and build up the confidence of prospective applicants is time well spent. This is part of my engagement as an Enterprise Advisor supporting a local college develop tailored careers advice programmes and build a network of local business contacts that can help with internships or apprenticeships. The main gains for both the school/college and SME like ours are on student employability and career awareness, helping guide someone into discovering a job they can be passionate about.
By sharing my experience, explaining what we actually do on a day to day basis and giving some tips to stand out when applying for jobs, I hope this virtual session will help inspire a few teenagers!
You can watch the full webinar below:
