A new project has provided career insights and work experience for young people in Chesterfield.
The Careers Made in Chesterfield (CMiC) programme has had a successful first year, hosting eight workshops for 275 young people and providing work experience placements for almost 30 students.
It provides students with insights about local career opportunities and aims to create a pipeline of talent to support local businesses. In its first year, the programme has focussed on the property and construction sector but will expand to include the health and wellbeing sector and manufacturing sector over the next three years.
Industry experts have hosted interactive workshops at Ashgate Croft School, Parkside School, Springwell Community College, Netherthorpe School and the Chesterfield YES Youth Hub. As a result of these workshops, students have reported an increased interest in pursuing careers in the construction industry.
The project has been funded by Chesterfield Borough Council as part of its Skills Action Plan and delivered in schools by Direct Education Business Partnership (DEBP).
On Tuesday 2 June Gateway 1 students from Ashgate Croft School were visited by G F Tomlinson where they played ‘guess my job’ with three volunteers – Gemma Thorpe, Senior Bid and Marketing Coordinator; Dave Miller, Site Manager; and Olivia Brindley, Assistant Quantity Surveyor – to learn about the varied roles within the construction sector.
In preparation for a site visit, students were also shown the refurbishment plans for Stephenson Memorial Hall, home to Chesterfield Museum and the Pomegranate Theatre, which is currently being refurbished by G F Tomlinson on behalf of Chesterfield Borough Council.
The students then took on the challenge to come up with their own designs for a cafe, shop, or entire museum using K’Nex construction kits.
Stuart Rooker, Careers Lead at DEBP said: “Collaboration between businesses and schools is crucial to CMiC. It is a fantastic way for employers to engage directly with students and inform them about their business and industry. It also provides the young people involved with the opportunity to learn about the skills they need, which employers value, and the options available to them.”
On Thursday 18 June, the students were given a tour of the construction site. After a health and safety talk from Jack Harvey, Technical Apprentice and putting on the appropriate PPE, Jason Tromans, Site Manager for G F Tomlinson, led a fantastic tour of the building. This included how key parts of the building are being restored and the interesting things that have been found on-site such as old newspapers and messages on the walls. Students were able to see a variety of construction trades at work, including roofers, joiners, ground workers, and scaffolders.
Vicky Bridge, Gateway 1 Teacher from Ashgate Croft School said: “The students thought both the workshop and visit were really interesting. It was a great experience for them to learn all about the company and the trade, and then see it in person and in action. This fits well with our employability lesson where we look at different jobs and types of employment.”
In total 14 employers have supported the CMiC programme including, Stepnell, Fortem, Devonshire Group, Henry Boot, Elliot Mather LLP, Whittam Cox Architects, Turner and Townsend, Castle Owen, Clee Hill, Shelby Group, Frank Shaw Associates and Chesterfield College.
CMiC is a key part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Skills Action Plan which aims to ensure that local people have the right skills to support career progression and benefit from future employment opportunities.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and cabinet member for economic growth, said: “CMiC has made a great impact in its first year, it’s helped provide young people with the information they need to make informed decisions about their future and by working with employers we can ensure that skills provision in the borough meets their future needs. I look forward to seeing how this programme progresses in future years and hearing from young people about how it has helped them.
If you’re a local business, I would encourage you to get involved in the scheme because it will help guide young people to work in industry and even your business.”
As well as construction and property, the programme will expand over the next four years to include health and social care, and engineering and manufacturing and businesses in these sectors are encouraged to get in touch to volunteer for the scheme.
If you are an employer and would like to get involved in CMiC please email enquiries@debp.org.
Looking for support to improve skills and recruitment in your business? Head over to our business support page to find out more.
DEBP and Chesterfield Borough Council support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
