Work Week
At Cleveland, we believe that it is never too early to start preparing the children for their futures. To that end, we are delighted to have established a partnership with 15billionebp, an innovative charity committed to transforming young lives. 15billionebp brings together schools, employers and other partners to inspire young people to achieve their potential and thrive in their careers. The charity are dedicated to promoting social mobility and raising aspirations among young people. They work closely with employers, local authorities, European agencies and education institutes to understand the labour market. They then prepare young people to today's workplace, boosting their job prospects and the calibre of candidates available to potential employers.
Working with this charity, we now offer Work Week activities each year, to every child at Cleveland. During Work Week, the children take part in high-impact, week-long programmes of work- and career-related activities.
The aim of Work Week is to raise levels of aspiration, achievement and motivation in the children, as they are introduced to careers in a range of different fields. There are opportunities for the children to engage with real places of work and to learn from a wide range of professionals. Children gain confidence and skills outside of the classroom. The themes and offers differ each year, enabling children to experience a wide range of opportunities in which they can explore potential future career paths. Here is an example of some of the themes we have enjoyed in the past:
Nursery: All Aboard!
The children found out about jobs in transport including bus driver, train driver, pilot and ship’s captain. The Metropolitan Police force and Go Ahead! buses visited.
Reception: Football Café
The children found out about the different jobs and tasks in professional football and catering. The children set up their own café. West Ham football mentors and Go Ahead! buses visited.
Year 1: Skills and Stereotypes
The children learnt about the skills needed for different jobs and the stereotypes related to different careers. They visited Murfy’s Recycle Centre, Cineworld and Tesco.
Year 2: Jobs in the Community
The children found out about different jobs in the local community including the work of emergency 999 operators and the role of charity organisations. They visited Ilford Fire Station and The Dogs’ Trust.
Year 3: Why We Work
The children explored financial matters, looking at budgeting for events. They found out about job interviews and visited Morgan Stanley.
Year 4: Your Skills at Work
The children found out about a range of jobs: travel agent; advertising executive; video game designer and events coordinator. Visits included: KPMG, London City Airport and Plaistow Police Station.
Year 5: This Can Be You!
The children found out about aspirational figures, how to write job applications. They attended speed-networking and positive-attitude workshops and learnt about jobs in the Arts and Museums.
Year 6: Product Design
The children created a product to solve a problem. They developed their own business plans and developed their presentation skills before attending the Dragon’s Den, where they were met by business professionals who gave them feedback and presented certificates to the best teams.