The Building Brighter Futures

June, 2011

This event allowed the students to participate in a fun and informative series of activities based around developing their skills and knowledge.

Seven local companies took part in the event, these included Yorkshire Bank, Enterprise Rent a Car, APS Solutions, Bolton at Home, MEN, RBS and DWF. Each company offered an activity which lasted 40 minutes.

• Yorkshire Bank’s activity was a Dragons Den scenario. The students enjoyed putting their proposals forward to judges and answering their questions.

• Enterprise Rent A Car’s activity involved the students designing an advert for their company. One group that won the activity acted out their advert.

• APS Solutions. The students demonstrated their communication and teamwork skills in a building communication game.

• Bolton at Home. A Social housing provider. Their activity involved the students to furnish a house (fixtures and fittings) using a budget. They had two scenarios. Scenario1. £2000 to spend and scenario 2. £500 to spend. 

• Manchester Evening News (MEN). The students worked in groups acting as an editorial team deciding what stories and adverts went on each page. They them compared their schedule with what actually went out.

• Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). The students played an interactive trading game designed to highlight how money can be made through buying and selling stocks and shares. Again this involved working in groups deciding when to buy or sell their shares.

• DWF - Law firm. The students had to build a tower using dry spaghetti and marsh mellows. The tallest stable structure won.

Throughout the event the behaviour of our students was exemplary. The companies commented on well the behaved and embraced their activities.

The event certainly would have helped to develop knowledge of World of Work and employability skills of the students that took part.