Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP) are launching a new series of webinars for students, featuring interviews with local employers. We invite local businesses to nominate an employee or apprentice to take part.
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, schools across the UK have been unable to meet the requirement to provide students with at least one meaningful encounter with an employer per year, traditionally achieved through careers talks and work experience opportunities. These encounters are a vital part of careers education, with research linking them to increased motivation, aspiration, and greater chance of future success in the workplace.
Hosted by Hertfordshire LEP and HOP, the new webinar series aims to inform students about the realities, rewards, and challenges associated with each of the industries and professions being featured. Students will be able to attend live and directly with employers by asking questions.
The webinars will help schools meet the requirement to provide students with employer encounters (Gatsby Benchmark 5) and careers and labour market information (Gatsby Benchmark 2), and will give employers the chance to showcase their company and industry directly to the future workforce.
Visit the HOP website to watch past and upcoming webinars.
What will the webinars be like?
The webinars will be hosted by a LEP staff member and the interviewee will be provided with a fixed list of questions in advance. They will be live and run for 30-45 minutes, which includes a Q&A session during which students can ask their questions. The webinars will also be recorded and subsequently hosted on the HOP website for students and schools to access on demand.
Who will be invited?
Invitations will be shared in advance with the LEP’s network of 106 Hertfordshire secondary schools. Schools will invite students aged 15-19, who have a genuine interest in the career or industry being featured, to register to attend. Initially the webinar platform will have capacity for 100 people. Some students may watch with their parents or carers.
What will be discussed?
Below are the questions and discussion points that will be covered during the webinars:
- Can you talk us through your career path since leaving school?
Discuss: personal route to your current employment; the current and future demand for this role and industry. - Can you talk us through your daily routine…what do you actually do?
Discuss: working conditions, including typical working hours, location of work, and salary; progression routes; and rewards and challenges of the job, career or industry. - Can you tell us about the people you work with?
Discuss: the range of roles within the industry. - What skills and qualities are important in your job or organisation?
Discuss: the required skills and qualities, and typical entry routes into the industry. - Q&A session: students to ask their own questions live by audio or using the chat box.
When will the webinars take place?
The webinars will be hosted on Wednesday afternoons at 2pm – dates to be confirmed.
Want to get involved?
We would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete and return the form below to gareth.dace@hertfordshirelep.co.uk