Bright Futures Schools hirEd Ezine Dec 2014

have you...

considered and apprenticeship

Choosing the right degree Homemade Christmas Presents

Choose the right University for you Techniques to cope with stress

Client profiles | Interview with PwC employee | The Review Room | BF Kitchen

contents

2

Editor’s letter

3

Making the most of our Christmas Holidays

4-5

Have you considered an apprenticeship

6-7

Homemade Christmas presents for your parents

8-9

Choosing the degree for you

10-11

Techniques to cope with stress

12-13

Choosing the university for you

14-15

Ernst & Young

16-17

PwC

18-19

BFKitchen unbelieveably easy mince pies

20

The Chrictmas App Review Room

21

Mykindacrowd challenges

22

Bright Futures Conference

23

Rolls Royce

24

PwC NSE Challenge

25

editors letter Well done to all of those Bright Futures School Societies that have managed to put on some great events in the first part of this academic year and a special mention to Bishop Briggs that ran a fantastic event a few weeks ago that resulted in so many of the attendees being offered placements with the visiting Companies - Well Done! We already have a number of events in the diary for the start of 2015, so please do keep in touch and discuss your ideas so that we can support you as much as possible.

The major event for us during the first term was our Employability Conference held at Aston Villa Football Club on the 19th November. This event brought together 175 delegates from over 30 academic institutions. Some fantastic and inspirational speakers who demonstrated a real affinity with what is important and relevant to Students, in keeping with our theme, The Student Voice! It was great to see a mix of University and School committee members at the conference.

Solihull School have written an article about their experience on the day so read on to see

what they thought as well as seeing all their great selfie’s from our selfie competition! Many thanks to all of those Teachers and Students that came along to the event! The feedback has been incredible from all delegates and we are already talking about the next one so watch this space....

This edition is full of some great tips and advice ranging from making the most of your Christmas Holiday, choosing the right University for you, coping with stress and some great homemade gift ideas for your parents.

Merry Christmas to all of our readers!

Claire Head of Society www.brightfutures.co.uk claire.libby@brightfutures.co.uk Follow us on twitter @BrightfuturesNT

*If you don’t have a Society at your school then set up your own!

Contact us at society@brightfutures.co.uk and we can get you started right away!

3

Making the most of our Christmas Holidays It’s not long now till you have a well-deserved few weeks off from the busy school life you’re currently living. But how can you get the most out of these few weeks so that you can return back to education knowing you did not waste a minute?

4

Well firstly use this time to reflect on the year gone and use this to plan the year ahead. What went well in 2014, what would you differently, have you achieved the goals you set out to achieve. These questions are helpful for you to reflect and plan clearly. This is a great thing to do when you have had enough of Christmas TV and you want to start being proactive.

Next, why not earn some money?

In two weeks you can certainly earn some pocket money. Why not ask your parents if you can work with them, or see if your neighbour needs help walking the dog, or even check out a local restaurant that may be in real need for Christmas staff?

If you do not manage to find any paid work, why not consider some voluntary work instead?

Volunteering is an easy way of exploring your interests, meeting new people and enhancing your CV while doing something fantastic for your community. The skills and attributes you will develop by partaking in voluntary work are invaluable and will really set you out from the crowd when applying to universities or jobs later on in life.

Use this time to also study (a bit).

When you finally get your grades you will either be running around the room in excitement or maybe kicking yourself for not putting in

enough effort. These 2(ish) weeks are a great opportunity to use some of your time to get back on track or even keep on top of your studies.

If you’ve got exams or assessments coming up then use this time to revise and look at feedback from teachers to address your weak points.

Obviously do not stress yourself out; Christmas is a time for fun and laughter too so do make sure you plan your time effectively. One way could be by developing a timetable.

Lastly and probably most importantly is make memories.

The best bit about the holidays is catching up with friends and family so make the most of it. Why not get all your friends over for a night full of Christmas themed games, or go and see your cousin for a quick lunch in town. Whatever it is make sure you go back to education in January with some really fun, exciting and special memories.

In short, if you pack your holidays with beneficial work, personally rewarding experiences and fun times as well as Christmas TV you will have succeeded in making this invaluable time count. Go and enjoy it!

5

Have you considered It is that time of year where university application writing will be taking up a lot of your time.

But a question for you, have you considered taking up an apprenticeship role instead?

We must stress that going to university is an amazing opportunity. University gives you the opportunity to open up a world of possibilities which allow you to explore a subject further and give you access to a range of careers.

However if you do not quite feel university is for you then it is certainly worth considering an apprenticeship role.

6

an Apprenticeship?

Myth busting…

So to start it’s a good idea to do some myth-busting. First of all, if you decide to choose an apprenticeship it doesn’t mean that you are turning your back on a university education. Apprentices can still go to university and study for higher qualifications. An example of this would be a Higher Apprenticeship, this allows you to gain a Level 4 or above qualification, e.g. a foundation degree, HND, HNC or undergraduate degree. Once the apprenticeship is complete, things such as foundation degrees HND and HNC’s can all be topped up to a full honours bachelor’s degree.

The next myth that needs to be busted is that you only do an apprenticeship if you “don’t have the grades” to go to university. Well you may be pleasantly surprised to hear that there are some challenging apprenticeship schemes out there. More and more apprenticeship employers are seeking to attract the brightest school leavers who are eager to head straight into the world of work.

Career aspirations…

The decision whether you go for apprenticeships or university will more or likely be dictated by your career aspirations. There are certain careers that a degree is vital, for example a doctor. However apprenticeships can be found in many industries such as banking and finance, IT, media and even retail. So depending on your dream job will depend whether or not an apprenticeship is available to you.

Money matters…

Money is another point to consider. A big positive in doing a apprenticeship role is that the cost of your training is covered by the employer and what is even better is you are paid whilst you learn. As you probably already know university comes with a large price tag, there certainly are grants, loans and bursaries available making it affordable for all. However, the fact that with an apprenticeship you can be earning a wage whilst receiving training and earning qualifications is a huge draw.

The disadvantages…

It would be unfair to only state positives of an apprenticeship. It is important to note the disadvantages too. Firstly there may well be a lot of apprenticeships available, but not all industries and careers are covered. Also just like university isn’t for everyone, the same can be said for apprenticeships too. If you do not have a clear idea of what careers you want to enter then studying a tradition subject at university can help keep your options open.

7

Homemade Christmas Presents for your

Parents

8

So it’s the festive time of year again. Time 2) Chilli Infused Oil to dig out the tinsel, the fairy lights and of Christmas is a ‘Chilli’ time of year, so why not ‘spice’ it up a bit with this chilli infused oil. course the mistletoe! Christmas is a joyous time of year full of good cheer, good food, Ingredients: • 450ml/17fl oz olive oil (not virgin) and presents! If you are a nice daughter • 20g/¾oz dried red chilli flakes • 3-4 whole dried red chillies or son you may be giving your parents a nice present this year. However this can Method: 1. Gently warm the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the have a nasty effect on the bank account. chilli flakes and whole chillies to the oil and heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the oil to cool To help make Christmas that little bit more slightly. affordable you may want to consider making 2. When the oil has cooled slightly, carefully pour it into sterilised, sealable glass bottle using a funnel. (Caution: homemade Christmas gifts instead?. hot oil can be dangerous.) Add the chilli flakes and dried chillies from the pan. Seal the bottle.

Here at Bright Futures we have decided to 3. Keep the bottle in a cool, dark place, shaking the choose our top three ideas we have seen. bottles once a week. As time goes on the oil will become redder and hotter.

1) Snowball Truffles These little balls of delight are perfect for a personal Christmas treat and if there are any left they also make a great present too!

Ingredients: • 200ml double cream • 200g good-quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) • 200g desiccated coconut Method: 1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring just up to the boil. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour over the boiling cream, then stir until the chocolate and cream are well blended and smooth. Cool, then set aside in the fridge until the mixture is solid, about 2 hrs.

2. Scoop out teaspoons of the mixture and roll into small walnut-size balls with your hands. Sprinkle the coconut onto a plate and roll the truffle in the coconut until evenly covered. Will keep in a cool place for 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Presentation Put the truffles in a clear cellophane bag and tie the bag shut with a Christmas ribbon. If you really want to push the boat out why not make your own label too!

Presentation Decorate the bottles with a nice bright red ribbon and make a nice label to stick on the side. For those who are not chilli fans, you can always make a herb infused oil instead!

3) Photo Frame Why not make sure your parents can not forget you by giving them a lovely photo of yourself in a unique and natural frame! First things first you need to find a nice photo, maybe one of just you, or one with your siblings or even your pet dog! Once you have the chosen photo it is time to make the frame in 5 easy steps.

Step 1: Gather up some small twigs.

Step 2: Once you have collected the twigs you need to group them into four stacks.

Step 3: You now need to tie each individual bunch together in the middle to make sure they keep together. For this just use some thread.

Step 4: Once you have tied each bunch it’s time to create the frame. Use a thicker ribbon to tie each bundle together making a square.

Step 5: Once you have the frame made you need to create a backing in order to stick the photo on. To do this secure the photo using double-sided tape to another piece of ribbon. Then glue this ribbon to the back of the frame.

9

Choosing the degree for you So you know that you want to attend University and you’re prepared to spend the next 3 years in education. The issue is how do you choose what degree to do? There are thousands to choose from and you’re expected to narrow it down to 5! Well hopefully by reading this, it might help you with the decision process.

It is important you choose the right subject! You do not want to waste your money or time on a subject you do not enjoy and may even find yourself dropping out of. Now you may find you have a shortlist of subjects which ironically is as long as your arm.

We suggest to help shorten your shortlist you use questions to decipher the list to find the subject for you.

10

Is it a subject you have experience in You may have studied Mathematics at GCSE and A-levels and in your spare time you love solving difficult equations. Well this could suggest a Maths degree is the one for you?

Remember that you will need to be interested in the subject for a further three or even four more years; is this interest enough to motivate yourself to work independently?

Does your degree relate to a career Maybe you did work experience at your local newspaper editors and now you are looking into a journalism degree. The questions you need to consider are: How is the subject I am considering viewed by the industry it is connected? Do you need to actually take that degree to go into that career ie medicine, or can you do any degree. You don’t have to do a journalism degree to become a journalist.

If it is a career that requires a set degree, if so have you done any work experience to see if this career is right for you?

Is your degree a new topic to you?

Maybe you have always had a passion for computers or gaming and really enjoyed maths at school, so considering a degree in computer science, this is more than likely a new subject to you and one you probably haven’t studied before.

So what questions should you ask yourself? Well firstly, are you aware about what is involved in the subject? If not, you could attend open days, speak to career advisors or research on line.

Hopefully the above helps to get you thinking about what degree you want to study and why. Remember the most important thing is that you need to have a passion and interest in the subject.

11

techniques to cope with..

12

stress

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine.

Did you know that caffeine, alcohol and nicotine are stimulants and so will increase you level of stress rather than reduce it. Therefore by swapping caffeinated and alcoholic drinks for water, herbal teas, or diluted natural fruit juices you can enable your body to cope better with stress.

2. Indulge in Physical Activity Stressful situations increase the level of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in your body. These hormones are also known as the “fight or flight” hormones.

They have been hard-wired into our brains by evolution and are designed to protect us from immediate bodily harm when we are under threat. However in this modern era stress is rarely remedied by a fight or flight response. Therefore physical exercise can be used as a surrogate to absorb the excessive stress hormones and restore your body and mind to a calmer, more relaxed state. This physical exercise could be going for a walk at lunch time, playing sport or going for a jog when you get home. This regular physical activity will also improve the quality of your sleep, which moves on nicely to our third tip.

3. Get More Sleep Not having enough sleep is a significant cause of stress. However it is a vicious circle as unfortunately, stress also interrupts our sleep as thoughts keep whirling through our heads. Instead of relying on sleeping pills and the like, your aim should be to maximise your relaxation before going to sleep. You can do this by making your bedroom in to a tranquil oasis with no reminders of the things that cause you stress. Again by avoiding caffeine especially during the evening, will help your brain relax. Another way to help the brain calm down is to stop doing any mentally demanding work several hours before going to bed. Lastly try and aim to go to bed at roughly the same time each day so that your mind and body get used to a predictable bedtime routine.

4. Manage Your Time A lot of people will say create a ‘To Do’ and that will help you manage your time and reduce stress. We would agree, however you must first accept that you cannot do everything at once therefore you must prioritise your tasks. Make a list of all the things that you need to do and list them in order of genuine priority. Note what tasks you need to do personally and what can be delegated to others to do. Record which tasks need to be done immediately, in the next week, in the next month, or when time allows. By editing what might have started out as an overwhelming and unmanageable task list, you can break it down into a series of smaller, more manageable tasks spread out over a longer time frame, with some tasks removed from the list entirely through delegation.

5. Learn to Say ‘No’ A common cause of stress is having too much to do and too little time in which to do it. And yet in this situation, many of you will still agree to take on additional responsibilities. By learning to say “No” to additional or unimportant requests you will in turn be able to reduce your stress levels. Many people do find it hard to say “No” because they want to help and are trying to be nice and to be liked. For others, it is a fear of conflict, rejection or missed opportunities. Remember that these barriers to saying “No” are all self-created. You might feel reluctant to respond to a request with a straight “No”, at least at first. Instead think of some pre-prepared phrases to let other people down more gently.

13

16

The University Surroundings:

The surroundings of the university campus will play a large part in helping you chose the university for you.

Remember you will be at university for 3 years, or more, so you need to make sure you feel comfortable in the university and that you could see yourself studying there for the long term. Things you may want to consider, the quality of the lecture theatres, the standard of the educational rooms, the quality of the study areas and even the quality of the Student Union Bar. All of these elements add to your student experience so you want to be sure they suit you. What is the best way of deciding this, visit! Visiting the university on open days is a great chance to have a look around the campus and buildings and see if it suits you and what you are looking for.

Campus or Town?

The location of the university and how it set up is also important. You will find there are two main types of universities, one being campus orientated and the other being city based. Campus universities are all self-contained with accommodation, academic and leisure facilities all on the same site.

Examples of these universities include, Warwick, Leeds, and UWE. There are pro’s and con’s to spending most of your time in a student based environment.

The other type is city based universities. These universities as the name suggest are based very central to the city centre and do not have a set campus. They tend to be made up of large buildings dotted around the city. Examples of which include Bristol, Edinburgh and London based universities.

Again there are pro’s and con’s to studying at a city based university.

It is important you decide if you are happy with both types of university or just one.

Again to help you decide this, the best way is to visit the university.

Distance from home:

This is often overlooked by students. However, it plays a big part in the overall decision making.

If you are someone who feels that you may want to return home every week or fortnight then going to a university 300 miles away would not work out logical or economical.

You may also find that if you choose your local university you may be able to save money on rent and live at home, but do make sure your parents are happy with this first!

League Tables

Use online league tables to help develop your knowledge on the university and thus help your decision.

The league tables can tell you anything from how well regarding the university is, how successful their employment (after university) numbers are, how highly rated the university was by previous graduates etc.

All of these tables will help piece a picture together of the university and help give a better insight.

Trust your instinct Lastly, trust your instinct. If you visit a university on an open day or happen to read an exciting article on your university and fall in love with that institute, then go for it!

That passion and ‘love’ of the university will shine through on your application and you will be determined to work hard while studying there.

We hope this has helped and will continue to help you decide on what is the right university for you.

And remember make the decision that is right for you!

15

Your career in business. Your way.

Work now or university ďŹ rst? Either way, we have a programme for you.

Opportunities in Advisory, Assurance, Corporate Finance and Tax. Find out more:

Š 2014 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

ukcareerguide.ey.com/schools

Your career in business. Your way.

You have your own individual interests and aspirations. And we want to help you follow the path that fits with them. That’s why we’ve created a range of School Leaver and University programmes that let you launch your career in business your way.

Our programmes open up all sorts of opportunities. Whether you choose our award-winning School Leaver programme for those ready for the world of work now, or one of our University programmes for those keen to experience university life whilst gaining business exposure, either way you’ll give your career in business a great start.

Whichever programme is right for you, you’ll gain invaluable work experience in a number of industries with businesses that are household names. You’ll build a range of employability skills you can take anywhere in your future career. And as we’re a large, global firm, you’ll have the chance to create a future that could see your career progress in many different directions.

EY

Each of our programmes is packed with experiences, responsibility and support, giving you the best start to a career in business.

company profile

As one of the world’s leading professional services firms, we know successful businesses mean successful economies – something we all benefit from.

So we harness our creativity and ingenuity to make our global clients the best they can be. Whether you’re helping clients grow, transform, pay the right amount of tax or build a reputation people trust, you’ll be improving the world we live in – and your own career prospects.

Explore what we do in more detail at ukcareerguide.ey.com/schools Follow us on Twitter @EY_SchoolsUK 17

The experience stays with you

Lucy on client site with the National Trust

Business Insight Week Career Open Days Open Evenings Virtual Events Flying Start degree programmes School and College leaver careers From a 240 UCAS tariff Voted employer of choice by students in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey for eleven years running.

School and College Leaver Opportunities 2IğFHV DFURVV WKH 8. » Join summer or autumn 2015 Traditionally, there has only been one story when school comes to an end.

University. Degree. Career. But things have changed. With PwC, there are now many professional opportunities for high achievers straight out of school. So your story can go anywhere.

You might start by joining us on our Business Insight Week while you’re still DW VFKRRO WR ğQG RXW ZKDW LWłV OLNH WR ZRUN DW 3Z& ,I \RX FDQłW MRLQ XV IRU D full week, you could attend one of our Career Open Days or Open Evenings. <RXłOO ğQG RXW PRUH DERXW MRLQLQJ XV VWUDLJKW IURP VFKRRO RQ RXU )O\LQJ Start degree programme, where you’ll get paid work placements alongside a traditional university experience, or on our School and College leaver programme, which fast-tracks your career by combining real paid work ZLWK VWXG\ WRZDUGV D SURIHVVLRQDO TXDOLğFDWLRQ Do well in any of these opportunities, and you could get a job offer. Just like Lucy. She took the opportunity to join PwC straight after her A-levels. $QG QRZ VKH RZQV KHU RZQ ĠDW DQG LV D TXDOLğHG &KDUWHUHG $FFRXQWDQW managing her own prestigious clients.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime www.pwc.com/uk/schools ZZZ IDFHERRN FRP 3Z&&DUHHUV8. © 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

Diverse people make us stronger

We’re one of the world’s leading professional services organisations.

From 158 countries, we advise some of the most successful organisations, entrepreneurs and private businesses. We tackle lots of different issues for loads of different organisations, entrepreneurs and private businesses. We help with big deals and big changes to their structures and businesses. We advise them on tax. We make sure they’re getting the most out of their IT. We help them plan ahead to manage risk, make sure they’re sustainable, and profitable. Everything to do with measuring, protecting and enhancing what matters most to our clients.

Our opportunities for school and college leavers include: Schools Career open days: Spend a day in one of our offices to find out what it’s really like to work with us and the options available to you.

Business Insight Week: Spend an action-packed week with us in one of our offices over summer.

Do you like a challenge?

If you’re in Year 12 or 13 try out the National Skills Employability Challenge! You could win an iPad mini and work experience with us.

Have a go now by visiting: www.nsechallenge.co.uk

company profile

We think it’s important that you know the full range of opportunities available to you, so that you can make the choice that’s right for you. Whatever decision you make, we want you to consider joining us.

PwC

Right now you have lots of decisions to make.

Do you go to university? Do you study a sponsored degree?

Or do you explore your opportunities for starting work now?

You also have the chance of winning £20,000 with our Tax competition. Find all the details and enter at: www.pwctaxcompetition.co.uk

School & College leaver programmes: Work and earn a competitive salary while you study towards a professional qualification.

Flying Start degree programmes: Go to uni, gain a degree and 80% of your Chartered Accountancy exams, with paid work placements at PwC. Apply through UCAS by 15 January 2015.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime. www.pwc.com/uk/careers www.facebook.com/PwCCareersUK @PwC_UK_Careers 19

BFKitchen

Unbelievably Easy

Mince Pies

Christmas wouldn’t be right without a mince pie. We have searched high and low for a nice easy recipe to use that has great results and we think we have found it!

We hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

225g cold butter, diced 350g plain flour 100g golden caster sugar 280g mincemeat 1 small egg Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.

Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly.

The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.

3. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.

Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

4. Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Full recipe available here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2174/unbelievably-easy-mince-pies

20

Santa Tracker

Santa’s Village

Talking Santa

Santa Tracker

Santa’s Village

Talking Santa

Get into the Christmas Spirit by downloading this festive app. If you are the person who counts down the days, hours or even minutes till the big day then this app is perfect for you. This app allows you to have your own virtual advent calendar with new fancy wallpapers behind each door. There is also a handy Christmas timer that allows you to watch the days tick by. This app also allows you to track Santa and his team of reindeers. Watch them move from place to place and see him get closer to you. The app also provides other features such as sightings of Santa from around the world, blogs written by the man himself and the chance to learn all about Elves, life at the North Pole, how reindeer fly. What more could you want this Christmas?

Christmas is going to be ruined by the Grumpkins!

But fear not, by downloading this app you can save Christmas from those pesky Grumpkins. Start by building homes for Santa’s elves, create a toy factory and make lots of toys, teach reindeers how to fly, and meet magical neighbours like Yobo the Yeti. You also have the chance to unlock colourful decorations to make your village even more festive. You can be sure to make Christmas very special.

Get Santa to repeat your Christmas messages for you. Speak into your microphone and listen to Santa repeat this message aloud. You can swipe, poke, or tickle this talking Santa to your hearts content. Why not tap his famous red Christmas sack to reveal if Talking Santa’s got you on his naughty or nice list! If you want to be a little nicer hen offer him some milk and cookies. But for those of you who want to be naughty, why not throw a giant snowball at him! Hours of fun.

21

Skills for Care #ThinkCare Challenge

Summary:

The Skills for Care #ThinkCare challenge is a fantastic opportunity for your students to get creative and explore career opportunities in adult social care.

The challenge:

Adult social care is one of the few sectors guaranteed to grow in the coming years, which is why it is a great career path for young people to consider. In order to get young people thinking about the sector, we are asking them to design a unique piece of marketing collateral that will inspire their peers to move into a career in adult social care.

The Prize:

The winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work will be developed and showcased on an exhibition stand at the Skills for Care Annual Conference in March 2015.

They will also have the opportunity to participate in work experience in a social care setting.

Challenge page: http://www.mykindacrowd.com/Challenges/think-care Further information: Please contact Adisa Hubanic on 0207 627 1944 or adisa@mykindacrowd.com

Bright Futures Conference

On 19th November a group of UV students (Year 11) were given the opportunity to attend the ‘Bright Futures Conference’ at the prestigious Aston Villa Conference Centre. This was the first Employability Conference we had attended and Miss Skan had assured us that it would be an interesting, useful and eventful day and we can honestly say that we were not disappointed. Bright Futures ensured that we experienced numerous exciting and varied activities.

The day began with a warm welcome, refreshments and a quick breakdown of what our day was going to look like.

While enjoying the refreshments, we acquired our first opportunity to mingle with representatives from various companies including Rolls Royce, Price Waterhouse, Lloyds Bank, Tesco, Barratt Grads, FP Mentors, Lead Now, as well as representatives from a wide range of universities from across the country. The employers were keen to share information about their companies and help to boost our employability skills.

We then moved into the conference room and were treated to a series of informative presentations. The CEO of Bright Futures provided an interesting welcome speech on the history of the student led organization and how it has trickled down to students in schools. We then had the opportunity to discuss the key themes of employability with Expert Panels. The topics included inputs on how to grow and drive your future, the student job market, the power of the positive mind, there is more to you than your academic results as important as they are, imagination and resilience, performance and productivity, strengths and success. Each topic was followed by a discussion around the table we were sitting at and fed back to the speaker on the roaming microphone. The feedback was extremely interesting and resulted in relevant questions being responded to by the expert speakers.

We also took part in a number of games focused on our mindset. For example we had to stand up with our arms out to the side and shout out ‘Strong, Powerful, Firm’ and our partners tried to push our arms down. Interestingly it took a while for them to be able to push our arms down. However when we shouted ‘Weak, Miserable, Poor’ our partners had no problem pushing our arms down, thus demonstrating that our mindset is a powerful force and has a powerful impact upon us.

As students in our GCSE year we found the ‘Bright Futures Conference’ an extremely useful experience and would like to thank Miss Skan for ensuring students at Solihull School have opportunity to attend the Employability conferences, as there are not many opportunities for young people of our age to access experts in the world of work. We learned so much from the day and engaged in a wide variety of conversations with some of the top companies in the world. It was a delightful day and an experience that has already had a tremendous impact upon those who attended the ‘Bright Futures Conference.’

Austin Henderson, Jessica Browne, Tom Lawrence.

23

Think now.

Think future.

• Advanced/Modern Apprenticeships: Practical, Technical, Specialist Science • Higher Apprenticeships: Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain Management and Project Analyst/Controller • Accounting Technician Programme • Manufacturing Development Programme

Learn while you earn with a Rolls-Royce apprenticeship Now is the time to be thinking about your future. A Rolls-Royce

education or university, but a chance to test and prove

apprenticeship is your ticket to world-class training and

yourself with a company renowned worldwide for its

mentoring, huge investment, further qualifications and the

thinking, innovation and excellence.

potential to enjoy opportunities with us around the globe.

Whether you’re currently at GCSE or A-Level, you’ll find

You’ll do a real job alongside experienced professionals, get

our engineering and non-engineering apprenticeships can

paid for it, and be part of an apprenticeship scheme rated

open up a world of opportunities for you – now and in the

Outstanding by Ofsted. Not only a real alternative to further

future. Find out more at rolls-royce.com/apprenticeships

We like the way you think.

Trusted to deliver excellence