Linking students to the world of work
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Connect. Introduction:
Thank you for your interest in the MoCo ‘Connect’ programme. It is widely recognised that forging strong links between students and ‘the workplace’ enriches understanding and opportunity. MoCo’s ‘Connect’ programme aims to ‘inform and inspire students in relation to the world of work’ through lasting links with real businesses.
‘Connect’ brings the worlds of students and professionals closer together, facilitating regular updates, links and interactions.
“Regular communication between business sponsors and students helps to break down barriers, developing mutual understanding”.
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Overview.
‘Connect’ in a nutshell: Put simply, ‘Connect’ facilitates regular and targeted communication between students and sponsors:
Sponsors Sponsors come from private sector, public sector and third sector organisations. The sponsors’ role is to share information with the students relating to their everyday work challenges and experiences. Sponsors come from a wide range of academic backgrounds, career paths and job roles.
Students Students are invited to join the Connect programme from year 7 and to continue until Sixth Form. Students seek information from their sponsors in order to gain a detailed understanding of their work environment. Students are encouraged to share their information and experience with their peers.
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Focus Zones.
Connect with consistency: Communication between sponsors and students is flexible yet focussed, ensuring that students receive a consistent message. The Connect programme is divided into nine focus zones, based on attributes sought by employers when selecting candidates. These ‘zones’ are split between the three academic terms as topics of focus for communication between sponsors and students.
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
Direction
Ownership
Empathy
Persistence
Reliability
Teamwork
Motivation
Communication
Flexibility
Autumn Term
These focus zones provide topics for communication between sponsors and students during each term. Repetition of the topics over the years helps to consolidate the learning.
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Fitting it in. Flexible approach:
For students and sponsors alike, time commitments to Connect must fit in with other daily demands. For this reason the Connect programme takes a very flexible approach. • Schools can flex to fit in with the school day • Sponsors can flex to fit in with work and home commitments Three ‘types’ of interaction allow for regular, time efficient, communication supported by more in-depth, planned events. ‘Quick Hit’ Interactions
‘Plan & Deliver’ Interactions
‘Get Involved’ Interactions
A secure online link enabling sponsors and students to keep each other up to date with events, news and challenges in their world.
Supported by school staff, students can request sponsor visits to the school or school trips to the business.
Opportunities for individual work shadowing, work experience, holiday jobs and joint project work.
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Connect safely. Knowing me, knowing you: The Connect programme facilitates communication between students and adults. It is essential to ensure that the communication is professional and appropriate at all times, with only information relevant to the Connect outcomes being exchanged.
Safeguarding: It is required that all sponsors sign and agree to the MoCo Connect Safeguarding policy and to completing an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to commencing.
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On-Line Safety Online communication between sponsors and students is carried out via a secure platform. Appointed link teachers can access all messages between their students and sponsors. Sponsors and students alike will be able to flag a message directly, if any concerns arise. Our Safeguarding policy is provided for all link teachers and sponsors.
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The Pilot.
Building and testing: From January 2014 to July 2014, seven Norfolk schools are piloting the Connect programme, with Year 7 students as well as students from East Norfolk Sixth form College.
These students are directly involved in the development and future design of the programme, engaging our end users from the outset. A further 12 schools and academies are being kept updated as the pilot progresses.
Business sponsors from private, public and third sector organisations are supporting this pilot programme. Accountants, solicitors, estate agents, council members, hoteliers, CEOs, medical professionals and HR professionals, among others, are on hand to support students in becoming the work-force of tomorrow. As the programme builds, so will the opportunities for businesses to support & sponsor local students.
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Find out more. Contact us:
Interested in being a business Sponsor? Register here: http://bit.ly/1f69qV9
Stephen Ferrey MoCo Founder & Managing Director Mobile – 07788 154 755 Email – stephen@go-moco.co.uk
Mark Scott Operations Director Mobile – 07957 819 516
Email – mark@go-moco.co.uk|
www.go-moco.co.uk