school for life
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A School for Life
A School for Life has emerged as one of our key priorities for the next few years. With an increasingly tough job market, with global competition for graduate posts and with an economy still struggling to emerge from a long downturn, these are difficult times for younger OUs. However, when pupils leave Uppingham or our OUs complete their degrees, we want them to know that the School will remain an invaluable resource which can help them to decide on their future careers and provide ongoing support in whatever path they choose. Work on this strategy has already begun. Every week we receive requests from OUs seeking contacts from our network who can offer guidance on choosing the right career or the right employer and we are grateful to all those OUs who respond to such requests. This summer we held our first networking group meeting which on this occasion was for young entrepreneurs under the guidance of James Averdieck (F 79), founder of Gü Puddings. Further sessions are planned for different career sectors with a property group in the pipeline for the New Year, and media, the City and more to follow. Other initiatives include building on the annual careers conference at Uppingham which benefits greatly from OUs coming back and giving of their time freely to advise and direct Sixth Formers who are exploring future avenues. We also run a Linked-In group with more than 700 OUs and are looking to hold more careerspecific dinners in the fields of finance, property and law. The strength of the OU network is remarkable and we want to make the network thrive in the best way possible. The support of OUs for this initiative is of course essential. If you would be happy to help as a source of advice or support for your career sector; to participate in either of our events, workshops or conferences; or to discuss the School for Life initiative further, please do contact me or any of the OU team. Patrick Mulvihill
MediaDevil, owned by young entrepreneur Callum Bush (WB 99) is now sponsoring four senior team kits at Uppingham.
OUs in the Dragons’ Den One strand of the School for Life initiative is a plan for a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style evening in Uppingham in 2014. We are currently exploring a number of options to enable entrepreneurial OUs seeking investment to connect with other OUs and Uppingham parents who might be able to provide venture capital or expertise for new start-up ventures. Uppingham has a history of producing successful entrepreneurs and the Uppingham Foundation is keen to find a way of helping the next generation of business owners to achieve success. Plans are at an early stage but we are looking at following the Dragons’ Den format with OUs presenting their business cases to a panel of senior OUs or parents who have the means and expertise to contribute to the success of selected companies. If you are interested in submitting a business plan or becoming involved as a potential mentor or investor, please contact Patrick Mulvihill in the OU office.
Front row, left to right: Sophie Hughes (Sa 01), Naomi Dixon (J 01), Robin Johnson (H67), James Averdieck (F 79). Back row: Alexandra Dorrell (Fd 02), Archie Wilkinson (Hf 03), Emily Jack (L 06), Edwina Harrop (J 99), Sarah Whittington (L 99), James Yeomans (SH 02), Charlie Warburg (WD 01) and Callum Bush (WB 99).
