Getting Ready for Work at Chiswick Park

Chiswick students helped to prepare for life after school

Chiswick School students are being helped prepare for the world of work, while earning a City & Guilds qualification, at the Chiswick Park office development.

Students in years nine and ten at Chiswick School have been given the opportunity to gain invaluable work experience with a number of the companies based at Chiswick Park, including Aker Solutions, Discovery and Starbucks.

To date more than 600 students have been involved with the scheme, which has been going for three years and has been driven by Chiswick Park’s Enjoy-Work estate management team.

In addition to work placements, students have taken part in speed networking events, which allow them to question industry professionals from a range of companies to learn about knowledge, skills and career path to their jobs. Students have also benefitted from assistance in preparing CVs, letters of application, and 200 pupils recently undertook their first job interview with volunteers from companies across Chiswick Park.

The culmination of the programme for students, currently in Year 11 saw them attend a prize-giving ceremony at the complex last night, where they were presented with a City & Guilds Certificate in Employability Skills from Mike Smith, Operations Director of global oil services company Aker Solutions and Kay Chaston, chief executive, Enjoy-Work. The event was supported by local estate agents Felicity J Lord, who printed the programme.

Kay Chaston, Chief Executive, Chiswick Park Enjoy Work, said: “This initiative has proved to be an enormous success thanks to the companies at Chiswick Park, who have generously donated their time and expertise to help local students. With such a diverse range of organisations based here, students have had a unique opportunity to get to know a company in a career of genuine interest to them.”

Tony Ryan, Head teacher, Chiswick School, said: “Preparing students for the daunting world of work is hugely important, and the practical experienced gained, and skills learned, from real businesses in this pioneering programme is invaluable. We feel very fortunate to benefit from this initiative, which is a great model I believe could be replicated nationally.”

Mike Smith, Operations Director, Aker Solutions, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile initiative. In addition to the school and its students, it is of real benefit to our staff who are engaging with the pupils. As a growing company we are looking to young people to be our employees of the future.”



November 29, 2013