Since September 2017, Hello Future has been working in schools and colleges to support learners with their next steps and exploring the different opportunities available to them through higher education.
During this time, we have had the pleasure of working with a number of teachers & advisers.
We sat down with some of them to find out how the Hello Future programme has supported their work.
From the activities your learners have taken part in, which do you feel have been the most useful/beneficial to your school/college curriculum?
We have been fortunate to work with Hello Futures for a number of years and have been able to participate in a wide range of activities during this time. Students have particularly enjoyed the interactive workshops such as communication and growth mindset. We have also had the opportunity to engage with the mentoring scheme for some of our students and those students particularly valued the opportunity to review career paths and the different ways into careers that interested them.
Has taking part in those opportunities impacted learner decision-making about their future?
Yes – Students appeared more confident in the range of job opportunities which were available to them and by completing the workshops they were noticeably more confident in class with engaging in a dialogue with their peers and teachers,
Do you feel it’s important to have programmes like Hello Future working in Cumbria?
Yes – students engage well when external providers are involved. It helps them to see that whet their teachers tell them is in fact true when it comes to careers, self-confidence and interview technique.
What do you consider to be the main attributes that would make Cumbrian learners successful at HE/Degree Apprenticeships?
Perseverance, tenacity and the ability to reflect on their own practice.
What do you consider to be the main barriers for Cumbrian learners to progress to HE/Degree Apprenticeships?
Most students only see Sellafield as the only employer that offers apprentices and struggle to realise that there is a much wider range of apprenticeship opportunities out there.
What advice would you give to young people thinking about continuing to higher education/training?
Be confident in your own ability and persevere when the going gets tough. Everyone has hard days even at the top levels, it’s how you adapt to overcome the situation that will make you successful.