MORE than 70 young people from across Cumbria have taken part in preparations to make the most of their Dream Placements with the county’s top companies next month.
The event at Energus was organised by the Centre for Leadership Performance which runs
the programme.
The 16 to 18-year-olds worked with representatives from companies hosting the
placements to take part in team-building exercises, learn about workplace behaviour, and
discover how to gain maximum benefit from the experience and get the best insight into
leadership and future careers.
The students taking part in the Development Day at Energus were chosen from more than
200 applicants and completed a tough selection process to win their unique opportunities to
see companies and organisations from the inside and learn about leadership from top
management teams.
Rebecca Weston, Chair of the Centre for Leadership Performance explained: “Dream
Placement is so important because it brings together the collaboration between businesses,
the students, the schools and the parents. Importantly it gives the young people choices and
informs what they might want to do in the future. It also gives businesses an insight into
what young people are looking for in terms of a career and is helpful in terms of recruitment
campaigns, be it graduates, apprenticeships or trainee schemes.”
Now in its fourth year, Dream Placement was born out of conversations with business about
how to attract and retain talent, how to spotlight what those businesses do, and show young
people the breadth of fantastic opportunities for them in the County.
Choose Cumbria is backing Dream Placement as part of its support for resilient recruitment
and other organisations involved include Cumbria Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster and Carlisle Ambassadors.
Business people involved in the Dream Placement 2017 Development Day were hugely
enthusiastic about the programme, and the young people taking part.
Dianne Richardson, socio-economic manager, BEP Project at Balfour Beatty, said: “It really gives us a connection with the youngsters who will be our future employees, and it gives us access to a lot of real stars in Cumbria."
The line-up of companies and organisations hosting the young people for the half term week
starting, on February 20 includes: Allerdale Borough Council, Amcor, Ansaldo, Amec
Foster Wheeler, Atkins, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Nucleargraduates, Baines
Wilson LLP, Balfour Beatty, Bendalls Engineering, Carlisle City Council, REACT
Engineering, Sealy Ltd, Carlisle United, Copeland Borough Council, Costain, Coulson
Associates, Liberata, Cumbria Community Foundation, Thomas Graham, CN Group - North-West Evening Mail and InCumbria, Cyclife Groupe EDF, Direct Rail Services, Dodd and Co,
Energus, Nugeneration Ltd, Nuvia, Sellafield Ltd, Forth Engineering, Gen2 GlaxoSmithKline,
IDS Integrated, Story Homes, Story Contracting, Innovia, Liberata, James Fisher Nuclear,
Liberty Work and Leisure, Mott Macdonald, The Westmorland Family, Cumbria NHS
Foundation Trust, National Nuclear Laboratory, NSG Environmental and Westlakes
Engineering.
The schools represented include: Caldew School, Dallam School, Keswick School, Kirkby
Stephen Grammar School, Lakes College, Richard Rose Central Academy, Nelson
Thomlinson School, Trinity School, Ullswater Community College, William Howard School,
Barrow Sixth Form College, Cockermouth School, Energy Coast UTC, Lakes College,
Millom School, St Benedicts Catholic High School, Ulverston Victoria High School, West
Lakes Academy, Whitehaven Academy and Workington Academy.
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