Employer engagement

Helping students to develop the skills and qualities they need to succeed and thrive

BSB students excel in so many areas; academically, in sport and the arts. Channelling this talent and helping students discover what types of careers and opportunities are out there was at the heart of BSB’s new programme of Employer Engagement. The programme was launched in 2018 with a firm belief that education and the professional world needs to work hand in hand so students can make more informed choices about their futures.

The objectives then and now, are to increase students’ understanding of the workplace, gain confidence, discover business platforms such as LinkedIn and have the opportunities to network and make new contacts.

Career roundtables These have been very successful and students from Year 9 to Year 13 have met with a host of different employers from a variety of sectors. Some students have discovered careers they knew nothing about, others were offered work shadowing. With over 50 speakers from engineering, medicine, music, the arts, politics, diplomacy, business and many more, there has been something for everyone.

Company visits Nothing makes an impact on students quite like a company visit. Primary Year 5 have visited Toyota’s training centre, which links closely to what they are studying in class, and a Year 10 trip to Solvay is in its second year. Students work with Solvay staff to discover the different careers that exist in a big company and consider responses to disaster scenarios that Solvay prepare. The visit ends with presentations , the quality of our students have consistently astounded Solvay staff. We have also had visits from the wonderful XperiLAB, Solvay’s mobile science lab. Year 5 have been able to carry out experiments and see how a scientist works and be real scientists.

Expert Panel Held in February 2019 and organised in partnership with The British and American Chambers of Commerce, our Expert Panel event saw the highly topical subject of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the future workplace debated. BSB students and local schools were able to network with guests and receive guidance about skills that will be most valued and the jobs which will be most abundant.