Already a well-established programme in England, we’re excited to be working on the first project in Wales.

Who’s involved?

Partners participating are Welsh Government, NHS Wales Finance Academy, Gwent Police, Audit Wales and Rhondda Cynon Taff Borough Council and Welsh Local Government Association.

What’s the event?

Sixth-form students and public sector representatives will get together between 25 and 29 July for a Work Insight & Skills Week. We’re putting on a full week of activities aimed at supporting students from low-income backgrounds in their pursuit of a professional career. SMBP seek to break down psychological ‘fitting in’ barriers and develop students’ commercial awareness and skills, and the Welsh public sector bodies taking part in the programme are eager to deliver on these objectives.

What activities will students take part in?

Students will experience a mixture of different activities, such as:

• Hearing leadership and career stories from a mix of staff from trainees and apprentices to leaders across a range of public sector bodies;
• Fun interactive work-based activities delivered by partners, focusing on the development of key skills such as teamwork, innovation, problem solving, persuasion, negotiation and presentation skills;
• Exercises and self-reflection to identify skills and experiences that can be used and adapted to support university applications and CV building;
• And learning about resilience and goal setting.

We’re excited to host an innovative and interactive week of activities, and hope that this is only the beginning of the collaboration between SMBP and the Welsh public sector. Every student is entitled to the same level of confidence and preparation when entering the world of work, regardless of their background, and we believe that this summer’s Work Insight & Skills Week is a step in the right direction.