Helping students with the Skills to Work
The Skills @ Work programme is the most popular programme in The Schools’ Business Partnership suite. Like all good ideas, the concept is simple, a local business is matched with a local school and employees provide insight about their roles and work life to the students while also developing their own skills. It has been wonderful to see Irish businesses embrace the concept of business supporting education. Since 2001, the programme has facilitated more than 300 partnerships and to date 25,967 students have participated in the programme.
The Schools’ Business Partnership’s team are privileged to have the opportunity to work with amazing volunteers who carry out this work. It is difficult to capture the inspiration, learning and fun that takes place between company volunteers and students on work visits and in classrooms every year. However our annual evaluation results always give us good indication of the programme’s benefits and impacts and we consider all recommendations received, so we can work towards continual improvement.
We are glad to report that the results of the 2013/2014 Skills @ Work annual report are very positive again this year and are testament to all the hard work carried out by our Skills @ Work volunteers in schools and companies throughout the country.
99% of companies would recommend the Skills @ Work Programme to another company.
“This is a fantastic project for both the company co-ordinators and the other volunteers within the organisation. It gives our employees a great opportunity to showcase their skills and enthusiasm about where they work.”
“One of the most rewarding parts of my job.”
100% of schools would recommend the Skills @ Work Programme to another school.
“The programme has helped to focus students on their future and brought them outside the world of school into the world of work and it brought a new perspective to them. The emphasis on the value of education and lifelong education and ambition has certainly helped a number of students.”
“They gained an awareness of the necessity for third level education particularly from the employees who described their journey to their current roles, some having completed degrees as adults.”
96% of students would recommend the Skills @ Work Programme to another student.
“I was giving up on school at one stage but after these talks I got the knowledge to keep going on and complete the rest of my school year.”
“If you want to be inspired and boost your confidence and enter the world of work, this is for you.”
“It is an amazing program and well worth it!”
Find out more about the Skills @ Work programme here and to get involved contact Germaine Noonan, Programme Manager, 01 8743809
