Employability and work readiness skills

At Spark!, we believe that developing students’ employability and work readiness skills is essential in helping them succeed in the future. Spark!'s employability programmes increase students' awareness of their own skills and attributes, and enhances their social and emotional skills, such as self-confidence, motivation, and resilience, which are increasingly desirable qualities needed for sustained employment.

In today’s job market, employers look for people not just with technical skills, but also key interpersonal and professional skills. While technical competencies can be learned through courses or experience, other employability skills are just as important to help staff be more effective, happy and successful in the workplace, and are often more sought after in the hiring process.

Through our workshops students develop the work readiness and transferable skills, such as teamwork, problem solving, and communication, they will need for their future career. All our workshops include diverse volunteers from our employer partners, ensuring meaningful employer engagement activities, and supporting students to gain confidence in the workplace and professional relationships.

These events will help you to embed a stable careers platform (Gatsby Benchmark 1), create encounters with employers and employees (Gatsby Benchmarks 5) and ensure students get to Learning from Career and Labour Market Information (Gatsby Benchmark 2).

Our work with schools and businesses offers a wide range of opportunities to help develop students’ employability skills in an impactful way. The different types of opportunities we offer include:

  • Employability skills developments
  • Labour Market Information and pathways into work
  • CV workshops
  • Interview skills and mock interviews
  • Career Fairs
  • Industry Insight Visits

If you would like to find out more information about our projects or school events. Please get in contact with Faye Rounding at fayerounding@sparkcharity.org.uk.

Please direct all work experience enquiries to georgiaford@sparkcharity.org.uk.

In-school workshops and events

We run a range of in school workshops and events alongside talented business professionals in your local area. Find out more how we can help you to meet Benchmarks 2, 4, 5 and 6.

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Kickstart Express

Kickstart Express is a 3-day Employability Bootcamp which teaches young people about the local labour market, the skills required by employers, and helps them to focus on their own skills (as well as creating a CV). In 2020, we have delivered this virtually over 7 workshops (plus a Mock Interview).

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Career Mentoring

CONNECT mentoring has been delivered successfully for 6 years in West London. It is a six-session mentoring programme for young women on Pupil Premium, during which they gain real-world employability skills such as CV writing and interview skills, and  also learn how to set and achieve career goals.

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