Coombe Sixth Form located in Surrey, in the UK, were invited to be take part in a sponsored employability programme which incorporated The Young People Index®.

A finance company embarked on a project as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, with the goal to help prepare young people for the world of work.

The Background

Research shows there is a mismatch between the skills young people believe employers want and the skills they believe they have.

In a bid to support young people, Karen Bentley, Progression Manager at Coombe Sixth Form School, set out to create a programme that would help young people identify how they can add value to organisations as well as provide careers education.

How the Young People Index® was used to make an impact

A finance company sponsored a project at the school. This involved a series of employability related workshops that incorporated The Young People Index®. GC Partner and Co-Visionary of The Young People Index®, Helen Rivero, ran a series of innovative workshops for students at Coombe Sixth Form.

These were designed to help students raise their self-awareness and confidence in knowing more about who they are, so they can make better informed choices in the future.

How the Young People Index® helped make an lasting impact

Students discovered more about what energises them through their Young People Index® profiles. There was an emphasis on helping students understand environments where they will thrive, not survive.

A big part of the session concentrated on aligning personal values to organisational values. Students were asked to research an organisation that they
find interesting and explore their values and beliefs to see if they are aligned to their own.

These exercises helped students understand how they can:

• Add value as an individual and as part of a team
• Work for an organisation that is aligned to their values
• Research potential employers
• Prepare themselves for interviews

Students not only reported increased self-esteem and self-belief but many students used what they had learnt to make practical plans for their future.

Ali Sadiq, Student at Coombe Sixth Form, talked about how he lacked motivation and his grades weren’t as good as he expected them to be. He explained he was pretty much just doing what his parents told him and he didn’t feel he knew who he was. He said…

“As careers educators and schools, it’s important we look for ways to bridge the gap when it comes to social inequality and help level the playing field. The Young People Index® provides a great opportunity to do this by making students who might feel disengaged or demotivated actually feel good about themselves and provide a plan.”

Karen Bentley
Progression Manager
Coombe Sixth Form Teacher, St Edward’s School