Local employers inspire students from Richard Barnes Academy
“We received some fantastic feedback about how positive and engaging our students were during the interviews”
Young people at Richard Barnes Academy (RBA) have taken part in a packed week of careers, enterprise, and work-experience activities designed to broaden their horizons and help them see what is possible beyond school.
The ‘careers week’ was delivered in partnership with a wide range of local employers and organisations and was supported by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Careers Hub. Year 10 and Year 11 students took part in a range of on-site and off-site experiences, including workplace visits, employer-led workshops and mock interviews.
Students from RBA, which is part of Thomas Deacon Education Trust (TDET) and works across two campuses in Peterborough, worked with businesses and institutions including Kier Construction, ARU Peterborough, Burmor Construction, Cross Keys Homes, Morgan Sindall Construction, Peterborough College’s Centre for Green Technology, Peterborough United Youth Hubs, Select Hire, M Group, Red Cannon Recruitment and Landmark Theatres.
Across the week, students explored sectors ranging from construction and engineering to health and social care, the green economy, transport, recruitment and the creative industries. They took part in surveying and VR tours with Kier Construction, CPR practice on training dolls at ARU Peterborough, and practical challenges such as building walls, constructing wheelbarrows and pricing up jobs based on materials and labour.
The programme was designed to give students real-world experiences of the workplace, challenge misconceptions about different careers and help them build the skills and confidence they will need for their next steps after school.
Red Cannon Recruitment played a particularly important role in the week, with founder William Barker visiting RBA’s Trinity campus every day to support students with CV advice, interview coaching and mock interviews.
James Fletcher, Assistant Principal at RBA, said: “We received some fantastic feedback about how positive and engaging our students were during the interviews. We would like to thank everyone who volunteered to support the sessions this week, as well as the companies who kindly released staff from their busy schedules to work with our young people.”
The week also highlighted the value of strong partnership working between schools, employers and wider community organisations, with staff from a range of sectors coming together to support young people in a shared commitment to developing future talent.
Claire Everton, Principal of RBA, added: “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Debbie Longhurst at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Careers Hub, as well as all of our partners, for making these enriching experiences possible for our students. For many of our students, opportunities like this can be especially powerful in helping them rebuild confidence and look ahead to their next steps.”
The programme, which is hoped to become an annual event, reflects the academy’s commitment to preparing learners for life beyond the classroom.
To learn more about Richard Barnes Academy and its holistic approach to helping learners become the best version of themselves, visit https://www.rjba.education/