Wiltshire Skills4Success. Role model information pack

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1 Wiltshire Skills4Success Role model information pack

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3 CONTENTS Introduction... 1 Role model network... 1 Basic do and don ts what makes a good role model visit?... 2 What to expect when you arrive at the school... 3 Suggestions for topics... 3 You may want to consider... 4 Questions to consider... 4 How does this benefit young people?... 4 Agreement... 5

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5 Skills4Success inspires young people in Wiltshire to realise their talents and potential Skills4Success introduction Skills4Success is helping to support Wiltshire s young people to gain the basic skills and knowledge necessary to make a successful transition from school into further education, training or employment. Through it we aim to improve young people s preparedness for the world of work whilst participating in enjoyable and worthwhile activities. This will enable the future workforce to have the appropriate aspirations and attitudes with underpinning knowledge and skills, so that they can achieve their potential and adapt and develop to meet the evolving needs of the work environment. This also includes an Enterprise & Innovation Education Programme which will encourage the next generation of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs by facilitating interactive education experiences to schools, colleges and young people. Role model network Through this network we aim to link pupils with positive and inspirational role models to boost their confidence, self efficacy and long term employability. Inspirational role models including those with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) expertise as well as authors, athletes, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, poets, members of the business community and volunteers are able to carry out a visit. These role models speak in primary schools to inspire and motivate Year 6 pupils, develop an aspiration and interest in STEM careers and offer support to aid their transition to secondary school. The visit involves an informal and supervised assembly style chat and could be about their job, overcoming barriers/diversity/life challenges or telling an inspirational/motivational story. How being a role model can benefit you? The role will give you the opportunity to: develop interpersonal skills and confidence develop skills, knowledge and confidence relating to working with children experience a sense of achievement and make a contribution share your experience, knowledge and stories generate a basic interest/understanding of volunteering, or of a business or trade take on a new challenge and make a difference to young people s lives contribute to developing stronger relationships with local schools, organisations and the wider community motivate and inspire pupils to overcome the barriers which sometimes defeat them. Young people will succeed if they are supported by those who are already successful. 1

6 Basic do and don ts what makes a good role model visit? Do make contact with the school (headteacher) by telephone to introduce yourself a few weeks before your visit. You can also use this opportunity to talk through your visit with the school/staff to ensure they are happy with what you plan to cover and the timing Do let the school know if you require a particular set up (e.g. hall, classroom) or whether you need any props, equipment or resources prepared in advance Do bear in mind your audience age in terms of how you present yourself, what language you use to talk/explain and what topics you cover Do introduce yourself and explain why/what you have been asked to speak about Do keep things simple, informal, positive and accessible Do speak clearly and slowly Do keep eye contact, smile and be engaging Do use any visual prompts, resources or equipment to help engage the pupils Do talk honesty Do use humour when possible or appropriate Do ask if there are any questions at the end and answer them as best you can Do refer anything or any questions you are unsure of back to the teacher/staff present Do keep an eye on the time. We would advise a visit lasts a maximum of 15 minutes but you could take a steer from the school. Don t focus heavily on negatives but do be open about things that are challenging Don t forget the aims/purpose of the visit Don t ramble or waffle Don t do or say anything that you are unsure of or uncomfortable with. 2

7 What to expect when you arrive at the school... Visitors invited into school a) Before a visitor is invited to the school the headteacher should be informed, with a clear explanation as to the relevance and purpose of the visit and intended date and time for the visit. Permission must be granted by the headteacher before a visitor is asked to come into school. b) Visitors invited to the school should be asked to bring formal identification with them at the time of their visit. They should be given the following information: All visitors must report to reception first do not enter the school via any other entrance. At reception, all visitors must state the purpose of their visit and who has invited them. They should be ready to produce formal identification and the car registration plate number. All visitors will be asked to sign the visitors record book which is kept in reception at all times. All visitors will be required to wear an identification badge. Visitors will then be escorted to their point of contact OR their point of contact will be asked to come to reception to receive the visitor. The contact will then be responsible for them while they are on site. c) On leaving the school, visitors are asked to go through reception and sign out. Suggestions for topics Obviously we would leave this up to you to plan depending on your particular expertise and experience, but here are just a few suggestions: Aim to give or mention the following: An insight into a career, trade, business, organisation or the world of work in general Description of a job what days I go to work, where I work, what people I meet, what is the purpose of my job, why I go to work, what things I do at work, what things are important to do/remember at work, what I wear to go to work, what equipment I use at work, what I like about my job? Important work skills e.g. working hard at something, listening to people, being kind, being organised, trying your best, helping others, working with other people/in a team, working on your own, asking others for help (we don t always know everything, especially when new to a job) The importance of trying hard and practising. We may not all be naturally good at school or clever, but we all have different strengths and abilities (e.g. may be good at working in a team) The importance of turning up every day/working at a certain time even if not in the mood Examples of other jobs in your field (e.g. in other STEM sectors) Examples of hobbies/other relevant interests you may have 3

8 You may want to consider... Try to engage with your audience throughout your visit. At the beginning of the talk you could mention that you are happy to answer any questions during the talk and ask pupils to raise their hands if they'd like to make a comment or ask a question. Ask pupils questions throughout your visit; try to get them to think and engage with you and the subject being discussed. Try asking pupils to talk to their neighbour, for example ask your neighbour what job they would like to do? You/the teacher can then choose a pair to share their thoughts with the class or group. Questions to consider... If I could wave a magic wand and you could do any job you wanted what would it be? For example an Astronaut: what would you need to do now? > work hard at school > go on to Secondary School > listen carefully to your science teachers > try hard in maths > important to have good IT skills and be good on a computer > important to be good at reading... try to bring an example to life in this way. Does anybody have any questions they would like to ask me? Is anybody interested in finding out more about this job/career? What jobs would you like to do when you grow up? What jobs do you know about or have heard about? Try to ask/answer questions in terms of the specific job/career you are talking about. If asked how much do/did you earn? try to deflect this and focus on the nature of the work, what was important to consider and that money is important but not the only factor to consider. Remember: you can refer to the teacher or member of staff if you are unsure. How does this benefit young people? Provides a 'real world' context and insight into the world of work Provides motivation and support to build confidence and skills Helps develop skills, knowledge and experience Provides the opportunity to discuss problems, ideas and aspirations Suggests ways that a young person can overcome the barriers which sometimes defeat them. 4

9 Agreement I have read and fully understand and agree with the following: I have received and read the Role Model Information Pack in full. I have fully understood the commitment and what is required of me during my Role Model visit. I have fully understood the aims of my visit. I agree with the recommendation to arrive at the designated school at least 30 minutes before I am scheduled to speak to ensure I have met with the appropriate school staff, discussed the content of my visit, helped the school to guide my visit and answered any questions. I agree to make the school aware of any medical circumstances (e.g. diabetes, allergies) and, if necessary, who to contact in case of an emergency. Safeguarding: I agree not to give out any personal contact information or details to the pupils such as electronic communications or social media addresses. I agree to share my contact information with the relevant school. For any questions or concerns regarding my Role Model visit I will contact the employment and skills team, Wiltshire Council on skills4success@wiltshire.gov.uk or I have no further queries or concerns and am happy to continue with my Role Model visit as planned. Please skills4success@wiltshire.gov.uk confirming that you have read, understood and accepted the Role Model Agreement. A role model visit will not be able to take place until this confirmation has been received. Thank you very much for your participation which is greatly appreciated. 5

10 Any queries please get in touch: Tel: