Career Academy

The Career Academy is a national programme, which raises the aspirations and develops the employability skills of young people. Career Academies UK has been working with the College to secure workplace networks and experiences for students, linking up with both local and national employers.

There are a number of ways that businesses can get involved:

Visits - hosting students at business premises, providing tours and group activities to demonstrate how the business works.

Guru Lectures - visiting the College to talk to students about their company and about business practices.

Mentoring - providing one-to-one mentoring for a student in the Career Academy, following a clear, structured schedule of topics and offering advice to that student.

Internships - providing a six-week paid internship for a student in which they can immerse themselves in that business and get valuable work experience.

The College has had a Business Career Academy running since July 2010. Ten students have spent the last year benefiting from a range of business opportunities. Among the businesses who have supported this scheme are Aston University, BDO, BT, Coventry Building Society, Grant Thornton, Jaguar Land Rover, npower, the Primary Care Trust, Solihull Chamber, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Village Hotel and West Midlands Police. Find out more about what this group have been doing by clicking here.

We are planning on extending the Career Academy to other areas, with Public Services, IT, Creative Media, and Science also getting Career Academies in the future. Students on the relevant BTEC courses will have the opportunity to apply to join these Career Academies. Any business interested in being a part of this should contact Ranjit Hayer on 0121 704 2581.