Our Education and Business team provided coaching support for vulnerable students at a mainstream school for 11-16 year old in Liverpool City Region.  Ten students had disengaged from the school curriculum but possessed the academic ability to access an apprenticeship.  A Career Connect adviser delivered a tailored programme of coaching to support them through the recruitment process.  The coaching included:

• Ensuring students understood the demands of undertaking an apprenticeship 
• Providing support to help them be successful in a recruitment process
• Providing opportunities for students to see their learning in action
• Helping them re-engage with the curriculum to achieve the best possible GCSE qualifications

The careers adviser met with small-medium local employers to agree and define what they sought in potential apprentices.  An employer engagement session was arranged between students and employers to allow students to find out more about the apprenticeships on offer and enable the employers to meet students in an informal setting.  During the session, students were set a range of tasks, with employers observing and providing feedback on areas for the students to work on during their weekly coaching sessions.  These included improving student employability skills, their knowledge of the recruitment process and their personal resilience (since only four students would be offered apprenticeships).

As a result of Career Connect’s support, improvements were noted in both attendance and attainment by all students.  All students successfully completed applications, attended an assessment day and an interview and the highest scoring candidates were offered the apprenticeships.  All students were given in-depth feedback on their performance, so they had a clear of understanding of how they had done.  The successful students received coaching to help them make the most of the apprenticeship they had been offered.  The unsuccessful students were given coaching on how to plan the next steps and move forward with their career plans – all of whom made applications to other learning opportunities. 

The programme received excellent feedback from both the school and employers involved and the delivery model is being expanded to involve more employers.