All 180 boys in Year 9 spent a day off time-table near the end of term to take part in an exciting careers advice event based on the BBC’s The Apprentice.
The pupils each submitted a CV beforehand and, when these were considered, a managing director and deputy managing director were chosen for each of the 15 groups located around the School. Each group had a facilitator from the world of industry to lead them on their tasks. Four assessors looked at the work of each group and four groups were chosen to present their ideas at the end of the day. The winners were to be deemed The Apprentices 2008.
“They had to justify their decisions and underwent a grilling from the panel of judges, who were just as harsh as Sir Alan, Margaret and Nick from the TV programme,” said David Ryan, Head of Careers Education and Guidance.
The aim was to introduce students to the world of work, ethics, sales approaches and team responsibilities. The boys had to complete a major task of deciding how to manufacture, promote and sell a chocolate bar over a notional eight-week period. They also had two minor tasks: one focused on deciding the questions to ask or not to ask in interviews; the other presented a range of ethical business scenarios.
“The day is an excellent opportunity for the School to work in partnership with business and industry in order to present a clear view of what the world of work is to our students,” said Mr Ryan. “Students at QE will go on to work in highly competitive environments like the one created on this day, and the skills that they learn in this respect will be highly beneficial to them as they progress on their careers pathway.”