8th March 2024 New education partnership with global finance business sparks ambitions in Rochdale
A new partnership between education charity, The Talent Foundry, international savings and investments business, M&G plc, Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency is giving secondary school students access to exciting opportunities designed to prepare them for the world of work.
Working alongside schools and local businesses, The Talent Foundry and M&G plc are delivering hands on career workshops and mentoring to Rochdale’s young people, raising aspirations and helping students make positive choices about their futures.
Students from Oulder Hill Academy, Hollingworth Academy, Wardle Academy, St Anne’s Academy and St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School are engaging with mentors from a range of industries as they work their way through activities and tasks designed to help them discover what they’re amazing at.
The programme, delivered over three months, takes place at different venues across Rochdale, and was hosted this week at Rochdale Training Association.
Rochdale Training provided several hands-on have-a-go engineering activities for the learners. This included making tabletop spinners and programming machines to create a metal skull. It was a great opportunity for learners to consider something different during National Careers Week.
Students say:
“It's shown me I can do things I never thought I would."
"I've most enjoyed talking about what we want to do when we leave high school."
“The best thing has been the things we have learnt from those who have gone through it themselves."
Cate Smith, Head of Programmes and Partnerships at The Talent Foundry said:
“We meet incredibly talented young people every day in the projects we deliver across the country, but we know that all too often, young people do not have access to the support networks or skills development opportunities to allow them to discover what they’re amazing at – and this project will help address that.”
Jane Rawnsley, Group Head of Corporate Responsibility at M&G plc said:
“We have supported The Talent Foundry and the Skills for Life programme for ten years now and it is a programme we are incredibly proud of.
“Despite the heroic efforts of so many teachers and parents across the UK, the pandemic has caused massive disruption in the education and future career prospects of so many young students across the UK and this programme provides a unique insight into the world of work, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed on whichever pathway they choose, be that university, an apprenticeship or employment.”
Mark Whittaker, Marketing Manager at Rochdale Association said:
“This event was a great opportunity for our local school children to try something different during National Careers Week. Career options can be confusing for many and the opportunity to explore different careers is essential for our young residents. A big thank you to the employers involved on the day and the schools who took part. Rochdale Training is hoping to see some of the group join our Apprenticeship scheme next year.”
The Talent Foundry is keen to hear from local businesses with an interest in supporting the next generation and reaping the benefits of a well-skilled local workforce to take part in the programme. Businesses can contact cate.smith@talentfoundry.org.uk to find out more.
About M&G plc M&G plc is an international savings and investments business, managing money for around 5 million retail customers and more than 800 institutional clients in 28 markets. As at 30 June 2022, we had £348.9 billion of assets under management and administration.
With a heritage dating back more than 170 years, M&G plc has a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions. We serve our savings and insurance customers under the Prudential brand in the UK and Europe, and under the M&G Investments brand for asset management clients globally.
About Rochdale Training Association Welcome to Rochdale Training - The Home of Apprenticeships for Greater Manchester. Since we started out in 1966, we’ve reshaped our curriculum to meet the needs of local employers and the community, working in partnership with amazing businesses of all shapes and sizes – across the North West of England.
Whether you’re looking at enrolling on a Pre-Apprenticeship, an Apprenticeship or one of our workforce training programmes, we pride ourselves on providing an individual approach, high-quality training and of course, friendly, helpful and industry-experienced tutors.
We are proud to offer both full and part-time education and training across a broad range of subjects and course levels for both young people and adults. Hundreds of students choose to study with us each year either to start or enhance their career pathways or to broaden their skills and knowledge for their own professional development.