Students honed their employability skills at an event designed to help them build essential workplace skills. Lowestoft Sixth Form College A-level and BTEC students spent the day working together with help from mentors from various business, including Adnams, Hoseasons, HealthEast and Suffolk Police. They were set a number of challenges, which included working out costings for a new business, coming up with a social media strategy to promote it, creating marketing materials and finally pitch it to the rest of the group.
Careers Advisor Karen Lambton said: “We feel it is essential to ensure the students have the relevant skills so they may progress into employment, self-employment, further or higher education. Our students develop their skills throughout the year and we provide a range of opportunities and support, such as this special lottery funded event. It was a good opportunity to develop their skills further, whatever their starting point. “We were all very impressed with the overall effort and enthusiasm of the students, and very grateful to all the employers who gave their time to support and motivate their team members.”
Among the businesses that students worked together to design were pet stores, takeaways, car accessories shops and bicycle shops. Lowestoft Journal reporter Polly Grice oversaw a group of four students who came up with the idea of a Lord of the Rings-themed takeaway called “Lord of the Wings”. She said: “I was really impressed with the creativity of the students in my group and the way they all encouraged each other throughout the process. “Each one of them played to their strengths but then also stepped out of their comfort zone to stand up in front of their fellow students to make a presentation. I was very proud of them all.”