Raising the career aspirations of hundreds of primary school children in the Northeast
Hundreds of primary school children on Wearside are benefitting from an award-winning careers programme.
The Raising Aspirations programme is delivered by Positive Footprints and Gentoo. It inspires youngsters to identify their natural talents, believe in themselves and visualise a positive future. It builds on natural curiosity and shapes how children perceive the world they live and will eventually work in.
It was launched this week with children from Grange Park Primary School. Pupils had the opportunity to meet local businesses including Gentoo Homes, Sunderland University, Royal Navy and SAFC Ladies Defender, Louise Griffiths to gain an insight into different sectors through talks and interactive activities before they embark on the programme.
Grange Park Primary School in Sunderland is one of the 20 schools where the programme is being delivered. The school has fully embedded the Raising Aspirations programme into its curriculum, to support pupils in developing thoughts around their future careers.
The programme is adaptable across all primary school year groups. with children achieving vital employability skills at the end of the 12-hour course. This includes discovering their unique qualities and skills in CV writing and preparing for an interview.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Wilson, said:
“There’s nothing more important to our future than investing in our young people and we’re delighted to be able to fund such a worthwhile programme for more than 1,500 children in Sunderland, across 20 schools.
“Sunderland has a proud work heritage, and these pupils may well provide vital services for the city in the future such as our engineers, doctors, teachers and manufacturers. It’s critical that we invest our time and money in them now.
“By developing their confidence and skills through the Positive Footprints programmes, I’ve no doubt they’ll go on to achieve their full potential and future career aspirations.”
