Foundation and Esh Group extend partnership

Foundation of Light and Esh Group have extended a successful partnership which gives secondary school pupils an introduction to the world of work and how social media can affect their careers.

Sunderland AFC's official charity has delivered sessions over the past three years within secondary schools across the North East to support Esh Group's award-winning Building My Skills project which has engaged thousands of young people.

The Foundation has also focused on the ‘Online Appearance’ module of Building My Skills aimed at educating pupils around the impact social media can have on their employment opportunities.

Using engaging content, kinaesthetic learning and interactive quizzes, Foundation of Light's expert Informal Education Officers increase knowledge and awareness around a very prominent topic as an increasing number of employers use social media to screen candidates.

Participants are also given an insight into Sunderland AFC as a business and the different opportunities available to them within the club off the pitch, including its commercial, hospitality, marketing and media operations.

We are delighted to extend our partnership with Esh Group to deliver the Building My Skills programme. The initiative has been hugely successful with hundreds of pupils developing their understanding of the world of work and we look forward to helping more young people increase their ability to gain better qualifications and enter the job market in the future.

Richard Hopper, Foundation of Light's Head of Commercial

Now in its fifth academic year, Building My Skills has received national recognition, including winning Business in the Community’s National Big Tick for Education Partnership in 2015 and Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Inspiring Change in Education Award earlier this year.

Students receive five employability guidance sessions over the full academic year at no cost, which is delivered by a mentor from a local business who provides insight into their career path, their sector and employability skills they value whilst providing support with the completion of an employability portfolio. Pupils who complete each task and attend all sessions are then offered a mock interview.

Brian Manning, CEO of the Esh Group, added: "We are very proud Foundation of Light will continue to deliver our Building My Skills programme for the next two years.

"Their expert staff have been an asset to the programme and they have helped open up a great number of students' eyes to opportunity and excite them about the world of work."