Inspiring Employers: HSBC help to build future skills
HSBC have committed to supporting the next generation by partnering with Inspire!.
As part of their corporate sustainability strategy, HSBC are aiming to help their customers, colleagues and the communities they operate in develop the employability and financial capability skills they need to thrive. Inspire!’s mission to help young people build skills for the future was a perfect match. As such, they have generously funded secondary work-related learning programmes to help students in Hackney and beyond prepare for the working world. This funding has already enabled Inspire! to deliver programmes to more than 1100 students.
On top of this, HSBC employees have been using their volunteer leave days to get involved in the programmes. So far, they’ve help Year 10 and 12 students get ready for work experience placements by leading activities about the benefits of work experience, transferable skills, and employers’ expectations. They also used their personal experiences to help sixth form students build networking, applications and interview skills.
With 57 HSBC employees taking part since November, the workshops have proven popular. “It’s so fun!”, said one volunteer after a spending the day at Hampstead School. “One of the students said he was now thinking of a job with a bank!”, commented another employee.
Not only did 100% of volunteers enjoy the sessions, but 94% of students agreed that their understanding of skills and qualities employers look for had increased. 92% also felt better prepared for their work experience placements.
Hilary Tait, Head of Careers at La Sainte Union School, was suitably impressed by the volunteers: “I just wanted to say what a wonderful day you and the team from HSBC gave Year 10 yesterday…they were everything we could possible wish from visiting employers. Pupils have literally been stopping me in the corridor to say thank you!”
HSBC employees have equally benefitted from spending the day away from their desks: “Taking part in Inspire!’s programmes takes you outside of your comfort zone. The training is great and helps prepare you, but it’s quite daunting to run a class. You soon get past it when you realise how engaged the students are though! It can be a real confidence booster and is really rewarding. We’ve had great feedback from the colleagues who taken part and many have signed up to volunteer again.” said Jane Daniels, HSBC’s Future Skills Engagement and Support Manager.
HSBC’s Global Head of Future Skills, Alison Coates, told us: “A diverse range of skills are now needed to succeed in the workplace – young people need to be supported to develop these skills and be prepared to succeed in the workforce. Working with organisations like Inspire! enables us to achieve our ambition of helping people develop the skills they need to thrive in the modern world and provides our employees with the chance to share their valuable insights and knowledge”.
If your business would like to learn more about connecting with local schools and building much-needed skills, find out how you can get involved this Spring.
