Hundreds of school children have continued to benefit from the Raising Aspirations career programme which is delivered by Positive Footprints and Gentoo.
The programme inspires young people 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 in.
During National Careers Week, children from Dubmire Primary School had the opportunity to take part in a career carousel and meet colleagues from local businesses including Gentoo, The University of Sunderland, St Benedict’s Hospice, Wates Group, Equans, Waste Experts and Prosper to gain an insight into different sectors through talks and interactive activities.
The school has fully embedded the Raising Aspirations programme into their curriculum to support children in developing their thoughts around future careers throughout their time at school.
James Haste, our Director of Property Maintenance said: “We are delighted to continue our work with Positive Footprints again this year. It was great to attend the career carousel and see firsthand the impact the programme has had on future generations.
“I have no doubt the children will go on to achieve great things and hope to see a few of them join Gentoo’s workforce in years to come.”
Jo Norwood, Customer Relationship Manager at Positive Footprints, said: “There is nothing like bringing a project to life and that’s what we did recently with Gentoo and employers from across Sunderland for pupils at Dubmire Primary.
“The school is one of 20 primaries that Gentoo are funding to run our Raising Aspirations programme and the career carousel is a key element of this. We gave children the opportunity to hear about a variety of jobs and careers across different industries, it was great to hear them asking some fantastic questions!”
Dubmire Primary School is just one of 20 primary schools across Sunderland benefiting from the Raising Aspirations programme. As part of the programme, children learn vital employability skills by discovering their unique qualities and skills in CV writing and preparing for an interview.
Helen Anderson, Assistant Headteacher at Dubmire Primary School, said: “We were privileged to host the Positive Footprints carousel. Our Year 5 children and staff have thoroughly enjoyed using the resources provided by Positive Footprints and the carousel enhanced their understanding of a wide range of careers and the skills required.
"A really inspiring morning for all and we would be delighted to work with Positive Footprints and Gentoo in the future.”
Last year, we were awarded over £21,000 of Social Value Dividend funding from our procurement partner, Prosper to fund the programme for another year.
