Equal choices for young people

Situation

Equal Choices is a programme which addresses under-representation of minority groups within the local workforce near Milton Keynes.

Solution

We are one of a number of local employers who participate in the 'Equal Choice' initiative.  This provides a two day work 'taster' for young people who, for whatever reason, may not have had the opportunity to recognise the work choices available to them.

On the first day students are able to explore the working environment with their group, looking at the difference between work and school.  The second day is a work shadow day, when pairs of students shadow their mentors, working in areas as diverse as Finance, Despatch, Technical Support and the Nursery. They have the opportunity to try tasks and ask questions one-to-one, about the working environment and keep a learning log throughout. Following this the mentors and the diversity team visit the students in school for a structured feedback day.

Impact

Most students had no prior knowledge of FCO Services and were amazed by the diverse career opportunities available within our organisation. During a mock recruitment exercise a number of students said they would seriously be considering developing skills sets relevant to FCO Services careers.