The Youth Justice Team took advantage of the half-term to connect the business community and participants across various projects within Leicestershire Cares in a Design a Mug and Employability Day. We had business members present from Stepnell, Everards, and Nelsons. We also had a community navigator from Ingeus in attendance with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and they were 11 participants in attendance, comprising of 2 females and 9 males.
The day commenced with a presentation given by Sue Woollett from Stepnell. She started by reassuring participants that the business members in attendance were once young like them and are just human beings. She then proceeded to talk about different types of interviews and how to prepare for them. She advised participants to research the relevant organisation, dress appropriately and maintain good eye contact when speaking to employers. With regards to video interviews, participants were encouraged to ensure that they had good internet connection and a functional camera. She also talked about the various ways to work with Stepnell. Sue touched briefly on the disclosure process at Stepnell.
The event was excellent for informal engagement between young people and employers. It was really interesting to hear Crae's lived experience too.
Sue Woollett-Social Value Manager, Stepnell
We then moved onto the panel of business professionals where they provided insights into the following questions:
- What should I do If I get nervous in an interview and forget my words?
- Was there a particular interview that you feel you messed up?
- What did you learn and how did you recover?
- What do I do if I don’t know the answer to a question I have been asked in an interview?
- What is one interview tip that you would recommend?
The panel members encouraged participants to prepare notes and take them into their interview sessions. They also advised that it is becoming increasingly common to request the interview questions in advance to aid the preparation process. The business members also encouraged participants to be honest if they did not know the answer to a question. It was highlighted that being upfront and honest would prevent or at least reduce embarrassment. Participants were also advised to ask for clarification if they did not fully understand the questions being asked.
Thanks for last week, was a fab day! It’s a privilege and honour to work with Leicestershire Cares supporting young adults in getting back into the workplace.
Gareth Smith- Business Relationship Manager- Everards
We subsequently moved onto a mock interview conducted by Danielle and Georgina from Nelsons. Although they were not interviewing for any specific roles, they both did an excellent job of answering standard interview questions such as:
- Tell me about yourself?
- What are some of your past achievements?
- What are your weaknesses and what steps have you taken to improve them?
- What are your goals?
- Do you work well within a team, if so, please provide an example.
- Do you have any questions?
Nelsons are always thrilled to be invited to support Leicestershire Cares with their projects, and the latest employability day on 19 February for the Youth Justice group was no exception. It’s a genuine privilege for us to get to meet and work with these young people who are making proactive choices to change their lives and look to a bright future. They are shining lights and ambassadors for their peers, as they continue to look at ways to increase their employability. They deserve all of the support and encouragement to do so, and it was a joy to be involved in this event to offer some insight into interview techniques and tips. We very much hope that the group enjoyed the day and took away some practical tips to work with going forward. Our thanks, as always, to the whole team at Leicestershire Cares, particularly Chikodi, Jennifer, and Ross, for putting on another fantastic event for this group.”
Danielle Young-Legal Director and Solicitor
This session was followed by a speech from Crae, a Community Navigator at Ingeus who shared his early experiences of navigating childhood trauma and being groomed by older men who were involved in criminality. He eventually got involved in crime and was incarcerated. On his final exit from prison, he shared the challenges of navigating the world of work and setting up his own recycling business. He spoke about the importance of businesses providing opportunities to people with criminal convictions and also encouraged young people to stay away from crime. He spoke about the glamour often associated with crime and the far longer reaching consequences such as losing loved ones to gang violence, inability to travel internationally, and the inability to work freely in certain industries. His speech was highly impactful and gave both the young people and professionals food for thought.
After lunch, the day ended with a creative networking session facilitated by Pedestrian. Both business members and participants were able to interact whilst working on creating a customized mug.
We are truly grateful to all our businesses and participants for taking part in this event.
If you are a business and you would like to get involved in the work that we do by providing valuable work experience/work trials, please get in touch using the email address below.
Youth Justice Project Development Manager
Chikodi Lori
chikodi@leicestershirecares.co.uk
To read about our Power to Change approach, click on the link below:
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/our-approach/power-to-change/#:~:text=We%20believe%20our%20power%20to,city%20and%20county%20for%20all.
For more information and insight into our Youth Justice Projects click the links below:
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/news-events-/vipphoenix-careers-and-hoodie-design-day/
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/news-events-/vipphoenix-mock-interview-preparation-event-pathways-and-nelsons-solicitors/
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/news-events-/hinckley-and-rugby-building-society-budgeting-workshop/
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/case-studies/jg-work-experience-case-study/