Careers Wales introduced the six winners of their Valued Companion Awards 2022 at an awards ceremony in Cardiff earlier this month.
The winners of every class had been introduced dwell and in-person for the primary time since 2019, by the occasion host, DJ and presenter, Huw Stephens.
These extremely anticipated awards are an opportunity for Careers Wales to recognise employers who’ve delivered impactful and interesting careers experiences to pupils in Wales over the past twelve months.
Careers Wales works with colleges and employers throughout the nation to facilitate employer engagement exercise, from high-impact regional careers festivals via to particular person faculty actions, so younger individuals are knowledgeable in regards to the world of labor, precedence sectors and their profession choices.
Since January 2022, nearly 1000 actions have been facilitated, together with website visits, mock interviews and displays.
To date this 12 months, 91% of younger individuals who attended an employer engagement occasion stated they felt extra knowledgeable about their profession alternatives and 80% had been extra motivated to make choices about their future.*
Nikki Lawrence, Chief Govt at Careers Wales, stated:
“It’s with immense delight that we announce the winners of the Valued Companion Awards this 12 months.
“We had a really excessive calibre of nominations, and it has been such a pleasure to spotlight the invaluable affect made when employers and colleges come collectively in partnership.
“The awards allow us to thank companies for uplifting, motivating and empowering pupils with work-related information and experiences that can assist information them to form their futures.
“On behalf of myself and everybody at Careers Wales, congratulations to all of the winners and we stay up for persevering with our very important work with them.”
Listed below are all six winners of their classes:
Most Supportive Work Expertise Employer Award: Scooby’s Autos, Caerphilly
Proprietor David Pearce has offered unbelievable alternatives for younger folks via work expertise. Offering ‘actual work’ duties, supporting pupils’ improvement and giving them a protected area to be taught has enabled them to flourish.
David stated:
“I didn’t count on to win the award, however I’m actually happy.
“I believe it’s actually essential for pupils to get actual expertise of the job and on a regular basis life in work and see if it’s what they wish to do. It’s all about giving them an opportunity.”
Most Progressive Assist for Faculties Award: Viridor, Wales-wide
Viridor have hosted an enormous vary of actions in twelve totally different colleges throughout the nation, offering a variety of actions together with careers carousels, STEM (science, expertise, surroundings and maths) assemblies and choices periods.
Eamonn Scullion, Customer Centre and Neighborhood Advantages Officer at Viridor stated:
“It’s a extremely nice honour to have acquired an award like this.
“A part of that work that we do with colleges is round elevating pupils’ consciousness of the sorts of high-tech scientific processes that remodel their waste into electrical energy, and offering pupils with a transparent roadmap for working in high-tech industries that are fairly native to them.”
Most Supportive Small Enterprise Award: Litegreen, Wrexham
Partnering with Ysgol y Grango, Litegreen have supported an enormous variety of pupils via a wealth of actions, developed sources to assist pupils with further studying wants and firm director David has offered perception into his private profession journey.
Shanone Towers and David Walker are the 2 administrators of Litegreen. Shanone stated:
“We’re actually happy to win this award – even the nomination simply felt actually rewarding as we take our work with colleges very critically.”
David added: “I prefer to assume that once we do a mock interview, or simply have a chat with a pupil, that they depart with just a bit bit extra confidence about their very own set of expertise and the issues that they will do.”
Excellent Private Contribution Award: Jacquie Gower, JCP Solicitors, Swansea
Jacqui Gower from JCP Solicitors, has proven unwavering dedication to supporting younger folks of their group, spearheading partnerships with not one, however two native colleges, and organising, whole packages of profession actions, designed round particular faculty wants.
Jacqui stated:
“It feels wonderful to win the award.
“I discover college students typically assume that the one path to work in a legislation agency is to go to school and keep on and do postgrad however there a great deal of totally different routes in.
“I like going out to varsities and letting them know all of the totally different roles they will have in a legislation agency and the way they will get there.”
Greatest Ongoing Relationship with a College: Future Valleys Development, Merthyr Tydfil
Future Valleys are devoted to supporting pupils at Greenfield Particular College, offering bespoke workshops to college students between years 9 and 13 and dealing intently with the varsity to deal with pupils’ totally different wants and supply optimistic outcomes.
Martin Gallimore, Customer Centre and Neighborhood Advantages Officer at Future Valleys Development stated:
“We’re actually happy to have received the award.
“All of the engagement that we do actually appears to have an effect on the pupils we work with.
“That’s what retains us going and retains us desirous to do an increasing number of with them.”
Greatest Newcomer: Charles Owen, Wrexham
Charles Owen have already hosted an array of actions with quite a few colleges together with mentoring interviews, enterprise days and an apprenticeship discuss. They encourage employees throughout the organisation to assist occasions and at the moment are partnered with Ysgol Y Grango.
Anna Phillips, Head of HR at Charles Owen, stated:
“We’re actually happy to win the award – we actually wished to achieve out to our group and assist the youthful technology.
“There are extra roles in manufacturing than simply within the manufacturing unit and it’s good for younger folks to see all the opposite alternatives accessible to them.”
