Urban Synergy's Head of Programmes, Dianne Johnson, was the host. Director of Adult Integrated Commissioning, Kenneth Gregory, & Laura Jenner, Director of Systems Transformation, were the keynote speakers. They introduced the history and the different functions of the council and their roles within it before sharing information about their career journeys and answering some questions from the students.
30 students from Prendergast Vale School attended the event in the Civic Suite, Catford. Students first heard from a panel of role models talking about their career journeys while sharing their top tips for success. We then moved onto a Speed Mentoring session where more role models from the council participated in lively discussions with students about their careers, exposing students to a wilder range of roles and careers.
Urban Synergy's Dianne Johnson interviewed the panel featuring:
- Carly Davis - Head of External Communications
- Sam Cadman - Senior Planning Enforcement Officer
- Maddie Manoliu - Product Manager
- Tania Jennings - Net Zero Carbon Manager - Climate Resilience Team
The panellists helped to decode their roles for the students and also shared some career insights and provided useful tips.
Early careers at Lewisham Council
Students were provided with lunch, and afterwards, Apprenticeship Programme Manager Carol Stewart & Agnes Bailey, Training & Engagement Advisor alongside some current and former apprentices, talked to the students about good practices when writing CVs, LinkedIn. They also learned what the typical recruitment process might look like at the council and the different ways you can be recruited at an early stage via apprenticeships at Lewisham Council.
Students were then given an opportunity to direct their questions in a speed mentoring format to the apprentices and have them answered.
We'd like to thank all the volunteers that made this Insight Day and Lewisham Council a great success.
How students rated the event
We asked students to complete a short feedback form after the event to assess the impact of the event.
- 100% of the students said they learned about a career they were not aware of before
- 93% of students learned what skills are valued in the workplace
- 100% feel more confident about their future
- 36% were aware of what the council does before attending the event?
Student comments
"I liked that we could ask different apprentices about how they got their apprenticeship and how they feel about it; this helped me to understand what I can do after I finish school"
"The thing I enjoyed the most was learning about the options when looking for an apprenticeship, it has really helped clear my doubts about the path I plan to take in the future"
"It was very informative and useful to people our age, however, I do wish there were better options for refreshments and some games to break the ice"
"I enjoyed how all the staff members were able to give personal experiences that could help us with our future and shed some light on what we might want to do that is similar to them"
Teacher comments
"Great range of avenues and volunteers, lots of opportunities to ask questions. Could be improved by having more compulsory interactions or activities, so more shy pupils can engage"
"It was a good insight into what is available in Lewisham for the young people and their futures"
If you would like to partner with Urban Synergy and host an Insight Day at your company, please get in touch via Contact Us.
