Are you interested in giving students from disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to see the reality of working in your industry and company up close, boosting their chances of employment along the way? If so, then the new City Global Impact Programme could provide just such an opportunity to lend young people a professional helping hand. City Global Opportunities Manager Tom Challen gives the lowdown on this soon-to-be-rolled out scheme.
Tell us about your role and remit at City
“As Global Opportunities Manager at City, my role is to develop funded opportunities for current City students to study, work, or volunteer abroad. A major focus of my role is to make global opportunities accessible to students from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, and to utilise these opportunities to improve employability and academic outcomes for our students.”
How is the City Global Impact Programme structured and what is the aim?
“The aim is to provide an opportunity for our students to learn about working cultures and industries outside of the UK, develop their problem-solving and presentation skills as well as their ability to create impact, and engage with our amazing alumni. The programme will involve a group of 15 to 20 current City undergraduates, from all subject areas at City, travelling to a city or region outside of the UK and visiting alumni in their workplace. The programme will also include a business challenge in which students will pitch an innovation related to the hosting industries and cities.”
How much of a commitment will be expected of programme hosts in terms of time, resources, and costs?
“Timings and locations can be flexible depending on alumni’s circumstances, but ideally they would host students in their workplace and deliver a talk of approximately one hour on their personal career path, their industry, and their cultural environment, and then answer questions from the students. If appropriate, they could also give a tour of their office and facilities to the students. Alumni would also be invited to participate in judging the student’s pitches, though this is optional.”
How will I be supporting students by participating as a host?
“Participating alumni will enable our students to explore different working cultures and industries outside of the UK while learning about the personal career paths of our alumni, supporting their intercultural competencies, industry knowledge, and ultimately their employability. The programme will focus especially on supporting students from underrepresented groups with limited experience abroad, for whom this experience will build confidence and empower them to have global mindsets.”
Interested alumni are invited to register here: https://city.tfaforms.net/4724048
For more information: Tom.Challen@city.ac.uk