At the end of January, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) hosted the second Sightlines to Careers Week of 2023 which took off with an enthusiastic start, with several guest employers and professionals providing students vital and important information to enhance their skills and prepare them for the world of work.
The week was attended by several employers including Oxfam in the Third Sector, Cisco, a leading international networking company, Transport for London (TfL) and the NHS. Charles Horsey, a former TfL employee with over four decades experience in engineering, narrated his story to the Level 3 Engineering students.
James McLaverty from Oxfam also had an interesting narrative, telling students how he shifted into charity work from being a teacher. Like many of the teenage students, James was unclear what he was good at and instead listened to his heart in deciding his career pathways. For James, passion drives a person to a dream job. He underscored the importance of work experience as a precursor to apprenticeship and jobs.
Two practicing architects, Max Rengifo and Jo Peychava, from local firm WR-AP took the students on a journey down memory lane about how they reached the place where they are now.
Krzysztofa Gosk and Karina Boer from The Lensbury Hotel asked the Travel and Tourism and Catering students to be work-ready, with a good CV in place. While underlining the opportunities available in their companies, they advised the students to stand up to the challenges of a new world of work, post-Covid19.
For Mark Ormiston, from family-run company, Ormiston Wire, which has been in operation for over two centuries, it was an exercise to reminiscent the bygone days. He spoke at length to the Level 2 Engineering students, providing them a social history of how the trade has transformed over the years.
While Zoya Lodhia from Cisco was precise on the skills, qualities and qualifications necessary to step into a technology company and the digital age. She highlighted the Work Experience and Apprenticeship programmes run by Cisco. Last year two RuTC female students were selected for work experience in Cisco through a competitive process. In the current academic year, another two female RuTC students also saw the same success.
The week ended with a talk by Christine Caitlin, Deputy Director of NHS Trusts, Chelsea & Westminster and Hillingdon. Through engaging with the students, Christine was able to talk about what she has achieved from being a nurse and her rise to a directorial role in human resources and also promote the 60-hour volunteering scheme available in the two trusts she is associated with.
Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Work Experience Co-ordinator at RuTC, explains “Sightlines to Careers is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn from and find out more about the organisations which operate in various industries and how their subjects are relevant.
"These experiences can help students to secure their first role as well as offering them the chance to conceptualise in real life the subjects they have studied. It is also a great chance for employers to develop their social responsibility, by helping their community and inspiring students for the future.”
