Partner Article

Apprentice Winner Launches Employability Academy at Harrow College

Harrow College have partnered with Apprentice Winner Lee McQueen and his business Raw Talent Academy as they look to improve the student’s chances of securing employment.

The partnership will see Raw Talent Academy, a sales recruitment and coaching company, run an Employability Academy within the college giving every student the chance to experience a job application process as well as taking 20 students on an in-depth 12-stage coaching course built around their current classes.

To gain a place on the coaching course the 20 students will have to attend an ‘Apprentice’ style Audition Day where McQueen will take on the ‘Lord Sugar role’. The Audition Day will see up to 50 students undertake a variety of business based tasks inspired by McQueen’s time on the hit BBC TV show.

The employability-coaching course will cover subjects not just focused on securing a job – such as interview techniques and goal setting – but also preparing the students for the realities of employment. McQueen himself will deliver the coaching alongside Raw Talent Academy’s experienced coaches, sharing advice on building relationships, an employee’s role within an organisation, the importance of knowledge, entrepreneurship and commercial awareness.

This will be the second year in a row Harrow College have worked with Raw Talent Academy after running an Employability Academy last year that saw 3 students go on to earn internships with local companies.

McQueen, who founded Raw Talent Academy after working for Lord Sugar for 2 years, announced the Employability Academy saying; “Harrow College is a forward thinking organisation always looking to ensure they provide their students with the best possible chance of employment. I have worked closely with the College for the past few years and am delighted to continue that partnership.

“This Employability Academy - run by my team who are experienced recruitment consultants - will give the students at the College the opportunity to experience a face to face interview and receive feedback on how to improve next time. Many of these students will have little or no experience of applying for a job and this Academy will help to give them the experience and confidence needed to make the right impression with Employers.”

Lee Janaway, Head of Department for Business, English and Media Studies at Harrow College added; “We were really impressed by the Employability Academy last year and did not think twice about working with Raw Talent Academy again. At Harrow College we are committed to ensuring our students have the skills and attributes required to fulfill their goals after College, whether that is in employment or at university. Working with Raw Talent Academy gives us the chance to provide our students with expert help and coaching.

“Following the Academy last year, the feedback from the students has been brilliant, not just from the 20 who earned a place on the training course - who were full of praise for Lee and his team - but also the students who attended the Audition Day or secured a face-to-face interview. After speaking to a number of them it was obvious the students had not only gained a valuable insight in to life after college, they had also received rewarding and constructive feedback as well as growing as individuals.

“This year Raw Talent Academy has evolved the process and we are really excited to see this years students benefit from the Academy. We are expecting more students to apply and they will be receiving even more detailed and invaluable feedback.”

McQueen gave a reminder of the challenges facing these students when he went on to say; “Youth Unemployment across the UK has remained high since 2009 and again rose this month. These figures are worrying and we need to start tackling the causes, one of which is employers complaining young people are not prepared for the world of employment. Our aim is to change that for these students!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Raw Talent Academy .