One of the UK’s largest business parks, Cobalt Park in North Tyneside, has welcomed almost 100 school students to help support them into employment. Called the Cobalt Safari, the event, held last week, welcomed secondary pupils from Wellfield Community School giving them the opportunity to see the business park and talk to some of the major employers.
Leeds Building Society, Newcastle Building Society, and mobile network provider EE highlighted the type of careers they offer on site and what it is like to work for them. The event is complemented by schools carrying out lessons before and after the event and is delivered in a partnership between North Tyneside Council, Cobalt Park and North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP).
Cobalt Safari builds on a pilot programme that was held at Aycliffe Business Park last year by (NELEP). The events help secondary schools and colleges implement their careers programmes and bridge the gap between industry and education, helping them to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Cobalt Safari took place in addition to Get into Cobalt – a work experience programme delivered as part of National Careers Week running from the 4th-9th March. The five-day work experience programme at Cobalt Park gave local people the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is like working in a modern business over a full week and find out what skills are required to access the jobs and apprenticeships available. It featured workshops covering what employers seek in potential employees, guidance on role applications, and interview techniques. These sessions were conducted by several of Cobalt’s major tenants, including Leeds Building Society, North Tyneside Council, and Capita.
Lynn Cramman, Business Development Manager at Cobalt Park said: “This was a very successful event, and it was really positive to see so many young people getting the chance to see what job opportunities there are right here on their doorstep at Cobalt Park.
“It is important that there are tighter links between our education system and industry. Pupils should have plenty of opportunity to learn from potential future employers about the skills that are valued in modern day workplaces.
“Cobalt Park is proud to contribute to these employment initiatives. We hope that the local people who participated in last week’s work experience program or joined us for the Cobalt Safari gain valuable insights, enhancing their skills and increasing their potential employability. We are committed to nurturing a pipeline of talented individuals who can thrive here at Cobalt Park’’