Attitude for Success promotes to young people how having a positive outlook and using set-backs to your advantage can help you succeed in your personal and professional lives.
In summer 2017, the programme was delivered at Sarah Bonnell School, comprising of 3 engaging seminars, which encouraged students to think about learning from mistakes, being resilient, and tackling conflict. The seminars were delivered by trained business volunteers, who were able to draw from their own personal experiences of life in the workplace in order to engage and inspire students on these important topics.
The workplace is an unknown to students, who are increasingly informed about careers by TV and film rather than through real life experiences or engagement. It is important to prepare students’ character and resilience for the trials and tribulations of the workplace, so that they are best prepared to make the most of each and every experience that they get, and so that they are inspired to work hard and persevere in order to be successful!
The Attitudes for Success day was very useful to students to understand about themselves more and how to use their personality
VolunteerThe day was made up of three seminars, and three drama performances devised by our partners, Actorshop. The performances directly reflect the content that is explored in the seminars: learning from mistakes, being resilient, and tackling conflict. As students and volunteers share experiences, explore their personal characters, and work through engaging activities, they develop key skills such as communication and teamwork, that will be essential for their future career success.
99% of the students who participated in the day rated Attitudes for Success as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. When asked which part of the day they had found most interesting and enjoyable, comments included:
‘When we found out what kind of person we are.’
‘I liked when we had to say nice things to each other which helped me with my confidence.’
‘I liked the role play because it was to be in different scenarios.’
Students were also asked to list three things that they felt they had learned during the day:
‘Think before you take decisions.’
‘We are not perfect but I have lots of strengths.’
‘To try and work hard to make the dreams come true.’
Understanding my personality helped me with knowing myself.
Year 8 StudentThe students at Sarah Bonnell School responded particularly well to the activities around self-awareness and character. Our resources helped them to better understand the kind of person they are, their likes and dislikes, their style of learning, and the strengths. This sort of self-understanding will be essential for all areas of their life, not just careers.
This group of students also enjoyed the interactive nature of the seminars, such as the role plays, and these are activities that we will continue to use in Attitudes for Success, as well as our other employability programmes.