Careers event helps to highlight opportunities available for young people across Coventry

E.ON has opened its doors to youngsters from across Coventry, hosting an event at its Westwood Business Park headquarters to help inspire and educate young people, including those who are leaving care or who are carers themselves, about the work experience opportunities available to them across the city.

The event was held in collaboration with Coventry City Council and was an opportunity for E.ON and Coventry Building Society to showcase their apprenticeship schemes. The day also included CV advice, mock interviews and talks about early career paths and apprenticeships, as well as a good mix of fun, interactive exercises aimed at enabling the young participants to feel relaxed and confident during the day.

Attendees included care leavers and other young people who are linked with both the House Project for Care Leavers and Positive Youth Foundation, ensuring young people who may not always be able to access these types of work opportunities and programmes could find out more.

The aim of the event was to encourage young people to engage with work experience placements with a view to applying for apprenticeships at E.ON or Coventry Building Society when those opportunities open.

Robyn Ayensu from Coventry Building Society was a care leaver in the past. She said that securing a good apprenticeship has made a massive difference to her life. 

She said: “Today’s event is a great way to link with young people – especially because trusted organisations like the Council, House Project and Positive Youth Foundation are a part of the day. It shows young people that there are organisations out there that are interested in their futures and wanting to support.

“I really enjoy working at Coventry Building Society and have found their values of being caring, ambitious, responsible, empowering and straightforward are embodied within colleagues and throughout the Society - it’s always a supportive, positive, relaxed environment and a great place to work."

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said: “This is a great way of inspiring the younger generation to pursue a career in good local companies - especially in the growing green sector. This is a real priority for our strategic energy partnership as we support the drive to net zero alongside the city’s young people who have a vested interested in tackling the greatest threat to our planet.

“The Council is working with E.ON and Coventry Building Society and lots of other key organisations on a number of schemes, and I hope that the young people who attended gained a lot out of the day. I’m really pleased that both the House Project for Care Leavers and Positive Youth Foundation are working with us too.”

Ben Tuck, Social Value Manager at E.ON, added: “At E.ON, we’re committed to supporting Coventry and its people through our groundbreaking 15-year Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council. As a major employer in the city and with many thousands of customers living locally, we’re proud that our partnership encompasses not only helping make Coventry a greener and more sustainable place to live, but also helping drive positive societal change through supporting the growth of skills and improving communities.

“We’re proud to be recognised as one of the UK’s most inclusive employers and as one of the leading apprenticeship employers across the nation, and we’re incredibly honoured to host this important event at our offices. We hope this event, held in collaboration with our partners, will help to inspire and equip this next generation of Coventry’s young people with the advice and information they need to make the right decisions for their own future careers.”   

Cllr Pat Seaman, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, added: “This is a really important event because it highlights how organisations and businesses in the city can offer real opportunities to young people who might otherwise miss out on them.

“In Coventry, we have a great reputation for supporting care leavers and disadvantaged young people and we are continually building on that by working with partners across the city to find new ways of giving a little extra help to those who need it. We have amazing hard-working and determined young people in the House Project who have already overcome many obstacles, and events like this can help them as they enter the next stage of their lives and go on to achieve their goals.”

Anna Cuskin, Community Manager at Coventry Building Society, said: “We take immense pride in the work we do to collaborate with other businesses within Coventry to unlock the opportunities that our wonderful city has to offer. Together, we aim to provide that much needed support for young people, particularly those that are leaving care, as they start their journey into the world of work.”

To find out more about how E.ON is powering positive change in Coventry, visit: eonenergy.com/coventry