Ringway Hounslow Highways helps local school pupils develop the skills to succeed

Ringway Hounslow Highways helps local school pupils develop the skills to succeed

Ringway Hounslow Highways has given local school students a taste of the workplace by teaming up with an award-winning social enterprise that aims to give pupils the skills and aspiration to succeed.

Staff at the highways service provider have worked with Enabling Enterprise for more than three years, inviting students to spend a day in a real workplace and develop vital skills including team-work, problem-solving and presenting.

Pupils from Dairy Meadow Primary, in Southall, were the most recent to work alongside volunteers from Hounslow Highways as part of a visit last week.

The students enjoyed a tour of the premises, as well as working on a marketing task that developed their imagination, design and presentation skills.

Martin Clack, Divisional Director at Hounslow Highways, said: “We are very proud to have been partnering with Enabling Enterprise for the last three years. Helping children learn and develop their skills by visiting our workplace has always been a thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable experience for both the company and our staff.

“By working with more than 400 visiting students from local schools we have been able to improve their understanding of our industry and share different ideas on how tackle the issues faced locally on topics such as good behaviour and littering.”

Enabling Enterprise was founded by teachers in 2009, and now works with more than 85,000 students nationally.

It is a not-for-profit social enterprise that works in partnership with more than 300 schools and 130 employers nationally, with a vision to ensure that, one day, every student will leave school with the skills, experiences and aspirations to succeed.

Mike Zatyka, Development Manager at Enabling Enterprise, said: “For the students, these visits are part of long-term, school-based programme focused on developing essential skills like collaboration, self-management, creative thinking and communication in a rigorous and measurable way.

“Being able to spend a day in a real workplace, alongside adults who are not their parents or teachers has a powerful impact on the students.

“They are able to build their understanding of careers, make further progress in collaboration, listening, presenting and problem solving skills and see how important these skills are in the world of work. The continued support from across Hounslow Highways has been fantastic and we are looking forward to many more visits together.”