Mitie provides students with experience of business

Mitie provides students with experience of business

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 45, Issue 2

A strategic-outsourcing and energy-services company has teamed up with a social enterprise dedicated to tackling youth unemployment to provide young people with practical skills to succeed in business.

The partnership will see more than 20 Mitie employees take on the role of business expert in enterprise projects with Working Knowledge, which is dedicated to making business aware of young talent available locally. The projects will aim to prepare further-education students in Bristol, south Cheshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Guildford, Northampton, Hackney and Warwick for the world of work by raising their aspirations, building confidence and providing employability skills.

The partnership is an extension of Mitie’s existing sustainability programs, such as World of Work days and vocational-skill centers.

Stephen Barthorpe, sustainable-business manager at Mitie, said: “Our entrepreneurial approach and passion for inspiring the next generation of employees is demonstrated by our commitment to invest directly in educational programs.”

James Lott, managing director of Working Knowledge, said: “It is vital that we continue to partner leading businesses so that we can show young people the breadth of careers available to them.”

Meanwhile, Mitie has been highly commended in the leadership category at the London Excellence awards.

The commendation was for Mitie’s client-services business, which provides front-of-house and telephony services and has invested heavily in accredited training for leaders and team members.

Debra Ward, managing director, Mitie client services, said: “Our focus has always been, and always will be, on our people and the service they provide. This award recognizes the impact they have on the organizations they work with, their team and their clients.”

Mitie has also received an award for its work helping young unemployed people to find work during the recession.

The Economic Regeneration prize was presented at the Lord Mayor of London’s Dragon awards. Mitie beat off competition to receive the award for its Real Apprentice scheme.

The scheme was launched in 2005 to help young unemployed people in London to find work through a full-time training program and placements in professional environments. Those entering the scheme include the long-term unemployed and people with disabilities.

Real Apprentices are offered between eight and 12 weeks of training and an operational placement either on a Mitie site or with one of Mitie’s clients or suppliers.

The training gives the participant the chance to learn business skills such as CV writing, time management, time keeping and how to perform in an interview.

During the operational placement the apprentices have a mentor and the opportunity to work in a number of roles, ranging from the mailroom to landscaping.

More than 200 people have completed the course and Mitie has helped 148 of them to secure jobs.

Jane James, employment-regeneration director at Mitie, said: “Mitie has always been a people business committed to its staff and the communities in which it operates, which is why receiving this acknowledgement is so fantastic.

“At a time when youth unemployment is so high, the Real Apprentice scheme and Mitie employees are playing an important role in helping the unemployed to gain skills, get back into work and feel more positive about their lives.”

The Lord Mayor’s Dragon awards recognize community engagement in Greater London. Activities include charity partnerships, employee volunteering, employability initiatives and local purchasing.