"On behalf of Business in the Community Ireland I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to IAPI for its instrumental role in bringing the World of Work programme to life for 2nd year students at Holy Child CS. Since our partnership began in 2019, 57 students have benefitted from the programme gaining crucial insights into future career opportunities and developing essential soft skills.
The success of this initiative is owed to the exceptional dedication and unwavering support of volunteers from IAPI. Throughout this year, a commendable total of 34 hours were selflessly contributed to uplifting and inspiring students, particularly those confronting significant challenges. This effort culminated in an impressive 273 hours of social impact. Such a substantial commitment speaks volumes about your corporate and educational ethos." said, Alison Norman - Business In the Community.
IAPI and Business in the Community work together through the World of Work Programme to provide students with an insight into the world of work post second level school.
The programme aims to encourage students to recognise the value of completing their education while developing knowledge and understanding the soft skills most valued in the workplace.
This year's programme impacted 26 students from Holy Child N.S., with over 34 voluntary hours provided by IAPI members. This work has resulted in 273 social impact hours and since we entered into this collaboration we have worked with 70 individual students both through WOW and the previous mentoring programme.
WOW highlights for IAPI in 2023/24
The student engagement and participation throughout the programme was rated very good.
The company rated each of the sessions as:
- Introduction Session: Very Good
- Introduction to Sustainability: Very Good
- Workplace Visit: Excellent
- Day in the Life: Very Good
- Soft Skills: Very Good
- Reflective Learning: Excellent
- Sustainability Activity: Very Good
The company’s preparation and presentation throughout the programme was rated excellent. The relevance of the material delivered was excellent. The insight the company gave the students into their business/industry was excellent.
WOW highlights for Students in 2023/24
82% of the students rated the programme as very enjoyable or enjoyable.
The most enjoyable and beneficial sessions for students were the Workplace Visit and the day in The Life Session. The students participated in a sustainability activity and rated it as good.
Feedback from the students on how the programme supported them most is as follows:
- Increased self confidence - 55%
- Improved soft skills - 63 %
- Improved focus about life after school - 63%
- Gained a better understanding of the world of work - 91 %
- Gained a better understanding of sustainability - 73%
Participation in the WoW programme has notably contributed to better engagement with students.
This partnership initiative is only made possible by the support and time donated by you our members. We truly appreciate these 14 contributors for donating their time and expertise to such a worthy programme.
You can download the full Impact Report by clicking on the button below.
