A CIPD survey on youth employment showed a lack of effective training as one of the top reasons young people give for their career progression not meeting their expectations. Investing in personal skills development is a powerful motivator for young people while also bringing valuable new skills into the organisation.
Awards that celebrate and inspire
Encouraging young people in your business to enter the Printing Charity’s Rising Star Awards is one way to show your commitment to their personal development. For Graham Hunstone, MD of Visual Print & Design, the awards have many benefits. “It allows us to recognise the staff that we have and the achievements that they can make. The winners can then pass their knowledge onto others in the team.”
Leanne Bishop, Production Support Manager at Bluetree Group, sees how award winners within the business are inspiring to others. “A lot of people look up to our winners as role models and see how they’ve progressed in their role. It’s really encouraged other people to apply,” she says.
Preparation is key
Applications that are most likely to make it through to the interview stage are those which have been prepared for beforehand, and clearly show how the training is vital for the applicants’ career goals.
You can help make a real difference to your applicants’ chance of winning by some advance preparation. The best way is to help them identify the skills gaps that exist between where they are now, and where they’d like to be in their career, before researching suitable training and development opportunities.
Leanne says: “It really helped starting those conversations with what they needed, so we could see what was available to them. Discuss what they’re passionate about, and what they really want to do.”
The clearer applicants are on why they’re applying for the training they’ve chosen, and how it will positively impact their career, the more likely they are to secure the funding to undertake it.
Simple steps to help the Stars in your organisation shine:
- Make time to chat with them about their personal development and career goals
- Together, identify the skills gaps between where they are now and where they want to be
- Encourage them to research courses and training to bridge these gaps
- Discuss ideas together and be sure the training choices are suitable
- Sign up to our newsletter to keep in touch with all things Rising Stars
For information, help and advice on supporting the Stars in your organisation, please email awards@theprintingcharity.org.uk
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