As part of Opportunity Goole’s efforts to boost the career prospects of local people, a member of the team recently spent time at Goole Academy equipping Year 10 students with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to succeed in interviews.

Funded by Goole Town Deal, Opportunity Goole provides free support to both local businesses and individuals of all ages. As well as helping local people to access training and employment, the team also helps employers to grow their businesses and recruit local people with the skillset that they’re looking for.

In recent weeks, team members have been working with local schools on a range of projects aimed at inspiring young people, and opening their eyes to the wealth of different career paths and job opportunities available to them locally. Recently Joe Hodgson of Opportunity Goole and Nick Keen, Inward Investment Workforce & Skills Project Manager for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, delivered an employability skills session to Goole Academy students who are preparing to enter their final year at the school in September, focused on improving their interview skills.

Speaking after the session, the school’s Headteacher, Kirsty Holt, said: “It’s essential that we work with young people to build the skills and resilience needed to move towards their final year at school. This cohort will soon start applying for apprenticeships or college places to continue their journey beyond Goole Academy. 

“The session run by Nick and Joe provided an excellent insight into what’s needed to be successful in their next steps and was well received by our students. Our students said that the session has improved their confidence and made them feel prepared for a mock interview day that we’ll be staging with Opportunity Goole in July.”

The following comments are just a few examples of the positive feedback received from students who took part in the session:

“It was a very helpful session that has made me feel very confident with what I need to do for an interview.”

“I am now aware of the key aspects of an interview, which I wasn’t before. It has made feel ready to tackle an interview.”

“The session was informative, and I wish we could have another just like it.”

Jordan Whitlam, Careers Lead at Goole Academy, said: “It was great to work with Joe and Nick to deliver such a meaningful experience for our students, particularly as both Joe and I are former students of the school. Providing our students with the skills they need to succeed beyond their time at Goole Academy is a key priority for us. Sessions like this enable our students to feel confident in taking their first steps towards their chosen career/education path.”

He added: “At Goole Academy we welcome all employers, big or small, to work with us to improve the prospects of our students. Please contact the academy directly if you would like to work with us, by emailing info@gooleacademy.org.uk.”

• As the Opportunity Goole team continues its work with schools in the Goole area, team members are keen to hear from local businesses that may be interested in supporting them by providing work experience opportunities for young people; getting involved in things like mentoring, mock interviews and careers days; or simply chatting with young people about their own area of work. If you’d like to play your part, please pop in to see the friendly team at Goole Library or email them.