Our two-year partnership with Coutts has been a huge success, not only in raising funds to support over a thousand young people across London, but also in directly engaging Coutts employees in the work that we do.
Most recently, Coutts employees volunteered to coach 17 disadvantaged young people to discover their career interests, motivations and strengths, and learn more about the post-16 pathways available to them.
We recently spoke to Darcy and her coach Amandeep, a Protection Specialist Analyst at Coutts, about what they gained from their time taking part in the programme.
Darcy
“I already had an idea that I wanted to go into healthcare and become a Midwife, but I wasn't entirely sure about what I wanted to do post-16. I hadn’t even thought about sixth form, college or A Levels - I didn't even know what T Levels were! You don't really get taught about it at school.
It was really helpful doing the questionnaire on Careers Pilot because it suggested different jobs that would suit me and then it told me all about those different jobs and how to get there.
It changed my mindset - I thought the only route was to do A Levels and then go straight to university, but now I know about vocational training and that’s what I want to do.
I’m excited for the next stage of the programme because, even though now I have a pathway that I want to take, I feel like in Year 11 I will have a lot of stress because of GCSEs, so being able to make a solid plan will reassure me.
“I am so happy my school took part because otherwise I honestly wouldn't have a clue. “
I definitely think other kids should do the programme - without it they might not have as much knowledge as I have now and I think it’s always useful to have a clear plan.
If I hadn't done this programme, I think I probably would finish Year 11 and not be 100% certain about what I want to do, whereas now, I have a clear path and I want to work hard at school because I want to get far.
I am so happy my school took part because otherwise I honestly wouldn't have a clue. I know that everything Amandeep has taught me is going to help in the future. It has made me really happy and I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much for everything!”
Amandeep
“I was quite nervous before coaching because I’ve never coached before and I was thinking ‘what can I bring to the table?’, so taking part was a challenge for myself as well. Also, I just came back to work here after about 14 years and I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet some different colleagues and get involved.
I spoke to loads of colleagues who had volunteered for Future Frontiers before and they told me it was so rewarding. I realised it’s not about making decisions for the students, it’s more about looking at the information, going through it and facing any challenges together.
I really enjoyed it - the questionnaires and resources were really useful and it was great how it matched Darcy to jobs she was interested in.
“It’s just so rewarding - it feels so good when you can help somebody and make a big difference.”
We have learned so much about each other. We were two complete strangers and it has made me see that it doesn't matter how old or young you are, what you do or where you come from, you can still have so many things to talk about and really help each other grow.
I’ve also realised how much people are willing to help - I have managed to get a midwife to speak to Darcy and someone has even offered work experience, all from just putting a message out to my friends to see if they could help.
The main thing I took from it is to be more confident in myself and my ability to help other people, even if I can’t always see it.
It’s just so rewarding - it feels so good when you can help somebody and make a big difference. I would definitely do the programme again and I would 100% recommend it to other people.”
The Future Frontiers coaching programme is a unique way to develop your staff whilst also making a positive impact in your local community. Get in touch with our team today to find out how your business could benefit from partnering with us.
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