Rushcliffe MP James Naish has welcomed 30 Year 10 and 11 students to the first day of his inaugural Summer School, giving young people from across the constituency the opportunity to explore a wide range of career paths and hear directly from leaders across politics, business, media and the law.
In an action packed first day on Monday 13th July, students were welcomed by James Naish MP before taking part in a political question and answer session with the Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, and the Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire County Council, Adrian Smith. The group then visited BBC Nottingham for a behind-the-scenes tour before visiting legal firm Browne Jacobson for workshops exploring the legal profession, including the work lawyers do, routes into law and practical case studies. The day concluded with a visit to Experian, the Nottingham-based credit reference agency, where students learned about careers in business, data, analytics and the growing role of artificial intelligence.
The three-day programme has been made possible through the sponsorship of Saint-Gobain and Browne Jacobson LLP. Their support has enabled the Summer School to provide students with access to workplaces, industry experts and practical experiences designed to broaden horizons and help young people think about their future careers. East Leake-based Saint-Gobain is a global leader in light and sustainable construction, developing and manufacturing materials and solutions for the built environment, and is the primary sponsor of the Summer School. Browne Jacobson is a UK law firm providing legal and advisory services to organisations across the public, private and third sectors, and has its Nottingham office at Mowbray House.
Students taking part in the Summer School were nominated by secondary schools across Rushcliffe based on their potential, but most of the students have fewer professional opportunities than their peers. The programme aims to give participants the confidence, knowledge and inspiration to consider careers they may not previously have thought possible.
Over the three-day period, students will travel to London to visit Parliament, meet members of the International Development Committee and visit Goalhanger Podcasts, before returning to Rushcliffe for a final day based at Trent Bridge and Nottingham Forest Football Club.
James Naish MP said: “It has been fantastic to welcome the first group of students to our inaugural Summer School.
“The aim is simple: to give young people who don’t all come from privileged backgrounds the chance to see first-hand the huge range of career opportunities available to them and to meet people working in those professions. I don’t want any young person to think that their background or lack of exposure to major businesses or organisations should limit their ambitions.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Saint-Gobain and Browne Jacobson for sponsoring this year’s Summer School, and to every organisation that has opened its doors to help inspire the next generation.”
Mike Emson, Chief Operations Officer at Saint-Gobain business British Gypsum said:
“We’re delighted to support the Rushcliffe Summer School and play a part in providing young people with a unique insight into the vast range of careers open to them in the Rushcliffe area and beyond. Many of them I’m sure won’t know what a business like Saint-Gobain does or that a global leader in construction such as Saint-Gobain is based on their doorstep.
“It also gives us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the role construction plays in their lives and excite them about how construction shapes the world around us and provides careers for young people that can go in almost any direction.”
Peter Ware, Partner at Browne Jacobson, commented:
“As the top-ranked organisation in the UK’s Social Mobility Employer Index, Browne Jacobson is committed to making the legal profession accessible to everyone, regardless of background. It was genuinely inspiring to welcome such a talented and enthusiastic group of students to our Nottingham office and to share with them the breadth of opportunities that a career in law can offer. The Summer School is a fantastic initiative and we were delighted to play our part in helping to broaden horizons and spark ambition in the next generation of talent.”
