Partnership aims to boost aspirations
City College Plymouth and Millbay Academy have formed a new partnership in the bid to provide pupils with the best possible careers advice in an attempt to further raise aspirations within the Plymouth community.
Similar to the successful ongoing partnership announced last summer with All Saints Academy, the College and Millbay Academy will work together to offer pupils high-quality advice on further education and Apprenticeship opportunities, with even the younger pupils able to benefit from fun and informative careers activities.
The partnership will largely focus on skills, linking skills to careers, and the diverse range of skills needed in Plymouth and the wider South West region. Pupils will receive impartial advice to help them make informed choices about their future with regards to education, training and employment, and give the resources they need to achieve their potential.
College Principal and Chief Executive, Jackie Grubb, said: “The College is delighted to be able to work closely with another local school in a way that will benefit its students and the wider community.
“It has been hugely successful working with All Saints over the past year, and we are excited by the prospect of rolling this out to more of Plymouth’s youngsters.
“As with our exciting partnership with All Saints, the careers advice and activities on offer to pupils at Millbay will be impartial: the College does not work alone in its ambitions to ensure we have a workforce that is highly skilled for the benefit of the local community.”
Polly Lovell, Co-Headteacher at Millbay Academy, said: “Whatever stage of education you choose to work in, whatever the age of your pupils, you still have the same goal for these young people: to give them the best chance at being the person they want to be, and helping them achieve their goals in life.
“All educators work to the Teachers Standards and these standards guide us through our practice: the first standard is “set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils”, and through this partnership, we can not only meet this standard, but surpass the expectations it sets out.”
Lee Sargeant, Headteacher at All Saints Academy, said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity to work closely with City College Plymouth in supporting our pupils with their career progression and post-16 choices, particularly during the pandemic. Whilst COVID has prevented us fully rolling out the programme, it has still been a very successful start to this new way of working and we look forward to continuing with it as life begins to return to normal.”
Thanks to this partnership, pupils will have access to a variety of resources that will both broaden their horizons and reinforce the shared joint values that will allow for a smooth transition to wherever they choose to study after leaving school.
Councillor Jon Taylor, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Transformation, said: “We all want to give our children the best opportunities in life, and to enable them to enjoy those opportunities in their city.
“It’s only through partnerships such as this one that we can make Plymouth a top destination for both business and education, and the place where everyone wants to call home. Plymouth’s potential lies in its young people. We must ensure we have the home-grown talent needed for our city to thrive.”
