Ten students from Archbishop Blanch School Sixth Form have been accepted on to the highly competitive Career Ready programme and will work with some of the leading names in insurance, banking and government.

Year 12 students will work with companies such as Santander, HM Revenue & Customs, the Home Office and RSA Insurance Group over the next few months to help them prepare for university and the world of work.

The Wavertree secondary school has been running the Career Ready programme for sixth form students since 2015. The programme provides students with an opportunity to undertake internships, receive mentoring and take part in master classes with local and national businesses.

Designed to complement students’ studies and help them perform more effectively in the wider working world, Archbishop Blanch believe providing enrichment opportunities beyond set lessons is vital.

In February, Sixth Form students will receive one-on-one mentoring with representatives from the industry partners to develop presentation and study skills, interview techniques and explore career pathways.

This comes as the mixed Sixth Form introduces new subjects to its curriculum to reflect the skills and knowledge today’s employers and universities demand.

One such subject is the Cambridge Technicals in Digital Media which offers specialist pathways in to a range of media including print, web, radio, television, film, animation and gaming.

Heather Duggan, headteacher at Archbishop Blanch C of E School, says: “The Careers Ready programme is a fantastic opportunity to help students grow in confidence and gain essential skills for work. Our participating students are looking forward to working with our industry partners who will help them get ready for their journey when they leave school.                                                                                                                                                                           “This, alongside our new Sixth Form subjects this year such as Digital Media, were introduced to reflect the skills needed for the competitive work place. Our goal is to develop a strong pool of skilled and talented young people that can reach their ambitions. We would urge any Year 11 pupils and their families to visit us for on our Open Evening on Thursday 26 January to see what else Archbishop Blanch has to offer.”