Students Take On White Water in Confidence-Building Careers Week

A week of confidence-boosting activities has helped students from a string of our region’s school gather skills and explore future careers.

The “Anything is Possible Week” – backed by the Combined Authority – sees Year 10 pupils take on team building exercises and visit employment tasters to raise their self-esteem.

Six Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) took part. They host pupils who aren’t able to attend a mainstream school if they need greater care and support than their school can provide.

Students from Mo Mowlam Academy, Archways Academy, Rise Carr College, Bishopton PRU, River Tees Multi-Academy Trust and Horizons Hartlepool all got involved in a raft of activities through last week.

They included Paddle Boarding and the Air Trail at Tees Barrage International White Water Centre, an Army Training Day at MPCAT in Norton, a LoudSpeaker Workshop, at Teesworks Skills Academy, and a celebration event at the Riverside Stadium on Friday (5 July).

Students also visited either Learning Curve Construction Academy, in Middlesbrough, Learning Curve Hair & Beauty Academy, in Hartlepool, or Newham Grange Farm as part of their week to get some hands-on experience.

The week aims to build the employability skills of the students, by taking them out of their comfort zones, and getting them to work with students from other schools as well as staff and adults they do not know.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “We’re determined to take everyone with us in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool. We’ve got the building blocks in place for good well-paid jobs and they are there for all skill levels.

“We want to show our young people the opportunities they have to build an ambitious and solid future close to home. We’ve still got some way to go, and the job won’t stop, but weeks like this are vital in inspiring everyone we can.

“Well done to everyone who got stuck in.”