Students get to sharpen their employability skills
By William O'Connor
Students from Tallaght Community School have developed their employability skills thanks to a six-week programme delivered by Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson volunteer Gary Stephens visited fifth years in Tallaght Community School over the course of six weeks to facilitate the Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) Career Success programme.
Students from Tallaght Community School with staff from Johnson & Johnson
Career Success allows students to work on effective communication, teamwork, their personal brand and interview skills from an industry role model.
Throughout the programme volunteer Gary Stephens reinforced the opportunities available in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) industries and the skills that are in demand by STEM employers such as Johnson & Johnson.
This learning was underscored by an on-site industry specific visit to Johnson & Johnson on Airton Road where the students received career talks, were provided with a site tour, and had an opportunity to engage in mock interviews with Johnson & Johnson volunteers.
Following their interview, each student received individual feedback, including constructive advice on how to improve for future interviews.
During their visit to Johnson & Johnson students also received additional information on STEM-related courses and access options from representatives of TU Dublin-Tallaght Campus.
The Career Success programme, which will reach 2,000 nationwide thanks to the support of Accenture, is integrated with the Accenture Skills to Succeed Academy (S2S) digital platform and allows students to practice and develop skills as their JAI business volunteer demonstrates their relevance to school, to work and to life.
Stephen Dunne, teacher at Tallaght Community School, commented: “Our students found the Career Success programme incredibly practical, it really brought the world of work to life and helped students to further develop the skills they will need in employment.
Gary was also a great role model who has inspired the students to see themselves working in STEM companies such as Johnson & Johnson.
Thank you Gary and Johnson & Johnson for helping to open our students’ eyes to the fantastic opportunities on their doorstep, whether that’s in third level education or in employment.”
Reflecting on his own experience, volunteer Gary Stephens said: “It was a pleasure to introduce employability skills to local students through the Career Success programme.
The students are eager to learn about the world of work, and over the course of the six weeks I could see the affect the programme had on their understanding of what’s expected from employees and how they can develop the skills to succeed.”
Programmes such as Career Success are just one of many opportunities afforded to students thanks to Johnson & Johnson’s support of JAI. Across Campus Ireland, 140 J&J volunteers will reach 2,403 young people this school year through Junior Achievement (JA) programmes designed to encourage young people to remain in education and help them to develop the skills they need to succeed in a changing world.
