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you are involved in any of our programmes and would like
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Students Keen To Build Business Skills
(August 10)
Over
fifty students from across Tower Hamlets took the opportunity
to learn more about the world of work and practise their
entrepreneurial skills by setting up their own businesses
as part of the summer business school programme run by Tower
Hamlets Education Business Partnership (EBP) and supported
by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Each year two business schools are run
- one for younger students aged 13-14 and the second for
older students aimed at those aged 15 plus.
Some younger students enjoyed the experience
so much that they elected to give up not one, but two weeks
of their summer holiday by asking to join the second business
school. A highlight of this week (9-13 August) was the chance
to sell artwork, decorated photo frames, jewellery, greetings
cards and other gifts that they had made to staff at law
firm, Clifford Chance in Canary Wharf.
The budding entrepreneurs made more than
£750 profit, half of which they elected to donate
to the Disasters Emergency Committee Pakistan Flood Appeal.
Clifford Chance kindly offered to match this sum.
Chayma Hafid a Year 9 pupil at Oaklands
School was one of those who opted to attend both summer
school weeks. She said; "It was really interesting.
We got to meet new people we don't usually meet and see
how people were good at different things and how we could
all work together as a team."
The final day of the school included a
Dragon's Den-style exercise with each of the student teams
presenting their companies, the rationale for choosing the
products that they made, their costings, profit margins
and how they could take their company forward. The winning
company - Hidden Gems - was planning to specialise in framed
photographic artwork.
Ken McCarthy, Tower Hamlets EBP's
enterprise manager, who runs the Bank of America Merrill
Lynch Financial Education and Employability programme, of
which the summer schools form part, said; "Each year,
the level of business knowledge and awareness that students
have is rising and we have to keep coming up with new things
to challenge them. This time, I added the concept of double
entry book-keeping which they all seem to have taken in
their stride. They have all done an excellent job raising
a large amount of money for such a good cause. So often
young people get a bad press - those attending this week
demonstrate quite the opposite and should be warmly congratulated
for their efforts."
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Samad's Dream Wins Presentation Skills
Contest (July 10)
Bow
School pupil triumphs at student awards
Good content, body language, voice, communication
skills and time keeping are the key elements of a successful
business presentation. Samad Ahmed from Bow School demonstrated
all of these attributes to win the 2010 Presentation Skills
Competition, run by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership
(EBP) and supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Samad was one of 120 Year 9 students from
three Tower Hamlets secondary schools (Bow School, Swanlea
Business and Enterprise College and Mulberry School for
Girls), who entered the heats of the annual contest back
in October 2009. Subsequent rounds reduced the number to
nine competitors who met at Bank of America Merrill Lynch's
prestigious King Edward Hall in the City of London to contest
the closely fought final on 15 July.
Choosing recycling as his topic, Samad
conveyed his dream to the audience and judges that, one
day, his community would rise to the challenge and that
it was time for us to change our habits. "We won't
need to dig landfills. We won't need to disrupt wildlife
by drilling for oil to make plastic. The world is in your
hands. Act now before it's too late," he pleaded.
The Presentation Skills competition is
one component of Tower Hamlets EBP's Financial Education
and Employability Programme which is supported by Bank of
America Merrill Lynch. Since its launch in 2005, the programme
has benefitted more than 3,500 students from the three schools,
delivered in excess of 15,345 days of enterprise activities
and involved more than 1,000 volunteers from the company.
Jonathan Moulds, president, Europe, Bank
of America Merrill Lynch, said: "What we can do in
philanthropy, working with the local community and with
local schools, can make a large difference. The skills that
the students have developed through this programme will
stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.
"It is a tremendous achievement to
be in the final. Everyone did a spectacular job and everyone
deserves to be congratulated," he added.
Samad, who cites The Apprentice as one
of his favourite TV programmes, said: "I am shocked.
I was a bit scared at first and when I saw some of the other
presentations, I didn't expect to win." Asked if his
success would influence his future career path, he replied:
"No. It hasn't changed my mind. I still want to be
a doctor."
Runner-up in the competition was
Ayesha Begum from Mulberry School for Girls. Third place
was awarded to Tahiya Umme, also from Mulberry. Both girls
spoke on the subject of leadership.
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House Of Commons Visit (July 10)
Participants
in the 2010 Tower Hamlets Public Speaking Competition were
the guests of local MP, Jim Fitzpatrick for a recent tour
of the Palace of Westminster.
The contingent of 25, was made up of finalists
and some of the students who took part in the earlier heats,
together with volunteers from the Lloyd's market who helped
them during the preparatory workshops.
The winner of this year's competition,
which is sponsored by Lloyd's Community Programme, was Nazia
Begum from Swanlea School.
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Bishop Challoner's Regeneration Task
Brings City Employability Programme To A Close (July 10)
Regenerating
an area of the City of London was the challenge posed for
Year 9 students from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate
Girls' School, Shadwell when they spent a day at the offices
of Lloyds Banking Group.
The event coincided with 'Give & Gain'
Day, a national initiative to encourage employee volunteering
so it was no surprise to see members of the banking group's
staff helping the girls to plan, cost, build a model layout
and present proposals for their developments.
Judging the outcome were Diana Brightmore-Armour,
Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Banking, Lloyds Banking
Group; Nick Clowe, Sector Head, Major Corporates, and Head
of Business Management, Mykay Kamara.
Before announcing the winning team, Ms
Brightmore-Armour told the students: "We were all really
impressed with the detail behind the thinking, planning
and the models. You all did a fantastic job.
"I have a 15 year-old daughter at
home and when I told her I was coming here today, I asked
her what she thought of this workshop and she told me, 'What
a great opportunity, I'd love to do something like this,
definitely not something to miss', and I can see by your
efforts that you've made the most of this opportunity and
you should feel very proud of your work today."
The team judged to have come up with the
best proposal and presentation submitted an eco-friendly
development. "We have leisure centres with an eco-twist,"
explain Nishat Halim. "Our iconic building is the first
fully solar 5-star hotel. It's made from recycled glass
with a dome-shaped roof that lets you see the stars and
collect water for recycling."
The regeneration challenge was the third
in a series of workshops sponsored by the City of London
Corporation and delivered by Tower Hamlets Education Business
Partnership. 'Employability for City Careers' is part of
the City of London Corporation's commitment to bridging
the gap between the City and its neighbours and increasing
prosperity across the City fringes. Around 90 students took
part in the initiative from Bishop Challoner Girls', Bishop
Challoner Boys' and Oaklands schools. Each attended its
own trio of workshops with a focus on understanding how
the City works, career planning and enterprise.
Commenting on the bank's involvement
in The City Regeneration Challenge, Diana Brightmore-Armour,
CEO Corporate Banking, Lloyds Banking Group, said: "We're
delighted to have worked with the Tower Hamlets Business
Education Partnership as part of our Give & Gain initiative.The
City Regeneration Challenge is a great way to help young
people develop business and enterprise skills, and we were
impressed by the creative and well-thought-out ideas each
group of pupils came up with. Our volunteers really enjoyed
working with the students. The winning team's design was
chosen as it demonstrated an innovative, well planned and
exciting environmental theme. We hope the girls from Bishop
Challoner School enjoyed the day as much as we did, and
we look forward to building on our relationship with THBEP
in future."
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Term Dates 2010/2011
| Term
Dates 2010 / 2011 |
|
TERM
|
START
|
END
|
WINTER TERM
Thursday
2 September 2010 |
25th - 29th October 2010 |
Wednesday
22nd December 2010 |
SPRING TERM
Tuesday
4 January 2011 |
21st - 25th February 2011 |
Friday
8th April 2011 |
|
SUMMER TERM
Tuesday
26th April 2011
|
30th May - 3rd June 2011
|
Friday
22nd July 2011
|
* Please note that these term dates
are guidelines issued by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Some schools may vary these dates slightly.
