Staff from the Birmingham office of national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP have been supporting local youngsters by helping them to prepare for working life.
As part of its commitment to local organisation, Sport 4 Life, the firm’s chosen charity for 2017, Clarke Willmott held mock interviews for 16 students with the aim of helping them to achieve their goal of finding work or training.
Staff from the Birmingham office volunteered their time to run the sessions which were based on real life interview situations for the sort of roles the students are interested in.
The youngsters have been participating in the Sport 4 Life ‘Get fit 4 employment’ course, which is designed to teach skills and help work towards appropriate qualifications.
Philip Edwards, a Partner in the Serious Injury team at Clarke Willmott, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the young people and help them as they progress towards gaining the employment or training they want.
“We made the mock interviews as much like reality as possible with questions ranging from a discussion about experience and the candidate’s personality and attributes as well as situational questions. The interviews gave them an opportunity to hone their skills in this vital aspect of getting into employment.
“Myself and my colleagues were all very impressed with the confidence, competency and talent displayed by the students and have no doubts that they will go on to succeed in their chosen fields.”
As part of the charity partnership, staff at Clarke Willmott have been providing support throughout the year, raising vital funds and volunteering with the charity. Activity has included providing mentoring support and help with drafting CVs as well as holding quizzes, dress down days and tennis tournaments to raise funds.
Founded in 2006 as a small community project in Ladywood, Sport 4 Life has developed into the leading sport for employment charity in Birmingham.
Understanding the difficulties disadvantaged young people can face in their day-to-day lives, the organisation’s programmes are designed to help bring out the best in students whilst providing them with high quality sessions and advice.
Jack Skinner from Sport 4 Life said: “The mock interviews held by Clarke Willmott are an integral element of Sport 4 Life’s NEET programme. It enables young people to implement their learning from the programme and apply it to a real-life interview situation.
“The understanding and professionalism of the staff at Clarke Willmott make our young people feel comfortable and welcome in a corporate environment, which many have never been in before and find daunting. Gaining face-to-face feedback empowers our young people and improves their confidence and likelihood of securing employment at their next interview.”
Clarke Willmott LLP is a national law firm with seven offices across the country, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.
For more information about Clarke Willmott visit www.clarkewillmott.com
