SHEFFIELD PARK ACADEMY STUDENTS ENJOY RESIDENTIAL WITH GOLDMAN SACHS

Louise Innocent / 24 May 2022 / Categories: News

A group of students from Sheffield Park Academy enjoyed a three-day Careers Residential last month, hosted by Goldman Sachs and education charity Teach First.

Four Year 11 students from the academy and five Year 12s from its shared Sixth Form – Sheffield South East VI Form – were given the chance to attend the event to help improve their careers knowledge and skills needed to take advantage of future opportunities after school.

Based at their offices in the City of London, Goldman Sachs hosted 100 students from 10 schools across the country. The residential was organised by the investment bank as part of their ongoing commitment to improving social mobility, tackling educational inequality and a 15-year partnership with Teach First – a collaborative effort that ensures young people are given essential careers support they would otherwise struggle to access.

Students learnt about careers in the City, boosting their employability skills and networking with employees from organisations such as The Economist and Financial Times, as well as Goldman Sachs. The programme also included a debating competition, and students were put through their paces in a preparation session with top communication firm Bladenmore.

Students also got the chance to take part in a trading simulation. Sheffield Park Academy’s very own Year 11, Mahmmoud Douad, received particular recognition from Goldman Sachs employees for his participation in this – winning the Future Trader award at the closing ceremony of the residential.

Students finished off their weekend with a fantastic trip to the West End to see award-winning musical ‘The Lion King’.

Samantha Headford, Careers Leader at Sheffield Park Academy, said:

“We felt privileged as a school to be selected for this opportunity with Goldman Sachs and Teach First. As a school, we are committed to providing a quality careers education for our pupils, and opportunities like this are vital for inspiring our young people and showing them what their future pathway could look like. Our students have come away feeling that they can achieve their ambitions and better understand what they need to be able to do so.”

Roland Freeman, Principal at Sheffield Park Academy, said:

“We are grateful to Goldman Sachs and Teach First for this wonderful opportunity and I am very proud of all the students involved for the ambition and determination they displayed throughout the experience. As a school, we are committed to delivering an Education with Character by giving our students experiences that challenge and excite them, both inside and outside of the classroom. This residential was an excellent example of this, building our students’ confidence in what they could achieve as Sheffield’s influential young leaders of tomorrow.”

Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, added:

“We’re so grateful to our long-standing partner Goldman Sachs for hosting a varied and inspirational schedule of events at the Residential, giving pupils from ten Teach First partner schools an inside look into the sector – inspiring them about what they could go on to achieve and giving them the skills and knowledge that they need to turn those inspirations into reality.”

Janine Glasenberg, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, said:

“The energy from both the students and teachers throughout the Residential was infectious and there was a real buzz in our London office. The students truly gave it their all and we are so incredibly proud of every participant who pushed themselves outside their comfort zones, learnt a new skill and had some fun along the way!”