World of Work Day: Harris Academy

On Wednesday 21^st November, FDM welcomed 15 students from Harris Academy Battersea for a World of Work Day (WWD). The purpose of a World of Work Day is to give students a feel of what being on the graduate programme at FDM is like. The day, involved three sessions focusing on business and technical training, a tour of the London centre and a tasty lunch.

The business session, ran by Melinda Dixon – Head of Learning and Development, educated the students on the best way to present themselves professionally. They were taught how to carry themselves in a commercial environment by practising handshakes, effective body language and learning how to communicate effectively. This was all in preparation for their final session of the day where they worked in groups, using all of the tips they learnt, to deliver an effective presentation back to the rest of the room.

At FDM, our mission is to create and inspire exciting careers that shape our digital future. That’s why our partnership with the Harris Federation is so important, as it allows us to impact these young people in a meaningful way. The students who attended from Harris Academy Battersea were specially chosen by the school because of their high academic achievements and keen interest in coding. What’s more, 60% of the students who attended were female which was great to see.

The students also took part in an hour of Scratch, a visual programming language. Through coding, they learnt to make a character in a game move around. Delivered by our technical trainer Ian Barbour, the students got an authentic experience of what it would be like to be a trainee at FDM.

Feedback from the students demonstrated just how much they enjoyed it.

Students said:

“I enjoyed it and although I am fixed on being a doctor, I wouldn’t mind working here!”

“FDM seems like a cool place, I wish the WWD lasted longer.”

“I learned how to create a little game on Scratch and I learned to present something using pitch, power, pause and pace.”

“FDM is a positive work environment and I found it very interesting.”

“It was really fun, interesting and educational.”

A teacher from Harris Academy said:

“The students absolutely loved the session and said that they would love to come back and work here.”

Keen to start a career in business or IT? FDM could be the next step you need.