After the success of our first Meet the Future event last year, where many Franklin students progressed onto exciting new career paths with local businesses, we are excited to announce the programme will relaunch this month.
The initiative, conceived by Mark Webb, Director at the Business Hive in Grimsby, aims to bridge the gap between local businesses and the exceptional young talent emerging from Franklin. Focused on retaining talent within the region, Meet the Future is a unique opportunity for businesses to engage with students who will complete their studies next summer.
Lucia, a former Sociology, Politics and Law student, took part in the initiative and has now progressed to work as a Legal Assistant in the Claims department at local law firm Sills & Betteridge. She shared her experience with last year's programme:
"The Meet the Future Programme is a great way of building the confidence of young people who want to develop the skills that would be beneficial for future employers.
"It doesn’t matter what courses you take or what your predicted grades may be. Employers want to see individuality and the ability to thrive in a high-pressure environment. Your time and commitment to this programme are fulfilling and worth the opportunities that can arise from it.
"I developed fundamental skills that are desirable in any workplace, such as communication, time management, the importance of body language and presenting yourself. I would highly recommend taking part."
Helen Martindale, Sills & Betteridge Grimsby Branch Manager and Chartered Legal Executive, coached Lucia throughout last year's Meet the Future programme, and shared her thoughts on the initiative:
"Mark Webb asked me to be part of the first Meet the Future event last year. I knew straight away this was something I had to be involved in. Working with students in the weeks leading up to the event was incredible. Each and every one of them grew and developed. The confidence in them all at the final event was amazing. The project is so rewarding for both students and employers.
"Working with Franklin College has allowed me to find my new assistant, Lucia. It has been a brilliant way of finding a new employee. She has been working for Sills & Betteridge for six months now and has gone from strength to strength."
This year's Meet The Future event will be held at Franklin on Friday 7th March. We can't wait to see what our students get up to!
