A team of students from Harrow College has won a national competition which helps to connect young people with real employers.
The City & Guilds Team Challenge sees groups of young people aged 14-19 work together and compete on a real work project. This year’s task was set by the BBC, who are the 2016 Team Challenge partner.
Competition entrants were tasked with creating a ‘pitch’ for a new TV programme suitable to accompany the 2016 Rio Olympics and including the themes of health and wellbeing, social responsibility, equality and diversity, and sustainability. This was to include a 5-minute video pitch – explaining what their idea was and why it would make a great TV programme, as well as a 10-minute live presentation to accompany a PowerPoint presentation – of how team members worked together to create their pitch.
After winning their regional categories, each of the finalists then pitched to a group of leading employers including the BBC and City & Guilds at a finale day event held at the BBC Academy in Birmingham on Friday 8th July. The Harrow College team were delighted to be named winners of the under 16 category. As part of their prize, the winners were then invited to the BBC Mailbox, Birmingham to showcase their team’s pitch and receive expert feedback and advice as well as a tour of TV and radio production areas.
Thomas Brosnan, Skills Centre lecturer at Harrow College, said: “The team worked extremely well to generate ideas and discuss different thoughts before coming up with their final concept. This was a practical joke style TV show which had a premise of engaging with the public and performing Olympic themed pranks. The team showed all the characteristics worthy of the winner’s accolade they received including communication, presenting ideas in front of others, innovation and teamwork. The experience will be of great benefit to them as they progress with their education”.
The Team Challenge aims to support young people in developing the skills they need to succeed in the workplace and is part of the TechBac programme. Students aged between 14 to 16 years old, and who are interested in construction, are now being offered the opportunity to enrol on Harrow College’s Construction TechBac.
The TechBac curriculum provides students with a professional pathway to their chosen career. Students also have the opportunity to achieve the technical qualifications and skills they need to progress.
TechBac courses, which have been developed and endorsed by industry, carry UCAS accreditation which will allow students to progress to higher education.
Click here for more information on TechBac at Harrow College.