The Ultimate Office
In September 2008 BELS is opening an innovative and sustainable social enterprise to provide services in the community and simultaneously provide excellent opportunities for young people to achieve positive work experience.
By being subjected to a positive and successful work experience they will gain many positively transferable attributes and be motivated to attain their full potential. Our research, undertaken in 2006, has shown that local employers are looking for basic soft skills such as good attendance, willingness to listen, respect for others , good team working skills, punctuality and smart appearance as their top six priorities. The students positive work experience will noticeably increase their confidence and motivate them to gain employment in due course.
This Ultimate Office will provide 14-24 year olds who are unable to obtain a work placement, with a supported, positive work experience where they will be able to gain valuable skills and an incentive to join the workforce. These young people will be from all backgrounds and have been selected by their tutors as young people who will benefit the most from such an experience. A positive work experience motivates young people so that they have the ability and confidence in finding the right job.
The first office will be based in Croydon due to the convenience of the borough; it is highly populated by schools and businesses, easy to reach via public transport and identified as the most deprived of the South London boroughs. It will run for at least 30 weeks per year consisting of 10 student places each week with a staff/student ratio of 1:2.
