London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) helps parents into employment

There was an atmosphere of academic rigour at Lister Community School last week, for both pupils and a selection of their parents. While Year 11s were preoccupied with GCSEs, a group of parents were equally hard at work in the school’s IT suite working on their CVs. The parents, however, had the benefit of support from some really helpful London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) employees – we all spared a thought for those sitting exams that afternoon!

Recruiting volunteers from LSEG to help parents into employment is really important to us. School-Home Support (SHS) supports children and their families, and although we are very proud of the difference we make to the lives of vulnerable children, we need staff in LSEG to help us get parents either into work for the first time, or back into employment following a long break. The group of volunteers who arrived at Lister Community School last week did not disappoint. They immediately built up a rapport with parents and got down to producing CVs. For some parents, this was the first CV they had ever written, and for others it was an opportunity to get a much needed update.

Having the opportunity to get direct support from someone who works in business is hugely appreciated by the parents we support. Taking the first steps towards employment can feel scary, and updating your CV when it hasn’t been looked at in a long time feels daunting. When you’ve got the advantage of having a one-to-one session with a member of staff from LSEG, it makes the whole task feel surmountable.

Parents’ expectations of the workshop were certainly exceeded. They all left feeling that they had achieved something tangible, and with raised confidence and self-esteem.

“I really enjoyed it today, Josephine was really helpful. This is exactly what I needed, help to structure and organise my CV. I knew it was too long but I didn’t know what to do. I really want to come back and get some more help. Please can you contact me again when the Stock Exchange people are coming to the school?” – Samea, Mum

 

“This was very very helpful, this is what I am missing. I have been wanting to go back to work but without a CV, I can’t make progress. My volunteer was lovely, really helpful and very focussed. Other parents should come to this because it’s very helpful and I feel so encouraged to put myself out there now.” – Christina, Mum

 

“I am really grateful to get the opportunity, not having an up-to-date CV has been holding me back. This workshop helped me formalise my CV. I realise I’ve done lots more than I thought! My volunteer helped me broaden my horizons and understand the transferrable skills I have. Thank you, this has been really beneficial.” – Wojed, Dad

School-Home Support’s SHS Practitioner at the school, one of the amazing people working for us to directly support children and families, was also impressed with just how well the workshop went. Pat specialises in tackling child sexual exploitation. She works with young men, young women and their families to reduce risky behaviour and ensure parents can spot the signs of abuse.

“I was very impressed with how much the professionals from the Stock Exchange helped the parents here today. They clearly used their expertise to help parents get a very nice looking CV. All the volunteers were really nice people and it was evident they really cared about the parents we had here today.” – Pat Stafford, SHS Practitioner 

We hope the feedback inspires you to get involved and find more about how you make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families. School-Home Support (SHS) is LSEG’s UK Charity Partner; we work directly with children and their parents to ensure children have the support they need at home to succeed at school.

Working directly with families to help achieve their goals and raise aspirations is rewarding work, but there’s also learning on both sides.

“I really enjoyed today and meeting and speaking to Wojed, I found it really interesting and also made me think I need to update my CV! I really enjoyed just finding out about his previous experience and also trying to help him with his CV and get back on his feet in the job market. Hopefully he will find something he enjoys.” – Anish Mohan, LSEG Staff Volunteer

If you’d like to get involved in volunteering with parent employment workshops, or if you’d like to learn more about other volunteering opportunities with School-Home Support, please phone Emma Mortoo on 020 7426 5009 or email emma.mortoo@shs.org.uk.