CVQO has been running online Employability Skills Workshop webinars since lockdown with the aim of honing the employability skills of young people through new workplace-relevant qualifications, workshops, coaching and mentoring.
So far over 250 young people have taken part in a workshop, with many more planned in the coming months.
East Kilbride Sea Cadets recently took part in a session. Here’s what John and Eileen from the unit had to say:
How do you think the webinar will help prepare your cadets to take next steps in their lives?
“One parent said her son has found this really helpful to break down the interview process in a way that takes away the fear factor. Her son now feels much more comfortable about going for an interview.
“Steve Taylor (CVQO) gave helpful advice on what to include in a CV, as well as how to highlight transferable skills to make cadet experience stand out.
“His personal presentation made the sessions flow and kept at a pace that was steady and kept the interest throughout – very hard to do when you are talking at a screen!
“The SWOT analysis was great and something we will use again with our older cadets as they progress. The way Steve put across turning a weakness into a positive response was very helpful and he gave an example in simple language that the cadets were able to understand.
“The interview skills were particularly helpful and it’s just a shame that we couldn’t do this face-to-face as I think the cadets would have relished the opportunity to try it out for real! However we might follow that up when we are able to in the unit.”
What feedback on the content have you had from your cadets since the webinar?
“We have had so much positive feedback on the session – here is a quick summary.”
“It was two hours but flew by!”
“Provided practical advice on how to put a good CV together and helped explain what skills to highlight and where they fit best.”
“Really well organised, thought it would be boring but it wasn’t at all and gave me some really good ideas.”
“Before this I would not know where to start, but now I can see that I can start preparing for next steps, plan my CV and practice so that when the time comes, I’m ready”
How have you found online training for your cadets during lockdown?
“A real mixed bag. We are using Google Classroom and Zoom and have repurposed a lot of our training for online use. The most success we have had has been with courses where cadets gain something tangible such as a promotion or a recognised qualification, e.g. CVQO BTEC or RYA.”
Any other comments?
“The quality of both the presentation and the delivery of this was better than other courses I have seen. Very professional. We would recommend to others and if there are any other opportunities like this we will take them up!”
To find out more about our Employability Skills Workshop webinars and register your interest, click here.