In January a group of our Year 13 Sixth Form students took part in a Mock Assessment Centre Day run by The Cheshire and Warrington Pledge at Shrigley Hall in Bollington. Assessment Centres are the most common form of recruitment across most apprenticeships, so this was a great opportunity for these students to gain useful assessment experience and get lots of advice and tips from The Pledge, who work with mainstream schools, youth groups and over 400 employers.  

Students were split into two groups and took part in a range of activities:

  • Team Building Task - working in small groups, the students were set a task to complete and given feedback on their performance.
  • Preparing for a presentation - again working in groups, students chose a presentation topic from the options given and worked together to prepare a presentation.
  • Speed Interview - in groups, and in front of a panel of employers, students answered strength and competency-based questions using the STAR technique to structure their responses.
  • Presentation - following the preparation of the presentation, students had the chance to present their group presentation to a panel of employers.

Companies involved in the day included Astra Zeneca, Adelphi Group, Aldermore Bank, Balfour Beatty and Cheshire East Highways.

The event is a highly valued experience for students, which has helped many go on to secure prestigious apprenticeships across the region.