Copyright

CRAC Ltd

Summary

An interactive programme which leverages and maximises the transferable value of key skills learned informally during voluntary activities, leisure or part-time work, increasing employability and self-confidence.

Description

CRAC developed its original InsightPlus programme to enable young people to recognise and make use of what they learn during their part-time jobs or voluntary activities outside school. The programme combines group workshops with short individual study sessions, supported by a mentor. It helps participants recognise that you can learn things outside school which are really useful in terms of building the skills you need to get a job, to progress and be successful in life. We show them how to identify and develop key skills like communications, management, organisation and decision-making, using their own experiences in their lives outside school. As they appreciate the value of their own experiences, their self-confidence rises fast. Crucially it also helps them articulate this knowledge, which otherwise tends to remain hidden. InsightPlus appeals especially to young people who do not always excel during school. The programme is established and successful for young people and young adults in groups. We would now like to develop an online interactive version so that many more people can benefit from it, individually and at their own pace and convenience, without having to be in a school or other group setting (which some find off-putting).

How it might be used

As part of my Diploma at college I have a module on how to work with other people and express yourself confidently at work. They recommended I use the e-InsightPlus programme to help. I am going to use my part-time waitress job as a way of providing evidence. E-InsightPlus gets me to think about the things that I didn’t know that I already knew. It asked me a series of questions about the restaurant team – how we’re organised and managed, how we communicate etc, and I now understand much better why I enjoy working there. There’s a useful diagram about team dynamics which I matched our team against, and links to some really good websites about team working. Using a checklist, it asked me to describe my contribution to the team – I found that quite difficult and plan to ask the manager and a couple of others (who I get on well with) what they think about me as a team member. My friend who works at Next is also using E-InsightPlus and she suggested I could take some photos of the team and upload them to my portfolio; this will make the project much more real.

Contact

Robin Mellors-Bourne

Development Director, CRAC
robin.mellors-bourne@crac.org.uk
01223 448502