On 11 January 2024, 13 students in Year 7 at North Shore Academy engaged in an insightful workshop with Power of Women (PoW) and Sparks Tees Valley. Working as an intermediary between the world of work and education, Sparks Tees Valley is an internationally recognised company, with over 25 years of experience supporting schools to deliver an engaging curriculum, to develop student’s cultural capital and create a greater awareness of the world of employment, producing more confident and driven young people.

The Power of Women campaign is the legacy of the late Professor Jane Turner, who was passionate about equality and social mobility and was determined to improve the lives of women and girls in the North East. Their Ambassador Programme aims to ensure equal opportunities for all, elevate aspirations, build self-belief and challenge gender stereotypes. PoW works with boys and girls in 25 primary schools across the region and thanks to the Safer Streets project, they have been able to establish a partnership with their first secondary school, North Shore Academy, working with Year 7, Year 9 and Year 11 students.

Sparks Tees Valley and Claire Preston, Head of Operations for PoW, joined together on an interview panel to appoint 8 PoW Ambassadors and 5 Deputies, offering a great opportunity for the Year 7 students to experience the professional realm of interviews for the first time. Every student walked into the interview room exuding confidence and greatly impressed the interviewers with their well thought-out application forms.

8 students were successful in securing the role of Ambassador, with the remaining 5 taking on the role of Deputy. The Ambassadors will participate in 3 development days throughout the year, focusing on networking, promoting equality, raising aspirations and identifying opportunities in the local business sector.

At Northern Education Trust we are committed to enhancing the life chances of our students, offering a wide array of enriching opportunities to promote and develop additional skills and support their cultural capital.  Sparks Tees Valley and the Power of Women have created an incredible and insightful opportunity for our students, allowing for the nurturing of future young leaders and the promotion of a more inclusive future where aspirations are high and the opportunities vast.