'so wired for WORK' employs MBTI and Strong instruments
OPP is involved in an exciting new initiative to give school leavers a head start.
Not all 17-18 year olds plan to go to university. This fact was the springboard for ‘so wired for WORK’ (SWFW), established after consultation with parents of students at private schools.
The SWFW team has devised a five-day programme, ON5, to equip young people for life after exams. The programme is an intensive residential course, offering workshops, guidance and inspiration to school-leavers before they make their first career decisions.
The course seeks to answer such vital questions as “do I get straight on the job path and earn money, or do I go to university?” It will equip students with the necessary skills and know-how for entering and succeeding in the workplace, and helps to bridge the yawning gap between Generation Z and employers.
OPP has prepared an integrated module as part of the first day of ON5. The programme is based around insights gained from the MBTI assessment and the Strong interest inventory.
Nigel Barton, SWFW founder, comments: “Our research showed that many students come off the exam production line with some key needs. Firstly, they need help in discovering what sort of job or career would suit them. Secondly, once they know what type of job to go for, they still don’t know how to find the right sort of firm. And lastly, and critically, they want to develop an edge in order to get that job.
"The SWFW programme provides insights and answers to these issues. There’s a lot of learning, but a lot of fun too – it’s about the participants looking ahead in a very informed way and feeling better about the journey ahead.”
The SWFW site will also function as a networking resource that students can use and add to, through tips and messages, for the rest of their working lives.
The first ON5 courses will begin 9 and 23 September 2013, in the splendid setting of Church Farm, at Priors Dean in the South Downs National Park.