The uk career academy foundation gives a chance to young talents
BIG businesses at Canary Wharf are putting economic competition aside to give young people a boost in life thanks to the The UK Career Academy Foundation.
The initiative,which brings college students into the workplace, was started by Citi in 2002 after the success of a similar idea in the US.
Since then 1,700 students have participated in the internship scheme and organisers say 86 per cent have gone on to university as a result, as opposed to the 40 per cent predicted to by their colleges before joining the UKCAF.
Robert Swannell, vice chairman of Citi (Europe), praised the 19 Docklands companies that have joined the national scheme. He said: “Traditional competitors, particularly those of us in the banking sector here in the Wharf, have united under the joint goal of supporting, engaging and inspiring young people.
“This is not only for the benefit of our own future workforces; raising the aspirations of young people from across the country, particularly in areas of social need, has positive ramifications for the wider economy and society at large.�
Citi established the charity with the help of other big companies in the UK and have supported 90 schools and colleges in the country in starting their own academies. Students spend six weeks of the two-year course as an intern. While finance was the inaugural course, IT and marketing and
communications have been added. Engineering, creative and media subjects are at a pilot stage.
Companies in Canary Wharf backing the scheme: Bank of America, The Bank of New York, Mellon, Barclays, Barclays Capital, BP, Canary Wharf Group, Citi, Clifford Chance, Credit Suisse, Financial Services Authority, KPMG, Lehman Brothers,
The McGraw-Hill Companies (Including Standard & Poors), Morgan Stanley, State Street, Teach First, Trinity Mirror and Tube Lines.
Case study
ARISHA Ali graduated from the Career Academy at Sir George Monoux College in Walthamstow.
She spent her internship at Morgan Stanley and because of her hard work was later offered a place at Goldfish.
“I had no idea that I would get called back,� said 19-year-old Arisha. “But after my internship my manager called me up and said why had I not stayed in touch and offered me a year’s work.�
After her year, Arisha plans to go to Queen Mary’s University to study business management, but hopes to return to Canary Wharf to continue her career in the future.
Photo of Career Academy students by Shelley Williamson
rob.virtue@wharf.co.uk
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