Bagnalls is Inspiring the Next Generation
07 July 2023
Community engagement is a cornerstone of our ethos at Bagnalls. We’re always looking to inspire the next generation of young talent and show them how fulfilling a career in the painting and decorating industry is.
Our HR Director, Ellie Jobes, recently took time out of her busy schedule to engage with Year 6 students at the IQRA Academy in Manningham, Bradford. Ellie’s speech was one of many activities and presentations hosted for the children as part of their Year 6 careers week, inspiring young minds to find a career path that interests and motivates them.
Vice Principal Jill Shovlin asked Ellie personally if she would like to come and speak to the pupils. Ellie was thrilled to accept!
IQRA Academy is a large, inner-city primary school, providing education to pupils who live within one of the top 10% most deprived areas of our country. Many pupils are multilingual and enjoy practising their proficiency in English during the school day. Schools within these areas are often overlooked when it comes to government funding. This limits opportunities for pupils to hear about, and engage with, a varied range of career paths. We’re pleased to have been able to help address this imbalance by delivering our talk.
Ellie spoke to the children about apprentice roles within the painting and decorating industry, highlighting the importance of the apprenticeship route as an alternative to university. Apprenticeships offer practical and job-specific skills, furnishing young people with the training and experience they need to succeed in the world of work.
Ellie also highlighted the potential for office roles within the painting and decorating sector, including her own department of human resources. We felt it was important for the children to understand that the industry offers a wide range of opportunities and caters to interests beyond the vocational, such as finance, client relations, marketing and management.
Jill commented: “Ellie delivered a very passionate presentation to our Year 6 pupils as part of their Careers Week. Learning about the range of careers and educational paths available to them directly from an employer like Ellie has truly sparked their curiosity! The presentation has shown the pupils how varied and exciting a career within the construction industry can be.”
The pupils were thoroughly engaged throughout our session and we were so pleased to hear them asking lots of insightful questions, including: “What did you want to do when you were growing up?” and “If you hadn’t gone into this job, what would you have done instead?” We particularly loved one pupil’s question: “Why is Bagnalls called Bagnalls?” which allowed Ellie to talk about our heritage and the fact we are a proud family-owned business!
The pupils shared their interest in the different opportunities afforded by an apprenticeship and how it could prepare them for their future careers.
We’re so glad that Year 6 enjoyed Ellie’s speech and we hope to see them again when they apply to be a Bagnalls apprentice in a few years’ time!