Selected learners from years 10 and 11 attended the Learning Shop in Bluewater on a Tuesday from 10 till 12 to take part in a careers programme called Bridging the Gap. This ran over 8 weeks and the following subjects were covered:

• introduction to employment, school VS work, misconduct/ gross misconduct and consequences
• first impressions, time keeping and appearance
• communication, verbal, vocal and non-verbal
• cv writing
• interview techniques
• teamwork, personal effectiveness and team roles
• personal strengths and weaknesses
• identifying customer expectations and customer types
• job roles in retail and career path
• career advice and education
• dealing with difficult customers

This was a successful event to support learners with independence and give them insight into the next stages of their career.