Teesside Park is calling for young people in Teesside to take their first step into a retail career by registering for its free training programme, ‘Bright Lights’.
Bright Lights, which is run in partnership with Middlesborough Football Club (MFC) Foundation, aims to give people aged 18-24 a step into retail through high quality training, advice from industry experts and support with interviews and CV writing.
Those on the scheme will also gain valuable on-the-job experience through work placements with some of Teesside Park’s biggest brands, such as Nando’s, Boots and Morrisons. During these placements individuals will learn how the business operates and valuable customer service skills. They may also be offered interviews for permanent employment.
The Bright Lights activity is part of a long-term partnership between Teesside Park and MFC Foundation, which aims to support young people to develop their employability skills through various initiatives. This includes the recent ‘Raise Your Game’ scheme which saw 15 year 9 pupils take part in a range of sessions over two months, including developing a detailed business analysis of the centre and presenting it back to a panel of judges.
Catherine Furlong, centre director at Teesside Park, said: “The Bright Lights programme is a fantastic opportunity for young people to gain invaluable experience in the retail industry, which will not only furnish them with new knowledge and skills but also help them gain confidence in themselves.
“We’re so pleased to be able to deliver the programme with our long-term partners, MFC Foundation, and to jointly support our local community in kick-starting young people’s retail careers.”
Adam Gell, Employability Manager, at MFC Foundation said: “We can’t wait to get started on this programme and help inspire young people into an exciting career in retail – where no two days are the same!
“Our partnership with Teesside Park allows us to combine and share our expertise with the community while also providing employment opportunities. We encourage anyone aged 18-24 who is looking for their first or new role to get in touch.”
The Bright Lights initiative is a free five-week scheme starting on Monday 22nd August. If you are interested in attending the scheme, please email rachael.mckinnell@mfcfoundation.co.uk.
For more information on Teesside Park, visit www.teessideshopping.co.uk