‘Paradise Unlocked’ Flagship Schools Programme Launched
Paradise development and asset manager MEPC has launched its new Paradise Unlocked flagship event for young people – the first to be delivered in partnership with Ahead Partnership – market-leaders in social value solutions that connect young people to the opportunities around them.
Ahead Partnership has been appointed to lead the school engagement programme at Paradise and the event was a full day designed to introduce young people to Paradise and its occupiers with a focus on life skills, careers, sustainability, the future of work, wellbeing and the workplace.
Forty-one Year 9 students from three local Birmingham schools (Tile Cross Academy, Bordesley Green Girls School and Nishkam School) took part in a variety of activities and challenges including workshops, an interactive placemaking design sprint, an orienteering team challenge, and business networking sessions with a focus on people skills and building personal confidence.
The themed workshops were hosted by some of the many businesses based at Paradise with a focus on exposing the young people to new challenges, workplace tours and workshops ranging from lifestyle and financial planning to sessions on acquiring practical and technological skills.
Occupiers from across the estate including Albert’s Schloss, Arup, AtkinsRéalis, F1® Arcade, Goldman Sachs, JLL, and Mills & Reeve engaged with the students through hosting visits or attending speed networking sessions talking about the career pathways to working in organisations like theirs.
The estate’s outreach work and community engagement already engages thousands of people across the city every year, while the development itself has helped to create thousands of new jobs through the ability for office occupiers to grow and invest in their staff by moving to Paradise.
Ross Fittall, commercial development director at Paradise Birmingham developer and asset manager, MEPC, said:
Welcoming forty-one Year 9 students from local schools to the estate today underlines our mission of reaching out and having an impact on the communities around us.
“Engaging with the education sector is an important part of what we do all year round and we are looking forward to working closely with the Ahead Partnership to drive forward our engagement programme with these schools over the next few years as they continue their path through the education system and consider what career they wish to pursue.
“The hard work put in by the students has really shone through this event and has helped make the day such a success for all involved. We have learned from the students as well as them hopefully learning from us – it’s always a two-way street when it comes to sharing ideas and listening to people’s views about the estate and its future.”
There is already a well-established collaboration between MEPC and the Ahead Partnership across many of its developments including Wellington Place in Leeds, Silverstone Park in Northampton, and Milton Park in Oxfordshire.
Stephanie Burras CBE, CEO of Ahead Partnership, said:
Our work prioritises supporting young people who are in under-represented groups so that we can really open up opportunities to learning while improving young people’s skills, confidence, and careers awareness.
“But days like today are also about strengthening the pipeline of local talent for occupiers and suppliers of developments like Paradise by raising awareness of the varied roles and careers available amongst the wide-range of businesses based here.
“By bringing occupiers together around a common social purpose and by building lasting links with schools and students, we are contributing to a sense of community around Paradise as well as enhancing MEPC and Paradise’s reputation for its exemplary commitment to adding social value from the start of every project. We are excited to expand our work with MEPC through the new ‘Paradise Unlocked’ programme, helping us to positively impact even more young people across the UK.”