Pathways to

Engineering

Employability Skill Workshops

Throughout the programme, there will be skill workshops with university staff and career professionals teaching you various employability skills specific to Engineering, such as:

• Project Management
• Design
• Research
• Presentation Skills
• Work Experience

“Working with complete strangers virtually was something I had never done before. From that experience, I learnt the importance of communication and organising a team. Furthermore, the many activities such as mentoring, job interview and creative writing was informative and gave me a sense of corporate life- something I previously had no knowledge of..” – 2023 Pathways to Engineering placement alum

Our work placements take place in-person and are between 3 and 5 days long. They’ll provide you with the opportunity to get a flavour of the day-to-day activities, project and workloads that make up a career in Engineering and gain the employability skills that will help you gain access to top jobs in Engineering.

The types of things you could get involved with include:

• Work shadowing (sit in on meetings, hear about the ins and outs of projects, and witness first-hand the day-to-day of your future career)
• Tour of the office
• Networking events
• Group presentations and projects
• Q&As with employees
• Employability skill workshops (e.g., CV writing, negotiating skills, etc.)

Insight Events

At insight events, you will get to hear from a panel of employers/a single employer (e.g. Mercedes, British Airways) about what it’s like to work in the field, what the different departments do, what the different jobs are, and what different companies look like. You’ll walk away with an in-depth knowledge of what kinds of jobs you are most interested in and what they will look like day-to-day.

University Taster Sessions

You will be able to tour your university, attend university Q&A sessions, make connections with university admissions staff and professors, and take part in a few tester lectures in your chosen subject.

Undergraduate Mentor

Throughout your programme, you will be able to talk to current undergraduates and alumni who can provide guidance where needed on anything and everything to do with university applications, life at university, and studying at university.

Sutton Trust Online

Sutton Trust Online is our digital platform providing support to students on their journey to university or an apprenticeship. Alongside your core Pathways programme you will also have access to STO. Here you will be guided through all the information, skills and advice you need as you explore, apply, prepare and succeed at university or an apprenticeship.

Workshops

There are certain ‘soft skills’ which will help you when you are looking for work and starting out in your career. Throughout the programme, there will be monthly after school/weekend skills workshops for you to take part in, such as:

• Networking
• CV Writing
• Budgeting

The residential conference is held at the University of Warwick and gives you the chance to live and learn in a university environment. Staying overnight in student halls, you’ll meet university students and industry professionals from across the country and receive expert guidance on studying, apprenticeships, and the variety of careers in Engineering. This is an optional extra but provides deep insight. You will take part in:

• An undergraduate-level lecture in Engineering and tour of the engineering lab at Warwick
• An industry-led group project, e.g. design a school with a civil engineering firm
• Interactive spotlight sessions led by top professionals from the sector
• Meet engineering apprentices
• Public speaking workshop increase your skills and confidence
• Social activities with other students from across the country
• Panel session with industry professionals for Q&A session