Future is bright for students in Mayo
Transition year students at Mount St. Michael’s Secondary School, Claremorris, have participated in an online ‘Interview Skills’ workshops.
This year transition year students across the country have missed out on traditional opportunities such as work placements due to lockdown.
Addressing this, ‘Interview Skills’ workshops were organised by Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) to enable senior cycle students to develop their technique and improve confidence. Supported by an array of local business and industry leaders in the area.
These local businesses gave the students the invaluable opportunity of participating in mock interviews with HR and senior management professionals.
Senior managers coached each student through their interview and provided detailed feedback and insight for their development, a key benefit for students as they come to recognise their potential, and enhance their interview skills.
The students at Mount St. Michael were given the chance to take part in a mock interview with leading people from companies such as Arm, MetLife, MathWorks, Pfizer and DeCare Dental.
They explained: "We learned lots from it which we will be able to take with us into similar real life experiences.
"The feedback provided was also a valued part of the whole experience for us.
"Many thanks to Petraea Costello, Elaine Feeney, Rosaleen Ruane (DeCare Dental), Sinead Grant, Michael Griffin, Albert Moran, Marian Metcalf (MetLife), Fiona Paine, Michele Dunn, Pfizer and Sean O’Donohue and Richard Haxby (MathWorks).”
Speaking of her experience inteviewing the studets, Petraea Costello, DeCare Dental, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing the TY class at Mount Saint Michael’s Secondary School.
"The students really demonstrated clear communication and their answers were honest and thoughtful.
"I was delighted to give these lovely young students the opportunity to gain some experience in interviewing during their TY year and I am sure they will excel in whatever they put their mind to in the future. They are a credit to their teacher, school and parents.”
Therese Moran, transition year coordinator, commented: “I have to say I was so lucky to get the opportunity to work with the Junior Achievement team who supplied our transition year students with a most valuable life experience. The whole process ran with ease. Overall a big yes to this experience.”
DeCare Dental partners with Junior Achievement Ireland, a non-profit organisation, to bridge the gap between school and the world of work by reinforcing the importance of education and exploring the types of opportunity students have access to after finishing school.