Students to compete for the opportunity to be chosen for Dream Placement 2019

Around 100 students aged between 16 and 18 will be taking part in the challenge organised by the Centre for Leadership Performance on Thursday at Energus, Lillyhall. They will have to persuade top employers to give them a chance to spend a week learning about leadership and career opportunities within the county’s most forward-looking companies and organisations.

The selection event will give students the chance to shine in business exercises designed to give them a taste of challenges within the workplace. There are also Dragon’s Den-style interviews conducted by the companies to determine which students gain placements.

Around 200 teenagers applied for almost 50 Dream Placements to spend a week rubbing shoulders with business leaders and discovering what it takes to become one. Host companies get to connect with motivated young people who will be the leaders of tomorrow, and give them an insight into the career opportunities that exist in Cumbria.

Dream Placements on offer over the February half-term in 2019 include the office of Copeland MP Trudy Harrison who will be inviting two candidates down to Westminster. Other placements range from major players in Cumbria’s nuclear, engineering and manufacturing sectors to small and medium-size specialist companies, local authorities, and the county’s health trusts.

The line-up of companies and organisations hosting the young people includes: Allerdale Borough Council, Amcor Flexibles, Balfour Beatty, Carlisle City Council, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and Story Homes.

Sarah Glass, CforLP marketing and business development manager, said: "Collaboration is at the centre of everything CforLP does, and Dream Placement simply could not happen without the support of businesses and partners working together.

"Over the years we have established extraordinary relationships and trust with education providers and companies within Cumbria. The collaboration and commitment drives Dream Placement and its life-changing impact on young people in the county.

"Companies taking part benefit from getting to know the young people during the carefully managed selection process and the placement week, with many of those relationships continuing afterwards as placements are recruited or move on to university or training.

Successful candidates from the Selection Event will attend a Development Day at Energus on Saturday January 26, 2019 taking part in activities designed to prepare them for their week within business during the half term break. To learn more about Dream Placement visit www.cforlp.org.uk