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Standard Life - Step Up in Life Programme

Merrill Lynch Education Award supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families

Step Up in Life provides invaluable opportunities for young people to experience and prepare for the real world of work, whether through placements or summer schools or by honing interview skills at workshops. The gains, however, are not limited to our children – involvement with the projects provides excellent staff-development opportunities both for staff within the Council and within Standard Life

Gillian TeeDirector – Children & Families Dept, Edinburgh City Council

Standard Life, through its Education Investment department, has supported education in the community for over a decade. The Step Up in Life Programme, which is a key element of this work, helps students make the transition from school to work with a key focus on raising employability skills.

Processes

Step Up in Life involves interactive workshops on job applications, interview skills, and success at work. Workshops are delivered by Standard Life staff members who volunteer their time and skills to the programme.

Impact

From 1999 to 2007, Standard Life donated 20,218 hours educating 62,953 young people for employment, which equals an investment of £343,700.
When asked to rate the positive impact of the Step Up in Life programme, 83 per cent of students rated it at four or more out of five.
Through Step Up in Life, every secondary school teacher in Scotland was offered a three-day work placement at Standard Life. Ninety four per cent of teachers that took a placement said that the experience made a contribution to their professional development.