October 2009 - Local training experts give students the edge in tough times
Last year, Faye launched Keep your Fork to develop her training work in schools and in January, Ruth left her post as Chief Executive of a small national charity to concentrate on finishing her new book - a survival guide for those living and working with children who have experienced early trauma - and set up her own training and coaching company, In your Element.
“Where our businesses overlapped was training in schools”, Faye explains. “Ruth has a unique programme new to the UK we are calling Path4Life, and together with my existing trademark personal skills workshops in powerful presentations, written communication, confidence building and enterprise skills, we feel we have an unbeatable package to offer schools and colleges. We have recently had challenges as diverse as running workshops in a fantastic three day enterprise programme at City School, a programme for NEETs (students not in education, employment or training) and whole sixth forms at some of Sheffield’s top schools.”
Faye, born and bred in the city, is no stranger to challenging times on the Sheffield employment scene. As Meadowhall opened in the last recession, she headed up Europe’s first retail academy on the site, and after interviewing hundreds of unsuccessful teenage would be employees, developed a lasting commitment to see young people given the kind of training that would see them achieve in the tough employment market of the early 90s.
Ruth, a Rotherham-based qualified coach, trainer and author, has five children. She has worked extensively and successfully with parents who have extremely challenging children, and recently completed a two year MA course in Adoption and Attachment with Family Futures & Greenwich University.
Workshops have just started with King Ecgbert’s entire sixth form, closely followed by all Silverdale sixth formers at Hallam University, Notre Dame and Birkdale, then after the summer break, Keep your Fork workshops will be rolling out to other schools around South Yorkshire.
Ruth concludes, “whether our students are prospective Oxbridge material, lawyers or doctors fighting off stiff competition from around the country at some of our leading institutions, young people who want a crack at a decent job or starting their own business, or NEET's (not in education, employment or training)- we love helping them all discover who they are, where they’re going and how they are going to get there… it’s our insider track on how to get ahead!”
To book a Keep your Fork workshop, or for further information, contact Faye Smith or Ruth Adams, principal consultants at Keep Your Fork training and marketing, faye@keepyourfork.co.uk.
To find out more about Ruth’s unique Path4Life programme for schools, individuals or businesses, contact ruth@in-your-element.co.uk or call 07946 612480