Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks successful conclusion of its participation in Dare to Dream, a mentoring scheme for young people in its local area
Students from schools in and around Chichester worked with mentors from across the Rolls‑Royce business between May and July 2021
Part of the company’s ongoing support for LoveLocalJobs Foundation, a community interest company (CIC) created to help youngsters realise their goals by changing their perceptions about themselves and the challenges they face
“We’ve been privileged to work with these amazing and talented young people through Dare to Dream. For them, it’s been a unique opportunity to learn from people working in a large, diverse, globally famous company that’s also very much part of their own world and community. And for our colleagues, it’s been a chance to reflect on their personal experiences, and share crucial lessons and insights from their work at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The response from the young people themselves, our partner institutions and the programme team has been fantastic; we very much hope to be involved again next year.”
Mark Adams, Director of Human Resources, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Colleagues from across the Rolls-Royce business marked their final day as mentors to local young people taking part in Dare to Dream, which inspires and empowers young people to realise their potential and overcome their personal barriers to success.Since May, a group of Year 9 students from local schools and colleges have enjoyed regular conversations with staff at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, learning more about themselves and the world of work, and being inspired and supported to tackle challenges in their own lives.Dare to Dream is the latest initiative developed by the LoveLocalJobs Foundation, a community interest company (CIC) that works with schools and leading employers in West Sussex. Rolls-Royce has supported the Foundation’s previous programmes in line with its commitment to creating employment and training opportunities for young people and developing future talent for the UK manufacturing sector.As the programme concluded, Christina Willshire, Careers Co-ordinator at the Academy Selsey, said, “All our Year 9 students have benefitted from the Dare to Dream programme this year. The students chosen for one-to-one mentoring with Rolls-Royce staff have had individual conversations about their hopes and dreams, prompting students to think about their future selves. Having someone from outside school to chat to, who is not a family member, has a real positive impact on them. They are now thinking about their skills, interests and opportunities for the future.”In a specially recorded video message, Jack ‘The Lad’ Hayes, former local radio presenter and now Programme Lead for Dare to Dream, said, “Thanks to Rolls-Royce, dozens upon dozens of students have said how much they’ve benefitted from Dare to Dream, how much more positive they feel about their futures, and how much more confident they feel about their place in the world and what they can achieve. We can’t do this work, changing these young lives, without your support; we hope to work with you again soon.”