Students hone assertiveness techniques at Barclays Building Confidence and Resilience workshop

For students at Christ the King, the sixth form experience extends far beyond the parametres of the A Level and BTEC curriculum. These years are decisive to future work and study and often involve face-to-face interaction with employers, university admissions officers and other students. As hundreds of young people begin to plan for the next chapter in their lives, it is imperative that they feel comfortable in their choices and are able to express their aspirations clearly and confidently. Understanding assertive behaviour, and how best to apply it, is invaluable to this process. Whether it’s an application for a university course, a one-on-one job interview or a group-based activity, it is important that students understand how best to represent their ideas and ambitions.

For almost forty lucky Christ the King students, the recent Barclays Building Confidence and Resilience workshop proved hugely beneficial. The session, which was coordinated by eight Barclays staff members, advised students on how to hone their assertiveness, demonstrated how best to respond to challenging situations and illuminated the differences between assertive, passive and aggressive behaviour. The staff members also outlined a wide range of student work experience placements, which were tailored around student interest and covered almost all areas of the financial sector.

Students learnt how to identify assertive behaviour, how to be resilient, and how to avoid being overtly passive or aggressive. “It is good to be amongst young people who are so welcoming and engaged in what we have to say,” explained Barclays representative Andrew Connor. “We will try our best to give any student here today an opportunity to undertake work experience,” added fellow Barclays employee Giap Copas.

The College would like to thank Barclays for hosting such a beneficial and inspiring session. The content of the workshop ties in strongly with the UCAS application process, and has entrusted the students with invaluable skills and knowledge.