Nottingham North MP Alex Norris teamed up with constituents from Ellis Guilford School as they visited one of Nottingham’s biggest family law firms Fraser Brown.
The aim of visit was for students to learn more about careers in the legal profession, find out what they need to be studying at school and what their career path could look like if they are interested in becoming a solicitor.
All the students are part of the ThinkForward coaching programme which is based in six schools in Nottingham including Ellis Guilford. ThinkForward works with students who are identified as being at risk of struggling to get a job when they leave school. The five-year programme supports them to improve their attendance, behaviour and attainment and crucially provides opportunities to be mentored and get experience of the world of work.
Alex Norris is a great supporter of ThinkForward and wanted to see for himself how the charity helps young people to overcome their challenges and get ready for the workplace. He said: ‘It was great to observe ThinkForward in action, creating great opportunities for young people who might otherwise not get such an amazing opportunity to see how a law office works and understand more about the range of careers that are available. I also greatly appreciate the support from Fraser Brown who opened their doors to the students. The young people are fantastic ambassadors for our community and potentially our solicitors of the future. I am sure today’s insight visit inspired many of them.’
The budding legal eagles met with Don Peel, one of the firm’s directors. He said: ‘The students were engaged and impressive and they embraced the opportunity to experience our work environment. We enjoyed having them here and look forward to seeing them again soon.’
Barbara Strang, business partnerships manager at ThinkForward said: ‘Insight visits like these are all about inspiring our students. It’s important to introduce them to the range of careers that are out there and for them to understand what they need to be doing at school and beyond to seize these opportunities for themselves.’
Ellis Guilford students with Alex Norris MP, far right, and solicitors Chris Chan and Don Peel.