A CAREERS programme promoting Parkside employability is touring schools across the borough.

The programme, delivered by St Helens Chamber of Commerce, is supported by ten companies backing the Parkside project in Newton-le-Willows.

The £100m project which will transform the surface of the colliery has lent its expertise to the programme to educate the younger generation on the influx of job opportunities that will stem from the Parkside development.

Sessions have already started taking place, with more than 600 pupils from 12 schools participating.

Katheryn White, of St Helens Chamber, said: "You’d forgive 11-year-olds for not thinking too much about what they want to be when they grow up, but they were remarkably engaged throughout. 

"The programme has opened their eyes to the opportunities available to them in the St Helens labour market and they have now made the link between their later study choices and how they can prepare them for specific jobs."

The regeneration of the colliery is a collaborative project between St Helens Council and Langtree and is expected to introduce a significant amount of job opportunities to the region.

The sessions held at schools aim to help pupils understand the career options available to them in the future.

The programme, hosted by a series of suppliers working on the Parkside project, is offered to pupils in year six in hopes of having them consider a career as town planners, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, or developers.  

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Josh Downes, the Parkside project’s senior development manager, added: "I contributed to a couple of the careers sessions and was really impressed with the intelligence and thoughtfulness of the questions posed to me to by the children at Nutgrove and Carr Mill schools.

"They had clearly taken on board what had been taught and there’s no doubt it will stand them in good stead.  Careers advice of this quality just wasn’t available to me when I was their age."

There are plans for a further eight schools nearest to the former Parkside colliery site to receive the programme in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. 

Those currently involved are as follows:

Corpus Christi

St Mary and St Thomas

Ashurst – Blackbrook

Merton Bank

Holy Cross

Queen’s Park

Nutgrove

Oakdene – Prescot

Sherdley

Carr Mill

Sutton Oak

Eccleston Mere