Car maker gives Daventry special education needs pupils a taste of life at training centre

The Swedish car manufacturer invited the pupils along to their centre on Prospect Way two weeks after an initial look around the facility, its workshops, studios and training rooms.

During the second visit, some students created a film about Volvo’s newest SUV - the XC40 - while others sketched designs for new Volvos, and the remainder wrote an article for Volvo’s company magazine.

The first stage of the partnership between Volvo and Daventry Hill ended with a special meeting, where the film and magazine article were shown to the students, and where they received certification as ‘Volvo ambassadors’ for their efforts.

Stacey Drake, careers lead at Daventry Hill School, said: “Volvo have shown incredible to support to the young people of Daventry Hill, they have taken into consideration individual needs and provided an experience of a lifetime.

"It is so important to give our next generation of workers practical experiences. It allows the opportunity to explore, see and feel the different industries, types of work and experience what working life can be.

"We would love to hear from other organisations who are able to support.”

The students were accompanied not only by staff of Daventry Hill School, but also sixth form students from Parker E-ACT Academy.

The Volvo team offered the Parker students the opportunity to test themselves in mock interview scenarios – which they excelled at.

Kevin Meeks, head of customer experience at Volvo Car UK, said: "We were looking to give something back to the local community, but what we didn’t anticipate was how engaged, enthusiastic and go-getting the students would be, both from Parker and Daventry Hill.

"The Parker students were absolutely brilliant at their interviews and will be a real asset to local businesses when they come into the job market.

"And as for the Daventry Hill School students, we’ve been stunned by their energy and insights.

"These students have special educational needs, but what has really come across to us is that these special needs come with special talents.

"Their differences are their strengths, and they used these to great effect in the challenges we set for them.

"I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership with them, giving them more detailed insights into our business, and making our retailers aware of the great opportunities that individuals with special talents can bring to their businesses.”