Elixirr welcomes new interns from Harris Westminster Sixth Form
Elixirr has recruited four new summer interns from a local sixth form and a grammar school. Tara Slors, Megan Smith, Serena Mitchell and Rachel Knight arrive at the firm from Harris Westminster Sixth Form and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, in order to learn the tricks of the trade.
With the UK on the brink of a talent crisis, as an ageing population and high employment make it increasingly difficult to recruit team members for vacant roles, engaging with the workforce of tomorrow has arguably never been so important. This is particularly true in the densely populated consulting sector, where heightened competition means this shortage is even more intensely felt.
In a bid to encourage entrepreneurialism among a new generation of high-attaining school students, UK-headquartered consultancy Elixirr has confirmed its annual intake of summer interns. The programme sees teenagers from Harris Westminster Sixth Form and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School arrive at the company groomed as the potential creators and problem solvers of tomorrow.
Harris Westminster Sixth Form is an academically selective institution which brings together exceptional students from across London, theoretically offering outstanding scholastic opportunities to students, regardless of their background. At the same time, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School aims to educate and prepare for life, able pupils from all backgrounds, helping to develop its pupils intellectually, emotionally and physically.
Four students from the schools have subsequently participated as summer interns for Elixirr. Tara Slors, Megan Smith, Serena Mitchell and Rachel Knight have each completed a programme with the consulting firm, picking up valuable skills, as well as a potential foot in the door of the consulting industry, along the way.
Commenting on her time with the firm, Serena Mitchell said, “Working with Elixirr has been a very unique and enjoyable experience. Everyone was welcoming and they made sure to give me interesting and varied tasks: it was very rare for me to have absolutely nothing to do! I have definitely learned a lot during my time here, and look forward to any opportunities that may lead me back here in the future!”
The professional services sector offers young people a wealth of opportunity, yet obtaining a career in the industry is by no means easy, often requiring the attainment of higher education. In recent years however, a more critical eye to the myopic focus on grades has seen companies in the sector broaden their search scope for entry – with companies keen to show that there is more than one route into the consulting industry.
To that end, Barnett Waddingham has also recently piloted an apprenticeship programme for financial services pension administrators, spanning 18-months, and will focusing on a mix of on-the-job work experience with educational elements focused on attaining a Pension Management Institution (PMI) qualification. Meanwhile, in order to foster technology skills among younger members of the education system, PA Consulting annually hosts the Raspberry Pi Awards Day, with schools from across the UK send teams of children to design innovative solutions for the modern world.
