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Pupil shadows council leader
FOR many school pupils work experience means nothing more exciting than sweeping up in a hairdressers or making cups of tea.
But for Sheffield pupil Beatrise Bruvele it meant the opportunity to shadow one of the city's leading political figures.
Beatrise, aged 15, spent a day with Council Leader Paul Scriven as part of the Pledge for Success campaign which aims to improve the aspirations of the city's children.
Click here to find out more about the Pledge for Success campaign and sign up
Coun Scriven said: "If I had been given this opportunity at her age I know I would have jumped at it.
"What teenager doesn't want to rule the world?
"This was a way I could show to a young person just what goals are out there. Anybody, if they try hard enough, can get to where I am now. You just have to have determination, ambition and a lot of grit and I hope I have helped inspire this in Beatrise."
He added: "I really enjoyed my time with Beatrise. Not only was I able to help her, but she also gave me feedback about the role of the council from a young person's view.
"I was really impressed with her latching on to environmental issues, as a lot of young people do, and the work the council needs to undertake and improve life in the future."
Beatrise came to live in Sheffield three years ago after her family decided to leave her native Latvia to after falling in love with the city on a family holiday.
The pupil at Parkwood School in Shirecliffe didn't speak a word of English when she came to Sheffield - but within months she was holding her own in lessons with her classmates.
Now Beatrise, who lives in Arbourthorne, is in her first year of GCSEs and is hoping to go on and study A Levels and then to university.
She said: "I had never really thought much about the council or knew what it did - let alone knowing who Coun Paul Scriven was. I am sure I am not alone in my age group.
"But now I have seen just how it operates I am even thinking of perhaps entering politics myself in the future. What was really clear to me was the fact you as an individual can make a difference.
"I was able to watch Paul in a number of roles that day - from being with people at an anniversary celebration in the Botanical Gardens through to chairing what turned out to be a highly contentious Cabinet meeting on the consultation for closure of Abbeydale Grange School.
"I always thought of politics as dull and not at all interesting. But this has been a real eye-opener for me. I had wanted to do something with engineering in the future, but this opportunity has given me food for thought about the other career avenues that are out there for people my age.''
The Pledge for Success campaign, launched in The Star last month, aims to help every child across the city achieve their dreams by raising their aspirations in order to help them realise their attainment levels.
The city-wide campaign urges everyone to think about what they can help do to help children and young people succeed in life.
The campaign, which aims to get 1,250 pledges by next year, has been launched in conjunction with the Council and Sheffield First Partnership.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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