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Inspirational Woman


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“Trust your instincts and work like crazy. I worked 24/7, but was happy to do so because I was passionate about what I was trying to achieve. You have to make sacrifices if you want to be successful.”

Kanya King
Businesswoman
“I have learned that it is important to always keep learning – knowledge is power – and to this end I have always read a lot. I love travelling too, so I can learn about and appreciate the world we live in.”

Myleene Klass
Pop Star and Classical Pianist
“I had a dream, winning an Olympic medal, which I think is vital. Not everybody follows their dream, but don’t give up, even if it’s hard work. Hard work, commitment some talent and support can get you where you want to go, and that goes for anything, not just sport.”

Shelley Woods
Paralympic Athlete
“For me, deadlines and keeping to them are vital. It turns a dream into a reality. It makes you focus on what needs to be done and it shows to others you’re serious about this project.”

Merlyn Lowther
Chief Cashier Bank of England
“A good life is not about what you have, it’s about the contribution you make and who you are.”

Clara Furse
Chief Executive Officer
“The most important things in life are the ones we really have to work for. Life is a series of experiences that we can learn from, and we often learn more when things aren’t going so well.”

Jo Salter
Fighter Pilot

C.A.R. Programme

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   The C.A.R. Programme for schools

    Workshop training to develop Confidence, Assertiveness & Resilience

    The C.A.R. programme is a series of workshops devised specifically for girls in Years 8 & 9, to help develop the crucial personal skills of Confidence, Assertiveness & Resilience.  As a charity, with a background of working successfully with schools since our inception in 2013, we believe it is important to offer such an initiative at a time when the challenges before young women have never seemed so great. Equally important, this is a foundation programme to help prepare for careers progression through the Gatsby Benchmarks; through it we intend to make girls “Gatsby- ready”.

    The Foundation Programme :

offers three in-school, two-hour interactive workshops during a single term followed by a half day Saturday conference,

concentrates on building Resilience and developing the skills of Confidence & Assertiveness which underpin this,

focusses on Gatsby 3, 5 & 7 – individual student needs, encounters with both the world of work & tertiary education,

    Our workshops are led by professional trainers with a wealth of experience and real-life role-models from a wide range of careers and backgrounds. 

    We work closely with a limited number of partner schools across an academic year, with pre-agreed methods of working, reporting and evaluation. We offer this programme to participating schools free of charge. 

The Importance of C.A.R. Benefits of C.A.R. Programme The Gatsby Benchmarks How to Apply Resources The Importance of C.A.R. Lord Sainsbury of Turville’s forward to the Gatsby report begins with, “Very few people would disagree that good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them.” And yes, very few people would disagree. However, not all pupils are able to embrace good career guidance if they are not in the frame of mind to do so. The unconfident pupil whose self-esteem is low and finds it difficult to communicate effectively with others will be much less likely to reap the benefits from a careers programme such as Gatsby. And it can be argued that many pupils are not ready to undertake the Gatsby programme because of the communication difficulties holding them back, especially now when the challenges before girls have never seemed so great. This is where the C.A.R. programme is able to help. It focusses on developing Resilience and those underpinning skills of Confidence and Assertiveness. Over three workshops and a half day conference, girls from Years 8 and 9 participate in interactive, fun and thought provoking lessons to provide them with a greater insight into how they communicate and how to develop their communication skills further. The girls will have the opportunity to work in groups and to self-evaluate their skills. At the end of the C.A.R. programme we envisage that each girl will have grown in confidence leading to higher or more achievable career aspirations. They will better benefit from their schools’ own Gatsby driven careers initiatives. Benefits of C.A.R. Programme The benefits of the programme      The C.A.R. programme is a preparation for the school’s own Gatsby driven careers initiatives. It is designed to help delegates who have clear aptitudes, but who are not currently achieving their potential due to barriers arising from low Confidence, Assertiveness and Resilience.      It consists of 3 x 2 hour in school workshops, plus a Saturday morning event with refreshments, held at a convenient location for several participating schools.      We start with a concept which students will recognise: Confidence (being secure in yourself and your abilities). We then consider a second skill, Assertiveness (being self-assured, without being aggressive).      Finally, we help participants focus on Resilience:      -the skills of learning from failure or setbacks and finding new ways to solve problems;      -the need to feel good about yourself in order to be resilient;      -the ability to bound back up when facing a setback;      We encourage delegates to add their own definitions and then discuss how Resilience is underpinned by the twin skills of Confidence and Assertiveness. We embed these ideas through lively and compelling exercises, allowing students to practise these in a supportive and enjoyable environment.      Participants are then encouraged to analyse what went on during the tasks and recognise confident and assertive behaviours.      We illustrate how confident people behave calmly because they have no doubts about their ability or knowledge. Assertive people stand up for their own and others’ rights in a calm and positive way, without being either aggressive, or passive towards others’ behaviours.      At the Saturday event, delegates will be able to practise their enhanced skills when they meet C.A.R. programme participants from other schools and benefit from contact with guest speakers who will talk about career decisions and opportunities. This will enable students to fully engage later in their own school’s Gatsby programme now with the benefits of improved C.A.R. skills, increased information and having started to plan their own career development. The Gatsby Benchmarks The Gatsby Benchmarks The Gatsby Career Benchmarks are the result of an international study to find the best practice in Career Guidance worldwide. Working with experts from the University of Derby, the Gatsby team visited six places, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Hong Kong and Ontario – where career guidance is known to be good. The eight benchmarks are a framework for good career guidance developed to support schools in providing students with the best possible careers education, information, advice and guidance.
  1. A stable careers programme
  2. Learning from career and labour market information
  3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
  5. Encounters with employers and employees
  6. Experiences of work places
  7. Encounters with Further and Higher education
  8. Personal Guidance
www.goodcareerguidance.org.uk/ How to Apply How to apply We would welcome the chance to work with your students and staff. To contact us please email Sue Bridgett, C.A.R. Programme Director: suebridgett@ifchloecan.org.uk Resources Websites Careers guidance and access for education and training providers. Statutory guidance for governing bodies, school leaders and school staff www.thecdi.net/write/Careers_guidance_and_access_for_education_and_training_providers.pdf Careers strategy: making the most of everyone’s skills and talents www.thecdi.net/write/Careers_strategy_Dec_2017.pdf The Quality in Careers Standard http://www.qualityincareers.org.uk/ Career Development Institute. Framework for careers, employability and enterprise education 7-19 www.thecdi.net/write/BP385-CDI_Framework-web.pdf Resources for Participant Schools

Quotes

      Our charity, through the projects in which it has been involved over several years, has had the chance to collaborate with a whole range of high achieving women, who stand as excellent role models to the young women we meet in schools and elsewhere. We ask them to give us one piece of advice, based on their own personal experience, something that can inspire our girls to push on and succeed in life! Here are some of the many we’ve treasured from the beginning, and our thanks to them all:

Business

“I now believe confidence comes from doing. Nobody is born confident, it is something that comes from hard work and practice.”

Sahar Hashemi
Businesswoman
“For me, it was all about proving everyone else wrong. You shouldn’t do this, you can’t do that – I ignored it all.”

Kavita Oberoi
Busnesswoman
“Empathise with the bullies and understand why they may be acting the way they are. It could be to do with jealousy or perhaps I needed to change the way I was acting. Either way I was in the position of power and not the bullies.”

Emma Vites
Businesswoman

Science

“There is nothing more exciting than the buzz you get from understanding how things work and why.”

Professor Karen Vousden
Scientist
“The attitude to women pursuing careers in scientific research has changed for the better in the last twenty years and there are now many more opportunities”

Professor Kay Davies
Geneticist
“I recommend a gap year for everyone heading to university – you end up a lot more mature and self-assured.”

Dame Athene Donald
Scientist

Medicine

“Some people said I was too young to go for it, but I felt that if others can do it, so can I.”

Linda Papadopoulos
Medecine
“As I was one of a few, and not one of many, by working hard it was possible to become top of my game!”

Dr Nirdosh
Medecine

Sports

“There will always be tough days, every day can’t always be great, but you must keep going and learn from your disappointments and good things will eventually come your way.”

Susie Wolff
Racing Driver
“Throughout my career I’ve always had a positive outlook and so, in my mind, I’ve never really faced rejection, just hurdles to overcome!”

Jane Goodall
Adventurer
“Could I combine my career with my hobby and find a way to further explore my world? Yes, I have found a way to do that.”

Jill Heinerth
Underwater explorer

Entertainment

“Getting the rejection was a real shock for I had wanted so much to get the part but, weirdly, instead of being totally disheartened it made me doubly determined to get a job in TV and become an actress.”

Anji Mohindra
Actress
“Then, one day, with the help of a friend, I realised that we all have the choice how to view ourselves, and I was choosing to be negative.”

Francessca Martinez
Comedian
“The first event had been organised and run from my bedroom and working alone from home I felt isolated. For me, it’s important to share experiences and get different perspectives, so I made sure I changed this aspect of my work.”

Kanya King
Founder of MOBO Awards

Music

“When things go wrong, I try and see the funny side and always, always learn from what went wrong. I know how lucky I am too, and I think it is important to have a good idea of where you come from and what kind of person you want to be.”

Myleene Klass
Music, TV, Fashion
“I ended up singing in a choir, taking part in drama and
shows, and making a lot of new friends. I think that helped me become a more confident individual, less sensitive and less worried about my appearance.”

Natasha Marsh
Singer
“There is no formula for life, but what you need to understand is that only you can help you achieve whatever you want in life. And as isolating as that might be, it is true and the most truthful way to live.”

Vanessa Mae
Classical Violinist

Design

“I believe that you have to follow what you want to do and what makes you happy. There will be decisions that will be hard, but in the end, it is so very rewarding to know that you are your own boss.”

Kirsty Doyle
Fashion Designer
“If you know your stuff and show people that you are passionate about it, the chances are you will get a job.”

Emma Bridgewater
Pottery designer/producer
“Being alone forced me to make my own entertainment. I chose not to just watch TV but to be creative instead and learn things.”

Rachel Khoo
Fashion

Politics

“I was immersed in legal and political struggles on
behalf of the thousands of prisoners around the world whose rights had been obliterated.”

Baroness de Souza
Crossbench Peer
“I see each qualification I pass as a stepping stone along the path of my career and within a year I’ve gone from apprenticeship wages to £25k plus.”

Shebiga Hakin
Pensions Administrator
“Good luck in all that you pursue, but pursue you must.”

Margaret Thatcher
Former Prime Minister

“Working in the US is wonderful for confidence – the ‘anyone can do anything’ attitude is infectious.”

Sue Owen
Permanent Secretary at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Government Equalities Office (GEO)
“At the interview, eight years ago, I was very relaxed because I thought there was no way I would get the job. I just felt privileged to see the place. To my astonishment I got offered the post.”

Tessa Blundy
Deputy Head of Architecture and Heritage
“I just wanted to be constantly challenged, and doing work that would stretch me, and that mattered to people.”

Catherine Lee
Director General, Law and Access to Justice Group, Ministry of Justice

Media

“Some might have seen me as a bit of a swot, but I didn’t care. I saw my education as a way out to see more of the world.”

Anne Alexander
House of Commons Journalist and Political Producer for Good Morning Britain
“Crucially, this job gave me confidence. It allowed me to develop new skills and before too long I was doing interviews.”

Anne Lingley
Westminster TV News Bureau Secretary and Fixer
“Teenage years are incredibly difficult and frustrating and living through all of those experiences gave me a greater understanding of people which is probably the key to my success.”

Sally Norris
Journalist

Cookery

“Looking back, I think my top role model was my mum. She had to sacrifice some of her dreams to bring us up and put bread on the table. I never forgot that.”

Monica Galetti
Chef
“Also, don’t be concerned about not knowing the exact career you wish to follow. Many people end up in jobs by coincidence.”

Gillian Macdonald
Whiskey Distiller
“Then one day a friend told me about a job that had become vacant at the House of Commons, working in the catering and refreshments department. I couldn’t believe it, a job like that in Parliament!”

Clare Shaddock-Perez
Commons Bar Staff