Harrow Way Assistant Headteacher, Tony Parsons met with local business, Be Wiser, last week to find out about careers opportunities for our students.

Be Wiser might be Andover’s best kept secret. Across five offices in the town, it employs nearly as many people as the Co-op distribution centre.

The insurance firm has launched a new initiative for school leavers, offering an apprenticeship scheme with structured training and qualifications up to degree level. School leavers receive a starting salary of £12,000.

Mr Parsons said: “Apprenticeships provide a good alternative for our students to consider, but there are often relatively few available in the area. We need more employers to offer high quality apprenticeships and with the government raising the participation age, apprenticeships will become ever more in demand.

“I believe what Be Wiser are offering is an attractive compromise around rigorous further study and clear career progression opportunities.”

Harrow Way Community School is also working with Be Wiser around employability skills. Representatives from the firm will be offering our students – mentoring, CV writing workshops, interview skills and work experience.