Assessment centres are normally the final stage in the apprenticeship application process before an interview.  Up to this point, the employer has only seen what applicants can do on paper.  Larger companies run assessment centres to test candidates’ suitability for the role through a series of tasks and activities.

This week a group of Year 13 students have experienced an mock assessment centre run by Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential home builders.  The session gave the students a taster of what they may experience as part of the recruitment process for an Apprenticeship and gave valuable feedback and advice on how best to approach the process.

Beginning with a team activity in which students were challenged to build a tower using straws and tape, the task identified individuals’ strengths, listening, input and skills. Applying these skills to the following activity of ‘Buying a Site’ along with guidance from a Project Manager and a Land Manager, students were able to present their findings, identify roles within the construction industry to work as a team.

Running this activity will prepare the students for their upcoming assessment centres, those successful students will then be selected for interviews.