Petrofac invites youngsters to mock assessment centre experience

Petrofac’s HR Resourcing team recently hosted a mock assessment centre for 21 school pupils, preparing them for the recruitment process.

In partnership with Career Academies UK, pupils from a variety of secondary schools, including the Gordon Schools, Portlethen, Kincorth, Peterhead and Oldmachar Academies, attended the session. This is the method Petrofac uses to assess a group of potential new starts embarking upon its development programmes, including apprentices, trainees and graduates, as it is designed to see how candidates would perform in various situations and assesses initiative, communication and team working skills.

As part of the Career Academies UK programme, Petrofac has 16 mentors who support students from across Aberdeen City and Shire and Moray – the highest level of participation in Scotland as the programme prepares to double its current intake of 120 students for the next phase, 2015-2017.

Lucy Johnston, Resourcing Advisor – Future Talent at Petrofac, said: “The day was a huge success, acting as a fantastic learning experience and a very important next step in the Career Academies programme. Feedback has been very positive and it was great to see the students seriously consider their future career paths and become more confident.”

Petrofac is one of 18 companies across the North East of Scotland currently supporting the business-led charity as part of a structured two-year skills programme. The aim is to bridge the gap between education and work by linking young people to employers through mentoring, master classes and internships. As a result, last year saw eight 16-year-old students from the North East complete a five-week internship at Petrofac in Aberdeen. Their attendance at the assessment centre was a means of building on this experience.

Kaitlyn Gordon, who attends Portlethen Academy, said: “Following the assessment centre I now feel far more confident about the recruitment process. Plus, it was a great way of meeting and communicating with people I didn’t know.”

Isobel Maughan, Career Academies UK Regional Manager for North East Scotland, added: "The assessment centre day provided these students with a unique opportunity to experience the real world of recruitment, but in a friendly environment. We are incredibly grateful to all those at Petrofac who worked so hard to prepare such a fantastic day and gave these students the confidence and skills they will need to succeed in the real job market."