From Confusion to Clarity: What I Learned Delivering a 3-Day Programme at Coventry College

Written By: Clifford Yeboah

Recently, I had the opportunity to deliver the Future Ready programme at Coventry College, working with students to help them prepare for life after college. Over the three days, we focused on building confidence, improving employability skills, and helping students think more clearly about their future.

One thing became obvious very quickly. A lot of students aren’t struggling because they lack ability. They’re struggling because they don’t know what their next step is.

1. Discovering Career Pathways for the First Time

There’s a lot of pressure on young people to have everything figured out at a young age:

• Whether it’s choosing university

• Applying for apprenticeships

• Going straight into work

It can feel like you’re expected to have a full plan going into the future ready by the time you leave education. We focused on something differently with the students. Something much simpler.

The core message we shared was that you don’t need to have everything sorted for the rest of your life at a young age. You just need to understand your options and take the next step with intention. As we explored different pathways, students started to realise they had more choices than they thought. That alone helped build confidence!

2. The Future-Ready Programme In a Nutshell

Firstly, we spent time working on CVs, but not in the usual way. Instead of just giving them a template, we helped them understand how to present themselves properly on the CV. Many students felt like they didn’t have enough experience, but once we broke things down, they began to see that they already had valuable skills but they just didn’t know how to explain them.

Read Next Gen Hub's guide on building your CV packed full of tips (such as, the ones we covered in the programme):

Another key part of the programme was interview preparation. Students took part in a VR mock interview, which gave them a realistic experience of what interviews actually feel like. At first, a lot of them were nervous, which is completely normal. After going through it, reflecting, and trying again, their confidence improved. It showed them that confidence doesn’t come from reading advice. It comes from practice and putting yourself in a live interview situation which you can do not only through VR but even with friends and family.

Students undertaking the VR interview simulation

We also introduced the idea of networking. For many students, this was something they had never really thought about before. Once they understood it, they realised it’s not about being overly formal or trying to impress people. It’s simply about building genuine connections and being intentional about who you speak to and learn from.

One of the most powerful parts of the programme was hearing from guest speakers. Listening to real people talk about their journeys, including the challenges they faced, helped students see that there isn’t just one path to success. It made things feel more real and more achievable!

Day 3 of our Future Ready Programme with our panel discussing and sharing advice on networking.

Day 1 of our Future Ready Programme with our first panel sharing their career journeys.

3. My Advice To You: Clarity comes from Action

Clarity comes from action, not from waiting.

If there’s one message I would share with any young person, it’s this. You don’t need to have everything figured out right now but, you do need to start:

• Start building your skills

• Start exploring your options

• Start putting yourself out there

Delivering this programme was a reminder of how much of a difference the right support can make. When young people are given the space to learn, reflect, and grow, the change in confidence and mindset is clear to see.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn below

Clifford Yeboah