Mahon students get an insight to the ‘World of Work’

Second and third year students from Mahon’s Nagle Community College recently visited Gas Networks Ireland’s headquarters in Cork city as part of Business in the Community Ireland’s (BITCI) nationwide education initiative.

One of six BITCI programmes under this initiative is the ‘World of Work’ programme which aims to help increase student retention rates by showing students the many career and further education opportunities available to them once they stay in school and attain a Leaving Certificate.

Gas Networks Ireland, the operator of Ireland’s gas grid, and BITCI, the country’s leading organisation in driving the agenda for responsible business, have been helping to bring the world of work to students at Nagle Community College for over 15 years.

The visit provided the students with an opportunity to tour Gas Networks Ireland’s headquarters and meet with its employees; as well as learn about presentation skills and the importance of sustainability to the national utility.

Gas Networks Ireland’s Social Sustainability Manager, Gráinne O’Reilly said:

“It’s great to hear from both the teachers and students how inspiring these initiatives can be in giving insights into the many and varied roles in the workplace. We are very proud of the positive impact this can have on students, how it helps to broaden their horizons and help make them more aware of potential career opportunities.

“Employee volunteering is a key part of our social engagement strategy.  Since 2007 over 200 of our employees volunteered with around 500 students from Nagle Community College to help them gain insights into working life at Gas Networks Ireland through ‘Meet & Greet’ and ‘Day in the Life’ sessions, as well as delivering life and practical skills training.”

Jack Butler, a teacher at Nagle Community College, said:

“I would like to sincerely thank all at Gas Networks Ireland for the sharing of their expertise and facilitating this site visit as well as the many workshops, work experience opportunities, seminars, and mentoring sessions they have run with us over the last 15 years, which greatly benefitted our students.”

Headquartered in Cork, Gas Networks Ireland has been a leading member of BITCI for 19 years and is one of just 41 companies in Ireland to hold the Business Working Responsibly Mark which is audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and based on ISO26000. The Mark is the only independently audited standard for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability practices in Ireland. As holders of the Mark, Gas Networks Ireland is a member of the Leaders Group on Sustainability and co-chair of the Low Carbon Economy Group.

Along with the ‘World of Work’ programme, Gas Networks Ireland has also worked with BITCI to deliver its ‘Time to Read’ literacy and ‘Time to Count’ numeracy programmes for primary schools across the country, as well as providing mentorship on the Management Excellence for Principals and Teachers programme.