Poole High School Career Academy has had seven students graduate from the two-year programme in a ceremony at the Institute of Education in London.

They join over 600 other young people from schools and colleges across the country that have graduated from the programme this year.

The idea behind the course is to raise the aspirations of 16 to 19-year-olds and boost their employability skills by giving them real-life experiences in the workplace.

A spokesperson for Career Academies UK, said that working with a network of over 800 employers, the programme is there to provide workplace experiences for teenagers, many of whom may not normally have access to such opportunities.

They added: “Completing the programme greatly improves the students’ chances of progressing on to higher education or straight into a job, at a time of real concern about the employment and education prospects for young people in the UK.”

Oliver Dack, one of the graduating students, said: “I chose the Career Academy programme because it offers a unique opportunity to experience a true working environment in major companies. I did an internship at Hall and Woodhouse, which really opened my eyes to the working world.”

Students received their certificates from important people including Sir Win Bischoff, chairman of Lloyds Banking Group and chair of Career Academies UK.