Students across Travel & Tourism and Public Services courses at City of Westminster College have been taking part in a series of workshops delivered by Jessica Boothe from Next Gen Leadership designed to support personal growth and leadership skills.

Here, students get the chance to explore topics that may not come up day-to-day in the classroom but can have a big impact in their professional development. For example, students explored group dynamics, including how to understand each other's behaviours and triggers, to better manage situations of conflict.

A key focus of Jessica’s work has been helping students understand why their peers, and even their teachers, might behave a certain way according to their different experiences, perspectives and priorities, and using that to navigate professional challenges.

>Junita Brown-McCalla, Health & Social Care Lecturer described the impact of the workshops, saying:

“It was absolutely incredible. Within 90 minutes, everyone had really come together.”

Students have found the workshops extremely valuable, with many repeatedly requesting for Jessica to return for further sessions. Following the success of the programme, Jessica will return for student inductions in the next academic year. The goal is to help students begin their educational journey from a strong starting point, with the tools to build positive relationships from the moment they join the college.