BT is the latest organisation to join Windmills’ ever-increasing community of Champions.

The company have become licence holders of the STAR programme, giving them full access to the STAR materials.

They will use the STAR materials as part of their Work Inspiration programme, an initiative which aims to change the way young people think about work and change the way BT offer work placements.

Sharon Nicholson from Windmills said: “BT felt from the outset that STAR would enhance the Work Inspiration programme they run, which aims to give young people an insight into the world of work.

“We delivered a STAR Champions training programme to staff, and BT are now incorporating the STAR materials into the Work Inspiration scheme.”

Mick Keay from BT said: “As part of our Work Inspiration programme, we regularly run a week of events for young people, during which time they attend ‘events’ with different individual and team activities. They also spend some time shadowing BT staff in a number of different roles in offices and out in the field.

“The project is run by both staff on secondment, and by BT volunteers. The ‘secondees’ are often young people from their apprenticeships scheme, and BT’s target this year is to involve 4000 young people.

“What we liked about STAR was that it had practical activities that we could give the young people do on the events. The other materials we use are questionnaire-based and we like the fact that the card exercises are really engaging. Introducing STAR to the programme also provided additional personal development opportunities for the BT staff involved. We saw STAR as something that would bring a bit of freshness to the work inspiration programme.”