This Tuesday, Landau Forte College hosted the latest event in its Women in Business lecture series, welcoming a senior manager from Rolls Royce to speak to students.
Girls from Years 10 and 11 at the College, already fast preparing for Higher Education and planning their future careers, were able to hear from someone who has already seen significant success in business. The special guest speaker in question was Helen Endacott, Head of Commercial Procurement for Rolls Royce Submarines, who was the latest in a series of female entrepreneurs, business experts and academics who have visited the College.
Helen spoke to the group of girls about her career trajectory, current role and advice for those who want to succeed in business and STEM (science, technology, enginnering and mathematics). This included information about the Higher Education or training opportunities available to them and the key skills, attributes and experience that will help them to achieve their goals.
Helen explained that she had grown up in the East Midlands, attending school locally, before graduating from Northumbria University with a BA in Business Studies. From there, deciding that she wanted to specialise and achieve further academic expertise, she gained a Master’s in Global Supply Chain at Southampton University and her professional license, the MCIPS (Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) from Derby University.
Across her career, she has held multiple roles within Rolls Royce and is currently responsible for a cross-functional team of 70 people. Alongside this, she manages a large supply chain spend of up to £100 million and has been appointed a member of Rolls Royce’s High Potential Pool, recognising her significant skills and expertise.
During the session, students took part in several short tasks looking at their different personality types and exploring the value of creativity, adaptability and teamwork. Helen discussed the key skills they are developing now in their school work and how these can be vital to success in later life. She also took the time to answer students’ questions about the different schemes available to help women in business and the different paths people can take in their chosen careers.
Alison Brannick, Principal of Landau Forte College Derby, said:
“Events like our Women in Business programme not only illustrate the breadth of opportunities and career paths available to our girls, but demonstrate just what can be achieved through hard work and determination. Helen is a wonderful role model for our students and has provided invaluable advice and inspiration for those girls who are already keen to pursue careers in business, technology and science, as well as those who now know that this is something they too can aspire to.”
One Year 11 student said of the session:
“I learned that resilience and application go a long way. Communication and teamwork are also necessary in order to prevail. The presentation was very informative – Helen’s experience was clear and her advice was really helpful.”
Another student added:
“We learnt about key personality traits and the importance of teamwork, patience and creativity. The session was informative, engaging and encouraging and made me want to work harder.”