Highcross helps local students get future ready

Following a successful debut partnership in 2024, Highcross Leicester has collaborated with Saint Martin’s Catholic Academy in Nuneaton as part of this year’s ‘Unbox Your Future’ programme - an initiative designed to inspire students through hands-on career experience.

Organised by the Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub, in collaboration with the School Development Support Agency (SDSA), the project challenged students to create and pitch innovative marketing campaigns, offering a valuable taste of the professional world and insight into possible future career pathways.

Since 2024, Highcross has supported over 150 students through the ‘Unbox Your Future’ project. This year, it welcomed 50 year 10 students for a behind-the-scenes tour of the shopping centre; exploring its history, learning about its operations and the diverse job roles across the retail and leisure sector.

Tasked also with delivering a creative marketing and events brief ahead of the launch of a new fictional film, the students were invited to incorporate real life roles such as a budget manager, event planner and creative designer to showcase how each would contribute to the campaign’s success.

During their visit, the students presented their final project to a panel made up of both the Highcross and Showcase Cinema management teams, who selected a winning group based on their creativity, feasibility and teamwork. The winning team, chosen for their teamwork and collaboration, as well as their overall innovation and creativity, were given free Showcase Cinema tickets and popcorn to enjoy.

Commenting on the project, Centre Director at Highcross Leicester, Michelle Menezes, said:

“This is the second year Highcross has worked with the Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub and SDSA on its ‘Unbox Your Future’ project and it’s fantastic to see more passionate students taking part in an initiative that will, hopefully, benefit their future careers. There are so many more roles within retail than people may think - way beyond just those on the shop floor - and we’re grateful to have the chance to share a peek behind the curtain.

“The ideas that the Saint Martin’s Catholic Academy students presented were all really impressive; which made it very difficult to choose just one winner! However, it was one group’s hard work and creativity that really won us over. The ‘Unbox Your Future’ initiative is brilliant for not only supporting local organisations, and our own occupiers, like Showcase Cinema, but also giving the next generation of retail stars a chance to experience what life is like in the business at such a crucial time in their lives. We’re excited to see what’s next for these budding professionals!”

Yvette Tones, Careers Leader at Saint Martin’s Catholic Academy, added:

“It was a pleasure working with Highcross Leicester for our ‘Unbox Your Future’ project. The team made the planning process easy, and from start to finish were welcoming, enthusiastic and encouraging. We would love to collaborate with Highcross again on initiatives such as this, providing even more of our students with projects that are fun, interesting and educational.”

Rosie McArtney-Chrisp, Employer Engagement Consultant at SDSA, added:

“The team at Highcross have been so welcoming. Over the years, they have sparked curiosity and ambition in hundreds of students in ways that truly last. Giving students a behind-the-scenes look at how the shopping centre operates has been genuinely inspiring, with lots of the students having no idea how many varied roles are involved in keeping a centre, like Highcross, running smoothly.

“It’s opened the students’ eyes to a whole world of career possibilities and the team’s professionalism, creativity and clear communication have made them a joy to work with. We’re so grateful for their continued partnership on the Leicester and Leicestershire Career Hub’s ‘Unbox Your Future’ initiative, and for the care they put into every session.”

For further information about Highcross, visit https://www.highcrossleicester.com/ or follow the centre’s social media channels – Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.