ASPIRING secondary school students had the opportunity to explore key employability skills and potential career choices in a session organised by Albion's official charity.

Albion women's head coach Hope Powell CBE and defender Danique Kerdijk joined the virtual session for Year 9 and 10 students at Varndean College in Brighton and Durrington High School in Worthing, as part of the Women in Enterprise programme.

The initiative has been designed to help inform young women from diverse backgrounds about the world of business and inspire the next generation to aim high in their future careers.

The programme is led by a teacher from Albion in the Community and supported by American Express volunteers, who talk about their career progression, aspiration and skills needed in the workplace.

Hope and Danique provided valuable insights into their career journeys to the students and shared some of the challenges they had overcome to reach the top of their professions.

Talking about her career as a former English international footballer, coach of the England women’s national football team and the Great Britain women’s Olympic football team, Hope said: "It's good to explore. You don't have to know what you want to do right now.

"My best advice would be ‘Have a go’ – you’d be surprised by the limits you can exceed. Life is about experiences. Through those you end up making the right choices. But whatever you’re going to do long term, you have to enjoy it.”

Schools and colleges interested in taking part in future sessions are advised to contact the charity.

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