In February two Year 13 pupils, Lewis Robinson 13GS and Kyle Skillen 13LH, were selected to take part in this year’s Co-Operation Ireland’s Morgan Stanley Programme, aimed at connecting young people from a variety of backgrounds, with each other and the business and banking worlds. It hopes to develop young entrepreneurs or bankers of the future, whilst building bridges and making new relationships possible.
What was the Purpose of the Trip?
The purpose of the trip was to gain an insight into the workings of some of the world’s most well-known companies, along with interacting with pupils of similar ages from different cultures and backgrounds, in order to achieve an objective through multiple workshops throughout the two days at Morgan Stanley. Pupils were given presentations from professionals on areas such as how to best present themselves in different environments, whether that be in the workplace, at home or online. Gathering all the information, from the different presentations and networking lunches with those working in the various different companies, the pupils created a presentation in their group, which was with pupils from the different schools, to compete against each other, presenting their completed presentation in front of dignitaries and professionals.
The first night involved the different pupils from Northern Ireland and the South of Ireland getting to know one another, over a meal, after a long day of travelling. The first day took place in Morgan Stanley, the Bank’s International Headquarters, where the pupils travelled by tube in the London Underground from the hotel and met with the pupils from London. Breaking the ice, pupils played various games and were then separated into groups. They completed different tasks and were given different presentations led by Morgan Stanley and Co-Operation Ireland. They then visited Bloomberg, an International Technology and stock trading company, at their European Headquarters and the world famous Dorchester Hotel that has hosted some of the world’s most famous people including the Royal Family. Pupils were given tours and got to chat with those who worked in those industries, gaining an insight into how they operate and what’s involved. The Dorchester had just installed the second third of their brand new kitchen which included their new pizza oven that happened to have made their dinner.
The Friday saw the team’s visit, for some inspiration, to the Morgan Stanley Trading Floor before completing a Project Management Task, using their own skills, along with the information they had gleaned from talks and presentations, which was then presented to staff from Morgan Stanley, Co-Operation Ireland, Bloomberg, the Dorchester Hotel and the Irish Ambassador to the UK, Adrian O’Neill. After a productive day, pupils relaxed and spent some money in the massive Westfield Shopping Mall. On the Saturday, pupils spent some time in the local markets, took Cable Carts across the River Thames and had a picnic in the scalding weather outside the O2 Arena.
What we got out of the trip.
The trip was a great experience from start to finish. We socialised with people from different cultures and backgrounds, learning about where and how they live. We both have developed and strengthened skills, such as our ability to speak to others i.e. communication, teamwork and leadership skills. We gained access to some of the world’s most respected and wealthiest businesses and took all the advice given to us onboard. We were both privileged and honoured to go on the trip, taking memories that will last a lifetime along with the skills we developed and the knowledge from others we gained and were most definitely proud to represent the Belfast Boys’ Model School in the process. We’ve already made plans to meet with some of the other pupils in the coming weeks and would once again like to thank everyone we met in Londo,n particularly staff at Morgan Stanley, Co-operation Ireland, Net Éire, Bloomberg, The Dorchester Hotel and the Belfast Boys’ Model School for allowing us to partake in this life changing, unforgettable experience.
