An initiative that will see students experience the three-year journey from commencement of construction to the completion of DLA Piper’s new state-of-the-art Leeds office has recently launched with the first of five engaging careers and skills events.

MyExperience@ City Square House will span the development cycle of the new office building, providing students with an insight into the wide range of businesses, professionals and skills involved in such a significant project. Delivered by Ahead Partnership, leaders in developing ESG solutions and ensuring measurable social impact by creating unique business partnerships that connect young people to opportunity, the initiative will engage students on five different occasions as they progress from year seven to year nine and begin to think about their future career pathways.

The initial launch event took place on 24 March at DLA Piper’s current Princes Square office. This exciting day saw students receive a tour of the existing corporate office and take part in an interactive building modelling competition. There was also an opportunity to speed network with colleagues from the Property and Workplace department at DLA Piper, as well as with the building contractor, the developer, MRP and firms advising DLA Piper including Gardiner and Theobald.

Stephanie Burras CBE, founder and chief executive of Ahead Partnership, said:

“The emphasis of our partnership is on creating a long-term approach to social impact that connects young people to opportunity and provides support as their thinking around careers and future pathways develops over time.

“Students will join the programme as the firm undertakes its development journey and get to see City Square House literally rise up from the ground into an innovative workplace of the future. By meeting with professionals working across different disciplines and aspects of development over a three-year period, students will better understand what types of decisions are made throughout the process and why, as well as seeing the influence that these have on the end result. They’ll also get a valuable insight into what it’s like to work for a large corporate firm in areas from legal to HR and management.”

Ruth Williamson, Partner, Real Estate, at DLA Piper, also commented:

“At DLA Piper, we look for opportunities to use our strength as a leading global business law firm to make a positive contribution in our local and global communities. We’re committed to having a positive impact on society, by having strategic partnerships and programmes that leverage the breadth of our business and the skills and experience of our people. This multi-year programme allows us to engage with young people in our local area, providing multiple opportunities for engagement, so they gain a good understanding of the various career paths in professional firms, whilst building confidence, employability skills and career aspirations.”

Young people from Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School in Leeds were given the opportunity to apply for the initiative, before 20 students were selected to be involved.

The initiative is one of a number of social value programmes delivered by Ahead Partnership, in partnership with leading employers, that seeks to support everyone to achieve their full potential, regardless of their background.

83,000 sq ft of space at City Square House has been pre-let to DLA Piper. Read more about the development here.

To find out more about Ahead Partnership, visit the website.