Highfield International Level 02 Award In Security Guarding, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Highfield International Level 02 Award In Security Guarding, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Local employers working with the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Careers Hub report that many students leave education without key employability skills, including communication, teamwork, discipline, resilience and confidence under pressure.
At the same time, local authorities, schools and early intervention services are seeing a growing number of young people disengaged from education and at risk of anti-social behaviour, exploitation and exclusion. These young people often lack positive role models, emotional resilience and the confidence to communicate effectively.
Operation Mindset has been developed to address both challenges, combining proven military principles with practical, relatable delivery to build the core behaviours employers and communities value most.
Operation Mindset is a 2 hour, high-impact workshop for young people aged 11–16, delivered by veterans.
It draws on proven military principles, practical challenges and guided reflection to develop leadership, accountability, respect and self-belief, alongside the core elements of teamwork, communication, discipline and resilience.
The workshop is suitable for mainstream school settings and for young people facing wider challenges, including those in alternative provision, pupil referral units and early intervention programmes.
Participants develop:
The learning is designed to be directly transferable into the classroom, the workplace, the community and everyday life.
Operation Mindset has been designed to support a broad group of young people, from mainstream students preparing for work to those facing significant personal challenges.
Priority groups include:
The workshop aligns closely with the Employer Competency Framework, particularly:
Operation Mindset creates meaningful paid roles for veterans.
We recruit, train and support veteran instructors to use their experience in the community.
Veterans benefit from:
The overwhelming majority of students rated the session at the highest end of the enjoyment scale. Across the forms reviewed, enjoyment consistently scored in the top bracket, with no negative ratings recorded.
Activities such as tug of war, team challenges and practical military style circuits were frequently selected as favourites. Students repeatedly highlighted that they enjoyed working together, describing the session as “fun”, “intense”, and “we all got to work together”. This reflects strong engagement and positive group dynamics throughout.
Students rated the session as highly useful. Most selected the top rating for usefulness, with the remainder selecting the second highest option. There were no responses indicating the session was not useful.
When asked whether what they learned could help them in real life at school, sport or home, the majority selected “Yes”. Students referenced improved communication, resilience and confidence as key takeaways. Comments included:
“Because I would be able to communicate better.”
“Resilience.”
“Practical examples of applying teamwork and responsibility at home and in daily life.”
A strong proportion of students reported feeling more confident following the session. In addition:
Most reported feeling better at working in a team.
Many reported feeling more confident speaking up.
Several highlighted feeling better able to deal with pressure.
These outcomes directly align with the workshop’s objectives of strengthening mindset, resilience, teamwork and composure under pressure, all of which are protective factors in high-risk environments.
Feedback regarding instructors was consistently positive. Students rated instructors as clear, easy to understand, fair and respectful. Importantly, students reported feeling safe during the session.
No students indicated that any part of the workshop felt too hard or uncomfortable.
Almost every student indicated they would recommend the session to a friend. This level of peer endorsement is a strong indicator of perceived value and impact.
Increased confidence and self-belief.
Improved communication skills.
Stronger teamwork and collaboration.
Greater resilience and ability to handle pressure.
High engagement and positive emotional experience.
The feedback demonstrates that Operation Mindset is both highly engaging and meaningfully impactful. Students not only enjoyed the session but clearly articulated transferable skills linked to resilience, communication and teamwork.
Given the rising challenges faced by young people, particularly in areas where conflict management, emotional regulation and peer influence are critical, these early interventions are vital.
Get in touch with Black Onyx Academy. Our team is ready to assist with your questions and discuss how we can support your organisation’s needs.
