More than 100 Brent young people attended a careers event at Wembley Stadium to gain an insight into working in investment banking and finance as well as jobs in law, construction and government.

Currently, only seven per cent of Brent residents work in financial services or professional roles compared to the London average of 20pc. The borough also has one of the highest rates of unemployment for 18 to 21-year olds in the city.

At the My Future careers event on November 18, sixth formers from Preston Manor, Ark Elvin Academy and Newman Catholic College received career advice and support during workshops delivered by some of the biggest companies in the world, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and Aviva Investors.

Other workshop sessions were delivered by the Ministry of Defence and local contractors John Sisk & Son and the Wates Group.

Students also heard from Gavin Lewis (BlackRock) and Kene Ejikeme (Goldman Sachs) about their personal journeys in investment banking and overcoming challenges to reach their managing director positions.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Young people at the My Future careers expoYoung people at the My Future careers expo (Image: My Future)

The "expo" was organised by former local councillor Zaffar Van Kalwala and Connect Stars, and supported by the John Lyon Trust and Brent council.

Newman Catholic College student Haneef Khan, 16, said: “I really enjoyed attending the My Future event at Wembley Stadium. It was a fantastic way to expand my knowledge about different careers. I particularly liked the fact that they used genuine people from similar backgrounds as myself to give us real explanations of the different routes into business.

"It was especially useful to gain detailed information about apprenticeships, as people my age are often less informed about this route into employment as there is a large focus on university. I enjoyed hearing from the wide range of companies on offer and being given a real explanation of how to advance within a business. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Zaffar Van Kalwala said: “This was a great opportunity for our young people to learn about pursuing rewarding
careers in the city – we have never had anything like this before in Brent.

"It’s really important that we secure better jobs and employment for local residents, especially for our young people”.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Business representatives at the My Future careers expoBusiness representatives at the My Future careers expo (Image: My Future)