Millwall Community Trust’s Premier League Inspires programme recently delivered an engaging and informative World of Work Week 2026 at Deptford Green School, giving students valuable insight into future careers and helping to prepare them for life beyond the classroom.
The initiative forms part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to supporting young people across Lewisham and Southwark, using the power of football and education to raise aspirations, build confidence and equip students with skills for future employment. World of Work Week was designed to expose students to a range of industries and career pathways while strengthening their employability skills through practical experiences and employer engagement.
Throughout the week, students took part in interactive workshops, employer encounters and career-focused activities that broadened their understanding of the opportunities available to them. Representatives from a variety of sectors, including DWP Jobcentre Plus, shared their experiences and provided practical advice on entering the workplace.
Millwall Community Trust staff worked closely with Deptford Green School to ensure the programme reflected the needs and ambitions of the students, creating a positive environment where young people could explore opportunities, ask questions and consider their future career options with confidence. The week concluded with a special Play on the Pitch Day at The Den, where students had the opportunity to apply their newly developed skills in a unique and memorable setting.
As part of the event, Deptford Green students planned and delivered their own coaching sessions for pupils involved in Millwall Community Trust’s Premier League Primary Stars programme. Taking on leadership roles, they demonstrated excellent communication, organisation and teamwork while inspiring younger participants through fun and engaging activities.
Millwall Community Trust’s Premier League Inspires Officer Eve van’t Hoff said: “The World of Work Week was an incredibly impactful and inspiring experience, giving students meaningful exposure to the world of work while building their confidence and communication skills.
“It was particularly powerful to see them rise to the challenge during the mock interviews delivered by Ian and Rhona from the DWP. A huge thank you to Deptford Green School, especially Celine Nembhard, for hosting and making the week such a success.”
Celine Nembhard, Careers & Enrichment Lead at Deptford Green said: “Millwall Community Trust were incredibly flexible and responsive when we approached them to create a bespoke ‘Premier League Inspires World of Work Programme’ adapted to the needs of our students. Some of the young people had been quite disengaged or had low attendance, or lacking in confidence and were facing a variety of barriers so could not at this point access a traditional work experience placement.
“Through a series of interactive and fast paced activities, in the classroom and in the sports hall, Eve and John connected with them, getting them involved and holding them accountable. The employability sessions supported young people engaging, thinking about, and planning for their futures in a way they hadn't before. Role play scenarios and games supported the development of key transferable skills and reflection on behaviours and barriers impeding their progress. Students loved learning about taxes and customer service skills and understood how useful it was. They even got the opportunity to interact with one of our alumni and play in a community tournament at Millwall.
“The practice interviews had real impact as with Eve's encouragement and support, students who would normally shy away from anything like that gave it a real go and came out the other side with proper insights, feedback and reflections and believing in themselves a lot more. Through the week, students were constantly encouraged to take ownership and responsibility and consequently, the attendance to the programme was excellent and much higher than normally expected.
“Students also worked in teams to plan a session for primary school children, and it was so pleasing to, for example, see EAL students realising that their language skills could be valuable in a professional context. The week culminated with young people delivering their session on the pitch at Millwall and there were such a sense of pride and the achievements and progress made were tangible.
“Hearing the students sharing their highlights and learning, particularly as some of the young people do not normally speak and participate so readily or are not so prone to introspection, was astonishing. Millwall’s Premier League Inspires programme has made a real difference to our students; they have spoken so positively about it and feel more optimistic and better prepared for the future. A massive thank you to Eve and John and the whole team at Millwall community Trust.”
Ian Birthwright, JCP Community Work Coach added: “As DWP South London Community Work Coaches My colleague Rhona Duncan and I were proud to support a five-day work World at Work programme led by Millwall Community Trust giving students at Deptford Green School valuable insight into the world of work while helping to build confidence, aspiration, and employability skills.
“Across two days, 20th, and 21st May, we delivered sessions focused on digital footprint awareness and in particular interview preparation and mock interviews. This was enhanced by Millwall Community Trust’s very own Eve van’t Hoff who gave the students the benefit of her wealth of experience. Students showed fantastic enthusiasm, professionalism, and engagement throughout, with many growing in confidence as they explored their strengths and future ambitions.
“A real highlight was meeting a student who has successfully launched their own online business buying and selling designer clothing. Their entrepreneurial mindset, ambition and initiative were truly inspiring and a reminder of the incredible talent and potential within our young people. This partnership demonstrated the power of collaborative working in supporting young people to prepare for future opportunities. I for one look forward to working with Millwall Community Trust again in the future and want to also praise the work of Celine Nembhard, Careers Lead at Deptford Green for hosting us. We hope to visit again soon.”
