How they gave Bradford students lessons in how to be stylish...

Delia Smith should probably cover her ears. When a group of students were presented with a photograph of the woman who has sold millions of cookery books, not one of them recognised her as the director of Norwich Football Club.

Still, she was in good company. A few of them also thought Stephen Hawking looked most like a film director and had the baseball cap-wearing Steven Spielberg down as something else altogether.

Welcome to Bradford College’s Style Academy, which opened its doors this year in answer to the ever-competitive jobs market. It was designed, initially at least, to give students on the college’s travel and tourism courses, a headstart on other job applicants and by teaming up with model training agency Morton Gledhill, improve their self-esteem and boost their confidence.

Matching the celebrity to the job is one of a number of exercises to get them to think about creating the right first impression, and the students have been given masterclasses in deportment, etiquette, communication and styling.

“The Style Academy was launched to create a new breed of employee, who not only has the right qualifications, but the right attitude and the confidence to add value to any business,” says Debbie Forsythe-Conroy, the college’s director of quality improvement and performance. “What training providers and educational establishments are excellent at doing is providing students with the vocational skills in their chosen field.

“Where there is a gap in the market is the development of the softer, but important skills around self-esteem and confidence.”

Research out this week showed just how competitive the jobs market, particularly for those looking for their first position, has become.

According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters, employers are now receiving an average of 83 applications for every job – almost double the number two years ago. Many firms admitted that a 2:1 degree is now a minimum requirement and a significant number of companies are screening applicants online in an attempt to whittle down the numbers.

Chloe Fletcher knows exactly how demoralising the process of trying to find work can be. While she still has one year of her course to go, for the last few weeks she has been trying to find a job for the summer.

Thirty applications have resulted in just three interviews and so far she has always missed out at the final hurdle.

“Most of the time you don’t hear anything at all,” says the 18-year-old. “I’m going to keep on going, because I need to earn some money, but it’s really hard.

“A lot of places now say they are only willing to take people who have experience, there’s so many people looking for work they can basically take their pick. But when you’re like us, just starting out, you need someone to give you an opportunity to gain experience.”

Back at the Style Academy workshop, the students are in the middle of a role play. One is playing a disgruntled worker sacked because of inappropriate dress sense, another is her boss and a third is mediating the whole thing Jeremy Kyle-style.

“Reasearch by the talent management firm SHL showed that nearly two-thirds of recent graduates had failed to find a degree-level job, so there has never been a better time for the Academy to open its doors,” says Hayley Lomas, college lecturer. “Working with Morton Gledhill is a fantastic opportunity for the students and some of them have gone onto secure placements with the company.

“Finding a job is really tough at the moment and we don’t just want to send them out of the door with a piece of paper, but while they are here we want to give them practical skills which mean that they really believe in themselves and what they have to offer.”

With the summer holidays looming, the Style Academy is about to close its doors, but it will be back open for business in the autumn.

“I got a lot out of it,” says James Speakman. “I’m far more confident and I can present myself better to prospective employers at interview. It’s about giving yourself that competitive edge.”

However, in today’s climate it may take more than a few lessons in interview etiquette and dress sense to secure a foot on the career ladder.