Blyth pupils take part in first ever careers fair
Young people have been given a helping hand on their journey to university or a career at a showcase of the routes open to them. Bede Academy, in Blyth, has held its first careers and higher education fair aimed at students taking GCSEs and A levels next summer.
Representatives from 12 universities from across the North and Scotland travelled to Blyth for the event, handing out prospectuses and answering the students’ questions about university life and the courses on offer.
A similar number of employers from a range of industries also attended including the Army and Royal Air Force, Catapult Offshore, British Engines, Procter and Gamble and Irwin Mitchell solicitors.
The North East Chamber of Commerce was there to promote apprenticeships and the Prince’s Trust offered self-employment as an alternative option.
For sixth form students at Bede the event was a useful way to identify which universities offer courses they are interested in.
Andrew Finnemore, 15, of Blyth, said: “I like history and I’ve found out that Durham or Edinburgh would be good for me. I want to start looking now so I have longer to think about it and make up my mind.”
Kim McVey, 17, of Blyth, said: “I’m interested in children’s nursing and some of the universities I thought would offer a course don’t, so that’s been useful to find out. It’s also made me think about the army as another option.”
John Hardie, head of careers and ICT at Bede Academy, who organised the event, said: “This is our first careers fair and I’m delighted so many universities and employers supported it. It’s been extremely valuable for students and we also felt it was important to invite parents too so they could find out more to help their children plan their futures.
“While we recommend students visit the universities they are interested, we hope we’ve been able to save them time and cost by presenting a number of options from which they can narrow down their choices, especially Year 12 students who will be applying next year.”
SCHOOLS NorthEast will be hosting its second annual conference focusing on what a young person needs to succeed in the 21st century. FutureReady 2016 will take place on Thursday 4 February at the Xcel Centre, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. We will be asking:
What is good careers guidance?
How do we build character education within the curriculum?
Where will future North East jobs come from and how can we ensure our young people have the skills to access them?
How can schools effectively engage with local businesses?
We have a fantastic line-up of speakers for the day, find out more about FutureReady 2016 here and book your place today by emailing info@schoolsnortheast.com