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North East careers conference deemed a great success

SCHOOLS NorthEast held its second annual FutureReady Careers Conference last Thursday (4 February 2016) where a stellar line-up of national and regional speakers, as well as representatives from schools in the North East, discussed what every young person needs to succeed in the 21st century.

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Excellent careers education, teaching character virtues, embedding them in the curriculum and making sure pupils are work-ready were at the top of the agenda, but delegates had the chance to share their own insights during various Q&A sessions with the speakers.

James Ramsbotham, Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, called on delegates to ‘big up’ the North East during his speech on the state of the region. Mr Ramsbotham also discussed the fantastic career opportunities in the North East, and asked that we inspire young people to “go out there and get the skills”.

Claudia Harris, Careers and Enterprise Company CEO, discussed how schools can get young people ready for a future where jobs will be so different from those existing today. Mrs Harris mentioned how valuable their work with Local Enterprise Partnerships has been in forming regional coalitions to understand who schools need to engage with from the business sector.

Dr Tom Harrison, Director of Development of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, looked at ways to develop children’s character virtues, stating that “character is partially caught, but it can also be taught” and that we seem to prepare pupils for a life of tests and not the tests of life. Similarly, Chief Executive of 21 Trust, Ed Fidoe, shared with the FutureReady delegates School 21’s emphasis on a “layered curriculum” where character education is embedded in every subject.

Our audience also heard from a panel of industry leads who shared insights into types of candidates their companies seek, and whether a degree matters that much to employers.

The day drew to an end with two good practice sessions for both primary and secondary schools.

We live-tweeted throughout the day, so be sure to check out our #FutureReady16 Storify .

FutureReady Careers Conference 2016 was a great success, with glowing reviews from those in attendance.

Almost 90% of delegates said the overall event was Excellent or Good. The organisation of the conference and its value for money were also similarly rated, and 95% of delegates said the event speakers were Excellent or Good.

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Thank you and we are looking forward to seeing you again next year for #FutureReady17!

 

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