Bournville School Careers Fair: Hundreds of students got an inspirational glimpse of life beyond the classroom when they connected with employers, universities and colleges at Bournville School’s biggest ever Careers Fair.
The Fair, which included stalls from a range of sixth forms, colleges, universities and employers, took place over two hours on Tuesday October 22 – with students encouraged to think about their future.
Careers Lead Rhian Field, who was one of the staff responsible for organising the Bournville School Careers Fair, explained how it worked.
She said: “Every year group had the chance to participate. Year 8 were first, after which Year 11 got a chance to visit for an extended time. The Year 7s had a more activity-based approach, with a bingo card full of questions they had to ask the guests. Year 9 and Year 10 then had half an hour each.”
Representatives from 27 institutions had a stall at the event, and all were impressed by the students’ maturity and engagement.
Curtis Radcliffe, a power systems engineer from the National Grid, said: “Students always surprise me with the questions they have – there were some who shocked me with how amazing their questions were.
“I got to show the students the different roles available in the National Grid – there’s a real range. For young students, being able to see the different options available for their future can really get them thinking about their path ahead, which was reflected by the questions they were asking.”
Katie Whetton and Sarah Roche, who were representing the partnered further education institutions of Sandwell College, Central St Michaels Sixth Form and Cadbury Sixth Form College, saw Bournville’s excellent Careers Fair as essential for older and younger students alike.
Katie said: “This event has been incredibly valuable. Year 10s and Year 11s are focusing more on their next destinations, and having the chance to talk face-to-face with people from different colleges can make the process much clearer for them.
Sarah said: “Reaching the younger students and showing them what’s available for them to aspire to is so important. Students of all ages take a lot from it and know what they need to work towards, to get to where they want to be.”
Eleanor Roberts and Ifti Hussain, from Cadbury owners Mondelez International, were keen to show the students that young people like them were the future of their company.
Eleanor said: “I think this opportunity is huge. I did a degree apprenticeship and have seen all the different avenues that get people into work – grad schemes, apprenticeships, post-16 BTECs and degrees.
“It can be confusing for young people to decide which path to take, so providing a bit of guidance goes a long way. We want to attract young talent to grow our business further – young people are our future.”
Bournville School Careers Fair
Ifti added: “I think back to my time as a child in school, not having many opportunities where employers and colleges came to see us – it was on us to seek out that information. This is a nice forum to give back to the kids and help them find a way forward.”
The Bournville School Careers Fair was also eye-opening to many students who had never truly considered going to university before.
Lucy Brooks from the University of Warwick said: “Some students, especially the younger ones, often don’t have a concept of what university is – it’s useful to explain to them the difference between school and university and what they can expect.
“Some might not have anyone in their family who went to university, so they might never have considered it an option for them. The information they’ve been given today will hopefully show them they can aspire to go to university if they wish to!”
The event was a huge success, and exemplified the forward-thinking values that Bournville School prioritises as a member of the ambitious Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust.
Principal Marie Rooney said: “At Bournville we encourage our students to think about their future after they leave the school at sixteen, and we want them to have real aspirations.
“Events like the Careers Fair give them the opportunity to see what’s out there beyond Bournville. It helps them raise aspirations and create a plan, which we can use to support them as they progress through school.
“I’d like to thank all the members of staff who helped put it together and all the partners who came along to make it a such as success. We look forward to seeing them again next year!”