From considering the difficult conversations relating to career choices to learning how to sell yourself, students were able to gain insight and tips from professionals from a variety of sectors. There was also an exercise in working out what different people did for a living with the year 8s playing a version of What’s My Line?
Louise Fenner, Faculty Leader: Languages said: “I just wanted to say thank you for organising such a fantastic day today. My form were completely focused for all 4 hours, with the highlight definitely being the visitors. It made such an impact having 'real' visitors and also helped me a lot too as I don't know a huge amount about other professions! The students were also really grateful and said that they think year 8 should do this every year.”
Duncan Allan of Michell Instruments said: “Events like these have huge potential to get some very powerful messages across to students.”
Volunteers included:
- Keirron Mascall, Marshall Group
- Astrid van Outen, artist, interior designer
- Duncan Allan, engineer, operations manager at Michell Instruments
- Sheema Pankhania, pharmacist and medical information scientist, NAPP
- Mark Hopkin, Consultant Scientist, Quality Control – production, NAPP
- Anne Saucier, Cambridge University Hospitals
- Kate Gilhooly, Cambridge University Hospitals
- Jenna Boud, HR Advisor, Ridgeons
- Dave Wade, customer services manager, Ridgeons
- Bridget Hardy, chartered surveyor/senior civil servant, central government
- Roy Pearce, Night Manager, Hotel Felix
- Pauline Robson, Head of Human Resources, Hotel Felix
- Peter Rawlings, architect
- Jen Little, HR consultant, Pure Resourcing
- Martin Birch, Regional Director, Moneywise
Cambridge Area 14-19 Partnership arranged the events so that students could work with local employers to think about their futures.
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If you’d like to be involved in future events at any of the 26 state secondary schools and colleges in the Cambridge area, contact Anne Bailey at [email protected].
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