On Thursday 30th January at Edgar Wood Academy (Altus Education Partnership), Rochdale we ran another exciting careers event! This is our third speed networking event in partnership with AutoTrader, for which the whole of Year 9 attended - that was 197 students.
Over 40 local professionals attended, it was a great variety; from hairdressers to police officers, directors to archaeologists, fashion designers to engineers!
The students each all had one hour to attend the event - speaking to 8 different local professionals during their session. They were given questions to prompt discussion, for example:
• What other jobs have you had?
• What did you study at school?
• What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
• What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
• What do you think are the three qualities that have helped you most to be successful in your career?
• What is your favourite thing about your current job?
• What has surprised your most about your career journey?
Overall, we had 1267 employer engagements created over the course of the event.
Here's some feedback from those who took part:
"The Speed Networking event at Edgar Wood Academy was a fantastic opportunity to engage with Year 9 students, share insights about career journeys, and inspire future talent. It was wonderful to see the students’ enthusiasm and curiosity, and I felt proud to be part of an event that helps shape their aspirations for the future."
Gavriela Park, People and Social Value Manager, Westwood Group.
Some feedback from employers (via Altus Education Partnership):
“lovely students polite/well mannered”
“lovely to meet young students with curiosity”
“fantastically organised, very professional”
“Jacob especially – such mature questions asked, what an engaging young man. Your students were a credit to themselves and you today, they were polite, engaged and keen to talk. I had a lovely morning, thank you!”
Some student comments about what worked well (via Altus Education Partnership):
“I got the chance to speak to employers in the careers I would consider”
“it gave us good quality information about our future choices and good tips to be successful”
“the tips the speakers gave me about CVs and interviews and mindset”
“everyone was super nice and they made me feel more prepared for my GCSEs”
“the different careers there is that I didn’t even know about”
"It was great to work with Beth at PIE and bring over 40 professionals to share their educational experiences and career journeys with our young people. Interactions with professionals are key to supporting our young people develop the skills, knowledge and awareness that will help them achieve their aspirations.
Thanks Beth for a well organised and professionally delivered event!"
Jane Livesey (she/her), Careers and Widening Participation Manager, Altus Education Partnership
"It is always a great time working with PIE, to make a real difference in young peoples lives. Speaking to the youth about future career pathways, opportunities and giving them the chance to discuss different career routes with people in many different industries is amazing to see. These events also allow speakers the opportunities of developing their own communication skills, mentoring skills, and a great chance to network with fellow professionals. Overall, my experience working with PIE has been amazing and I would definitely recommend friends and colleagues to also get involved!"
Shaban Anwar, Collections Advisor - Finance, AutoTrader
"Beth and the PIE team have once again put together an event that helps both business leaders and students. Having the opportunity to meet students eager to ask questions and learn is really inspiring. They were all a credit to the School!"
Sam Johnson DIP CII, Director, Risk Box Ltd
"The networking event at Edgar Wood academy was fantastic. I was delighted to meet students and add my role into the mix of roles that the students got to learn more about. The students themselves were so engaged, I was really impressed especially considering the amount of information from different people that they were taking in. It was obvious that a lot of prep had gone into the day, setting up students and participants to get maximum value from the event. Students had an assembly and were given workbooks with question prompts to help them. The whole event had a great atmosphere. I’d love to do it again!"
Hazel Bolton, User Experience Researcher, AutoTrader
The event was well-run, fast-paced and incredibly valuable for all parties involved.
The opportunities these Year 9 kids got - to speak to business owners and employers about career paths off the beaten track - is something I wish I'd have received when I was in school. My twenties might have turned out a lot differently if I'd had this opportunity!
As for me, I was thrilled to get the chance to speak to these bright, talented kids and give back. It was a privilege.
PIE's facilitation of this event was first-class. It's such a brilliant idea, well-executed!
Cain Smith, Copywriter
This new collaboration with Altus Trust, who run in Rochdale, has come about as part of our work on Enrichment Partnership Pilot Programme. To find out more about their work promoting enrichment opportunities in Rochdale please email Jo. J.Haworth-King@altusep.com
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