Living books give advice at Aureus

Students at Aureus School in Didcot had the opportunity to go beyond websites and text books when it came to gathering career information and advice.

The Year 8 pupils were able to consult ‘living books’ when the school hosted a ‘Human Library’ on 5 March, as part of National Careers Week.

The 16 ‘books’ were professionals representing a range of different industries, who spoke about their respective careers to the students.

“A ‘Human Library’ aims to establish a positive framework and safe space for dialogue between ‘readers’ and a ‘Human Book’,” explained Carolyn Saul, Assistant Headteacher at Aureus, who organised the event with the help of Aoife Roughneen from OxLEP.

“The concept is based on small group conversation, rather than a presentation or lecture. It is not just a story, it’s an engagement and interaction, a Q&A from a lived perspective.

“A Human Book is a person that volunteers to represent an industry available within our community and, based on their personal experiences, can answer questions from readers to help challenge what is being said, told or understood about the world of work.”

Among those sharing their knowledge and experience as part of the Human Library were Jordan Kenny from BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat and West End actor David Evans, as well as representatives from a host of different companies and fields, including OxLEP, RAL Space, CyberCX, Avalere Health, International Rugby for Malta, Adobe, the Probation Service, careers coaching, the charity sector, and MJA Consulting.

It was the fourth time that Aureus, which is a member of the GLF Schools Mutli-Academy Trust, had held the event. 

“The Year 8s enjoyed being able to ask questions and find out more about how people came to be in their chosen roles,” continued Miss Saul.

“We thoroughly enjoyed opening our doors to a number of ‘books’ from industry to join us for our fourth Human Library. We do this during National Careers Week to raise the profile of the event.

“The students get to meet a number of employers, and network with industry professionals to gain a better insight into local labour market information. It is also great to gain an understanding of local apprenticeship opportunities.”

Kirsty Rogers, Headteacher at Aureus, added: “We are extremely grateful to the community for giving up their time to ignite the future aspirations of our students. 

“With Ambition being one of our core values, we are pleased with the positive engagement of our students to the Human Library. We have had a lot of positive feedback from the industry professionals about the event and how our Year 8 cohort were excellent ambassadors for Aureus.”