Lynn students look to the future

The ‘workforce of tomorrow’ had a glimpse of their possible futures when Springwood High School held its first ever Careers Fair.

The Futures Event took place on Tuesday 22 October in the Peter Hopkins Hall at the school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

Over 1,000 Springwood students attended the day, which showcased the diverse range of education and career opportunities open to them.

“The Futures Event was specifically aimed at 14- to 18-year-old students who are making important decisions about their post-16 and post-18 choices,” said Nicky Thompson, who is Head of Year 12 and Careers Lead at the school.

“For students in Year 10, the event was an ideal opportunity for them to be inspired by careers and training and employment opportunities that they may not have previously considered.

“Students in Year 11 were being encouraged to make decisions about their post-16 options, including applications to sixth form or further education colleges, and/or apprenticeships.

“Students in Sixth Form were considering higher education or higher-level apprenticeships, post-18.”

Around 50 exhibitors were on hand to advise the youngsters, comprising both employers and education providers. Among them were some of West Norfolk’s largest employers, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Borough Council, Palm Paper, and British Sugar.

“This enabled students to explore a wide range of career options and talk to employers about the apprenticeship and job vacancies they might have coming up,” explained Miss Thompson, who organised the event with the support of Head of Year 10 Dan Hobbs, Head of Year 11 Victoria Mann, and Head of Year 13 Luke Rawling.

“Heads of Year for different age groups put together an itinerary of tailored career activities before students attended the Exhibition,” she continued. “These involved employers and education providers (including further education colleges and universities) delivering workshops to help students make informed decisions about their next steps.

“For example, Year 10 heard from the College of West Anglia, Springwood Sixth Form, and Ask Apprenticeships about the choices they have after GCSEs, whilst Year 11s completed the Help You Choose application process for post-16 choices and developed their employability skills by focusing on building confidence and resilience.”

However, it wasn’t just the students that benefited from the Careers Fair.

“The event was also a great opportunity for employers to talent spot and develop contacts with the workforce of tomorrow,” added Miss Thompson. “Some employers were keen to demonstrate that students can pursue a career pathway right here in Norfolk, rather than moving away for work.

“For instance, tourism is helping to drive economic growth in our county, supporting more than 54,000 jobs and contributing about £2.8 billion to the local economy.

“Springwood High School is committed to providing high quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) for all students, encouraging them to aim higher and explore engaging and rewarding careers.

“The school’s Careers Plan ensures that every student has opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment, and the skills that are valued in the workplace. The Futures Event brought together students and multiple employers to do just that.”