In the last few weeks of the academic year pupils from Years 10, 11 and 12 took part in different careers activities including work experience, speed networking and a ‘Work Ready' conference.
Year 10 Careers Fair
Friday 21 June saw Year 10 take part in a Speed Networking event organised by Mrs Rapple Moore, Head of Careers.
Twenty visitors met pupils in the Great Hall and showcased their careers to the students, who moved around the room in groups of three or four. Year 10 were armed with a list of questions to ask the visitors, such as, 'What do you like most/least about your job?', 'What does a typical day look like for you?' and 'What path did you take to get to where you are now?'.
The pupils visited ten different stands over 70 minutes, spending seven minutes talking with visitors from Invesco Perpetual, Oracle Corporation, Thames Valley Police, Anne Owen Architects, Simpson Engineering, Reading University and many other companies. Pupils also had the chance to talk to a GP, a personal trainer, an accountant, two lawyers, an entrepreneur and various other business professionals.
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Mrs Rapple Moore said: "The idea of the event was to open up the pupils' eyes to all the many different professions that are out there, many of which they may never have considered or even heard of.
“Some pupils are already starting to have an idea of what they might like to do when they're older, but most of them have no idea yet, and I want to make sure they are aware of all the many different options open to them.
“The pupils and the visitors all really enjoyed the event and I have had excellent feedback from everyone involved. I am delighted with how well it went and how engaged and polite our pupils were".
Year 11 Work Experience
For the first time, the College ran a work programme for Year 11s following their GCSE exams. Pupils were encouraged to undertake three or four weeks of work experience in different environments. Pupils undertook one week during school time at the end of term.
Head of Career, Mrs Rapple Moore said: “We feel that it is never too early to get pupils immersed in the world of work. Our pupils found this a worthwhile and fascinating experience.
“Some parents and pupils found their own placements and others went through the agency that we work closely with as a school, Learning To Work.”
The placements attended by the pupils were very varied, and included accountancy, engineering, education and architecture. Specific placements included Geoffrey Cole accountants, Celebrations Party Shop, Nirvana Spa, Leander Club, Phyllis Court, Davnenies Prep School, Balfour Beatty, O2, Broadway Malyan Architects, Highmoor Nursery, Costain Group, Ballards Estate Agents, Simpson Associates, the River and Rowing Museum, Buzz Gym, Wates Construction, Beaufort Financial, Performance Cricket, Hofmann's Lotus Specialist, Azure Media and many more.
The response from pupils, parents and employers were hugely positive.
Year 12 Work Ready Conference
In the last week of term, Year 12 spent three days learning about the world of work from the ‘Work Ready' conference. The event provided a wonderful opportunity for pupils to learn more about the world of work, what it will really be like for them and whether they might go into employment straight from school or after university.
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The conference covered every aspect of the working world, from team-building and interview practice to LinkedIn, customer service and Q&A sessions with apprentices, recent graduates and seasoned business people.
The middle day was an ‘Enterprise Day’, where in groups, pupils had to come up with an eco-friendly business idea and proposed it to a team in the 'Lion’s Den'. They had to ask for funding and develop and present their idea.
A member of the ‘Work Ready’ team commented that, “The creativity and team-work showed by the pupils in this event was outstanding.”
Overall, the conference provided a very valuable three days of both fun and learning at the end of a busy summer term.
