Students plan for the future at bumper RGS Careers Fair

AN increasingly popular Careers Fair for students in Ripon attracted bumper crowds of nearly 1,000 people from all over North Yorkshire and beyond.

More than 70 exhibitors from the world of work and education – including top universities – offered students a taste of the opportunities open to them on leaving school.

Hosted and organised by Ripon Grammar School, the event was open to secondary schools from as far as York, Richmond, Easingwold, Pateley Bridge and Barnard Castle.

Pupils and their parents were able to explore possibilities, from apprenticeships to workplace-funded degrees and graduate schemes, with experts from a wide range of fields

They included engineering, veterinary surgery, law, finance, medicine, branches of the armed forces, dentistry, IT specialists, the Civil Service, science and technology and more.

For those interested in higher education, representatives than 20 universities, including the London School of Economics, Imperial College and Durham University, were on hand to discuss courses and options.

The key message from employers and education providers was that they value creative problem solvers. Many also advised students applying for places to do their research and demonstrate the skills and passion that help them stand out in a crowd.

All stressed the importance of being able to work well in a team, which was among the huge range of ‘top tips’ on offer.

Chartered engineer Emma Grayshon stressed: “It’s about problem solving and communication, being able to talk to people and teamwork. It’s also worth doing your research to discover which specific field you are interested in.”

RGS head of careers Bob Walker, who organised the event, said: “It was inspiring to see students asking thoughtful questions, exploring different pathways and gaining a clearer understanding of the skills and qualifications needed for their future careers.

“Events like this play a crucial role in broadening horizons and raising aspirations, and we are incredibly grateful to all the organisations who gave their time to support our students’ ambitions.”

Oliver Tann, a civil engineering degree apprentice with the consulting firm WSP, advised: “I would definitely consider a workplace apprenticeship as a different way into obtaining a degree. They are so much more popular now and there is a lot of support, help and resources available.

“In my industry companies are looking for someone who is obsessed with the details and thinks outside the box to come up with innovative designs suitable for our modern world.”

Ripon Races marketing executive Jennie Eyres added: “It’s all about personality, putting yourself forward and eye contact and talking is the first step. We’re looking for motivated, vibrant, interesting people.”

Tri-Tech senior surveyor Jonny Sayer emphasised that being interested in the work you do and the technology is more important than academic qualifications: “Have some understanding and knowledge about the work surveyors do and what exactly it entails.”

Paul Taylor, European traffic manager with international transport logistics company Delamode, thinks students should keep an open mind: “Our industry is pretty diverse and not necessarily one that everybody knows about. We want people who are good at problem solving and they need to be able to prioritise and multi-task as it’s a fast-moving job.”

Norland College outreach coordinator Kate Morgan advised students to do their research: “We’re looking for passion and commitment to working with children and making a difference in children’s and families’ lives.”

Matthew Day, regional director of DSSR added: “The calibre of students is truly a delight, and we had an excellent and very busy evening. The quality and earnestness of the enquiries is such an encouragement to us.”

Past pupil and second year medical student Febe Elsayghe summed up her evening: “It was great to speak to so many enthusiastic students about medicine. What a fantastic event.”

Parent Donna Caldwell commented: “Thank you for providing this opportunity, a huge amount of time an effort more than paid off. A triumph!”: