On Wednesday, March 6 the hall at Rye College was set out with stalls manned by local businesses hoping to inspire the youngsters and provide them with an insight to different careers and opportunities in the local area. Many of the businesses have been working with the college for many years. Rye Retreat has built a very strong partnership and some of their beauticians and hairdressers have been in and done workshops with the older students. They offer work-place opportunities and are keen to take on students from the college as they have a strong work ethic. Martin Blincow from the Mermaid is another example of one with a strong relationship with local companies. The inn works closely with the school and encourages students to try work placements to gain experience.
Martin said after the event: “It was excellent to see Rye College and its students fully engaged with National Careers Week on Wednesday, March 6. The Mermaid Inn, along with a number of national and local employers, engaged with students to discuss potential future careers and help support decisions students need to make both about courses and educational choices post-sixteen and about following either a vocational or an academic route.”
Jess from Littlewood Fencing explained the company she works for to a group of girls: “We offer a range of different jobs, from fencing or site supervisors to HR and we encourage young girls to consider joining us for a career in which there are many opportunities. We employ quantity surveyors – that is a great job to have – and we have lots of apprentices who are given the chance to progress to higher levels and jobs within our company. I was very excited to join the company as I knew they encouraged women in that sector.”
Ava and Honey are both in Year 9 and explained what they wanted to get out of the careers day. They were not too sure what path they wanted to go down but it was great to talk to so many companies and to understand what options were open to them. “It has given us a chance to open up our eyes,” said Honey, “and to explore what these companies can offer, speak to people and learn why they love their jobs.”
Amy Biddle, marketing and communications officer at the college commented: “It was great this year to encourage new companies to take part and one such was Rockpool, a local marketing company. Staff from there were thrilled to be a part of Rye College innovative careers day. Jen and Frances from Rockpool decided to add a twist to their stand with a product name challenge aimed at inspiring creativity and exploring career opportunities among students.
“At Rockpool, we believe that creativity is not limited to paint and canvas; it’s about thinking differently, problem-solving, and exploring new ideas,” said Frances, marketing director. “We were thrilled to see the students embrace the challenge and showcase their unique perspectives.”
In addition to the product name challenge, Rockpool provided students with insights into the diverse array of career opportunities within the marketing industry. From advertising and branding to market research and digital marketing, students gained valuable exposure to the breadth of possibilities available to them in the field.
“We wanted to show the students that creativity and innovation are at the heart of marketing,” added Jen, creative director at Rockpool. “It is clear that Rye College has high hopes for its students and high expectations.”
Shane from East Sussex Fire and Rescue said it was such a pleasure to be at the careers day at the college: he was really impressed with the different choices of career that were on offer for the youngsters to explore and aspire to. They had lots of enquiries on his stand from both boys and girls and Shane found it interesting that many pupils did not realise what job opportunities, including finance and HR, there were within the fire service and he was glad to open up their eyes. The service is not just about fighting fires.
There was a real buzz in the hall and the level of genuine interest from the pupils was heartening to observe. Their aim was to learn and absorb and to build relationships with the town’s providers of jobs.
Donna Starkey, who is learning director for Key Stage 4 and leads on careers and life education in the college, organised the careers event with local businesses and said: “We have worked hard over the last few years to build relationships with local businesses, so we can have a real focus on developing positive encounters with employers. These encounters are vital in developing students’ aspirations and employability skills that are necessary to be successful in the world of work. Rye College is extremely grateful that so many businesses have given their valuable time to support us. Our doors are always open to any local employer who feels that they can engage with us to inspire our students. We are very proud of the way that our students conducted themselves in the careers fair. We have very high hopes for all of our students.”
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Amy Biddle , Amy Biddle .