Students had the chance to quiz more than 30 employers, universities and education employers about prospects for their future at Richard Taunton Sixth Form College’s Careers Fair.
The annual event, involving more than 200 students, brought them face to face with organisations who could have a direct bearing on their careers. It was part of a range of careers help offered by the Mill Road college in Southampton throughout the year.
“It’s about sowing seeds and exposing our students to different career options and giving them the opportunity to understand who’s in the local area to broaden their horizons,” said Careers and Progression Manager Jemma Cheviot. “It also helps build their confidence in being able to talk to strangers, listen and not be afraid to ask questions.”
Among the employers present were the Southampton City Council, Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue, Balfour Beatty, Taylor Wimpey, Hampshire Constabulary, KPMG and law firms Clarke Willmott and Moore Barlow, as well as seven universities. Jemma said an increasing number of students are considering going straight into work or an apprenticeship rather than university.
“It used to be that they were more university focused but I think students are changing their minds and their direction and fewer are considering it now,” she said. “We’ve almost now got a 50/50 split between university and work or apprenticeships, whereas it used to be 70/30.
“It’s partly down to the expense but also I think it because students are seeing other opportunities and they are thinking that they don’t need to go into debt. We’re seeing a cohort who don’t want to go just because everyone else does.”
Judith Milanzi, who is studying A level biology, chemistry and maths student was considering university but after speaking to the Navy she was having second thoughts. “We had a talk about Royal Navy professions and I did not think about them,” she said. “They said there might be places for people who want to study biochemistry and biomedical science and I want to try and do that possibly in the future.”
Jemma said the feedback from employers was overwhelmingly positive. “They had some really good conversations with students, who asked good questions and were engaged,” she said. “It was good to see some new exhibitors and we were really pleased to have the council and its employment support team. They were very helpful for our learners and we have a few students that we’ll be referring them to them.”
Paul Cunningham from the council, himself a former student at the college, said he enjoyed chatting about help with writing CVs and interviews. “They don’t need to feel lost and in a jungle because we are here to guide them through that jungle when they come out of college,” he said.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue crew manager Jason Skelton was on hand to answer questions about the range of careers on offer at the service. “At the moment there are a lot of people retiring, so there are roles available,” he said, “and there are lots of other roles if you don’t want to put fires out and climb ladders – support staff roles, anything you can think of that is fundamental to running a business in a way,” he said.
Jemma said the event is just part of the college’s careers support. “We promote careers from the minute our students join us in September,” she said. “During the year we have a tutorial programme that looks at things like choosing universities, student finance, CV writing and apprenticeships. We send out newsletters and we have guidance sessions where we ask students to record their intended destinations and what their plans are so that we can follow their journey and make sure we’re getting them the right information according to what they’re interested in.”
Find out more about the college and the courses it offers at richardtaunton.ac.uk.
