A Fantastic Careers Day for Year 9s at Ashton Park School

Earlier this term, Bristol WORKS supported Year 9 learners from Ashton Park School to learn about the world of work and the variety of exciting careers that exist in Bristol. Throughout the day, learners participated in a range of interactive workshops that provided them with industry insights, as well as a speed networking session where students had the chance to develop their networking and communication skills with local employers. We were joined by volunteers from a range of organisations and industries from across Bristol, including Bray and Slaughter, Bristol City Council, Airbus, First Bus,  Yunex Traffic, OnSite, MCS, Bristol Old Vic, the Army, BJSS, AHR, Bottleyard Studios, Future Quest and Edmundson Electrical. 

There were numerous workshops taking place throughout the morning that had been designed to give learners a taster of what an industry offers and there were plenty of opportunities to be innovative!  BJSS challenged students to channel their inner UX Designer to develop a brand-new app that would be used by the public, whilst Bottleyard Studios encouraged students to think about the wealth of opportunities that exist within the film and TV industry.  

Learners continued to develop their creativity during a session run by AHR which focused on developing a new architectural project in South Bristol, and Bristol Old Vic invited students to think about the range of roles available within the theatre with a particular focus on set design! We were impressed to see excellent examples of collaborative thinking and ingenuity from the learners throughout these sessions. We were also able to hear from the Army who introduced students to the many military-based career routes and asked them to complete a lock box challenge. 

We also heard some excellent pitches from learners who developed their teamwork and leaderships skills as part of Edmundson Electrical’s workshop and we were also joined by Future Quest who delivered a brilliant character strength-based workshop! 

As part of the speed networking session, students had five minutes to meet each professional and interview them about their professional and academic experiences. This was an excellent way for learners to develop their communication skills and learn about the range of pathways that our volunteers took to get where they are today! Amongst the speed networking volunteers were those currently on an apprenticeship themselves which provided learners with an additional insight into alternative pathways. Students reflected that they found this session to be particularly helpful, ‘as it made me feel more confident in meeting new people’ and it ‘made me think about what else I could do’.  

It was a fantastic event and a pleasure for us to support Year 9 learners to explore the range of careers open to them in the future. We couldn’t have done it without our employers- thank you to each volunteer who got involved on the day for your time and willingness to be involved. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Ashton Park staff for being so brilliant on the day and finally to the Year 9 learners for being so enthusiastic throughout each session.