Careers Day at Oasis John Williams
Last week, Bristol WORKS supported Year 9 learners from Oasis John Williams school to expand on their knowledge about future pathways and to learn about the variety of exciting careers that exist in Bristol. Throughout the day, learners attended different interactive workshops and a speed networking session, providing them with the chance to develop their communication skills and gain industry insights. We were joined by fantastic volunteers from a range of organisations and industries across Bristol, including NHS, BJSS, the Army, Bristol Old Vic, Bray and Slaughter, Bristol City Council, On-Site, Mace, One Front Door, BDO and Countryside Partnership. 
The variety of different workshops which took place throughout the day, were designed to inspire learners whilst giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and innovative skills! Bristol Old Vic provided a fun insight into the creative and theatre industry, where students were encouraged to think about the different roles available within the theatre. Students then participated in making their own set design and we were really impressed to see excellent examples of creativity and curiosity during this activity. Learners continued to develop their creative and teamwork skills during a session run by BJSS. Here, students discovered more about the world of technology and BJSS challenged students to design their own mobile app whilst sticking to budget. Students demonstrated brilliant team working skills during this session and we heard some excellent pitches from these learners, who presented their ideas to the class.
Learners also learnt more about the exciting and inspirational options available in public sector industries. The NHS provided a fascinating insight into the numerous roles available in this career pathway and the routes into these. Students were then invited to take part in two fun activities, where they had to demonstrate leadership, communication and teamwork skills- all which are vital to NHS roles! We were also able to hear from the Army who introduced students to the wide variety of military-based careers and asked them to complete a giant top trumps activity! It was amazing to see the students engage so well in all of these activities.
The speed networking session took place in the sports hall, which was buzzing with inspiration during the day! As part of this session, students spent five minutes with each of our brilliant volunteers, interviewing them about their professional and academic experiences. This was a great way for learners to build their confidence in interacting with new people in addition to them being able to ask about the different career pathways available to them. Students found it especially useful to learn about the ‘different jobs that you can apply for, all in one organisation’ during this session.
Overall, this was a fantastic event and it was wonderful to be able to support Year 9 learners in learning about the array of future pathways! Speaking about their experience of the day, teachers at the school highlighted that ‘the students were absolutely buzzing about everything they had gotten to do, and all the information they had learnt as a result’. We couldn’t have made this day happen without our employers- so we would like to say a huge thank you to our amazing volunteers for your efforts and enthusiasm on the day. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Oasis John William staff for co-ordinating and supporting this day and finally to the Year 9 learners for being so enthusiastic throughout each session.
