In March, we held our biggest ever Careers Fair, with over forty exhibiting employers, training and apprenticeship providers and educators arriving on the day to help our young people start to plan their futures.
Throughout the event, all students, from the eleven year olds in Year Seven up to the eighteen year olds in Sixth Form, had the opportunity to visit the Fair to learn more about the many roles within the wide range of sectors exhibiting. Some students were already sure of their future pathway and spent time delving deeper into their chosen career. Others used the event to see what was on offer, be inspired and find where their studies could take them as school leavers.
Organised by our Work Placement Coordinator, Mrs Sadat-Shafai, there really was something for everyone at the fair. Employers spanned a wide variety of sectors including engineering, public and armed services, finance, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, early years education, healthcare, insurance and legal. Students were able to find out more about the different roles within each of the businesses, make useful contacts and even start to plan and secure work placement opportunities.
The feedback from exhibitors was extremely positive, with everyone saying how impressed they had been with students’ confidence, manners and level of engagement.
Jennifer Wolstenholme, NHS Community Specialist Paramedic, commented: “Thank you so much for the invite to your Careers Fair, it was really enjoyable. I met with some lovely students who had a legitimate interest in the ambulance service and the wider NHS. They asked some very good questions around career opportunities as a Paramedic and conducted themselves really well.”
We are always keen to hear from any employers interested in providing opportunities for students to learn more about their business and help them develop work skills, whether that is through work placements, visiting speaker seminars, activity days or other initiatives. Please contact Mrs Jill Sadat-Shafai at Congleton High School on 01260 730123 or by email at jsadatshafai@congletonhigh.com.
Alumni return to inspire and inform
It was particularly rewarding for us to be able to welcome back so many of our former students as exhibitors, now reaping the rewards of their strong education at Congleton High. Meeting young people who once walked the same corridors and sat in the same classrooms was both inspirational and aspirational for the current students.
From left to right, below are some of the former CHS students who joined us for the Careers Fair and their current roles: Kayley Taylor - Business Relations Apprentice with Franklyn Financial Management; Ellie Forrester - Property Consultant with Stephenson Brown Estate Agents; Josh Robertson - Client Services Representative with BNY Mellon; Joe Burnham - Manufacturing Engineer with Senior Aerospace Bird Bellows; and Poppy Jones - Apprentice Childcare Lead with Sports Coaching Group.
