Warwickshire students attend first careers fair of Alcester and Stratford school alliance
THE first careers fair of an Alcester and Stratford schools alliance brought together students and professionals with a focus on the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sectors.
The Three Rivers Alliance consists of Alcester Academy, Alcester Grammar School, King Edward VI School and Stratford Girls’ Grammar School. It was formed as a way for the schools to share good practices and improve education for their students.
At the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stratford on Monday, 31st March, students from the schools got the chance to meet professionals from a variety of careers.
As students and staff members made their way through the fair, the Herald spoke to some to see what they made of the day.
Sarah Mellors, headteacher at Alcester Academy, said: “We always agreed that the core purpose of the alliance would be to give the students opportunities. Within that is staff development and training as well; we want to show the students that they can all be on a similar platform.
“Going into a career in STEM is something that we promote at Alcester Academy. I want our students to feel like they can have these ambitions, they can now spread their wings and look at every post-16 corridor available to them. It’s fabulous that all of the children have been able to come together today to share the vision and to do some networking.
“We are very grateful to all of the industries and businesses that have committed time to this event, and look forward to this becoming a regular event for the Three Rivers Alliance in the future.”
Bennet Carr, headmaster at KES, said he was pleased with the exposure students got to different careers at the fair.
“Networking with professionals at high quality careers events like this and exposing our students to a diverse range of career possibilities will undoubtedly help them make informed decisions about their futures,” he said.
Debbie Perry, careers lead at AGS, added: “The aim was for the young people to meet real life employers and to see what careers there are for when they leave after either Year 11 or after sixth form. A lot of our students don’t even consider some of the jobs that they may have seen in the careers fair.”
So, what did the students make of the fair?
Oliver Miles, from AGS, said: “We started by talking to companies in the fair about opportunities and work experience. It was good to hear about what they do and the qualifications you need to join them.
“I’ve always wanted to go into a STEM career but today I’ve found out more about how careers influence the world.”
Natasha Precelton, a student at Alcester Academy, told the Herald: “We’ve found out things we didn’t know about, like new career paths and things like that.”
Sam Smith, also at Alcester Academy, added: “It’s definitely good being able to see what other career options are out there. There are some jobs that I didn’t really know about.”
