Building Our Skills is celebrating the success of its two pilot bespoke industry careers festivals held last week, which attracted nearly 700 students with more than 30 companies taking part on each day.
Partnerships manager Mark Handley said: “It’s been wonderful to see the industry take up the cause of attracting new talent. We’re hoping that these two events will be the first of many.
“Employability skills clinics played a part in enticing schools and students to the festivals, with local authorities having highlighted just how helpful these clinics were going to be in getting students to think about their careers generally, and the fenestration, glass and glazing industry specifically.
“Career Families were another facet of the careers festivals that helped students understand the many career options open to them as they get closer to the world of work.”
The eleven ‘families’ together encompass over 100 individual roles, demonstrating career progression opportunities, training, qualifications and how students can start out on their career journeys in the industry.
It is expected that the events will now expand into additional areas of the country where Building Our Skills is already working with other local education authorities.
The two pilot events were held last week as part of National Careers Week. The first was in South Yorkshire at the Oakwell Stadium, home of Barnsley FC, and the second in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City Football Club. Building Our Skills worked in conjunction with the education bodies in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester to bring these events to fruition.
