Reassuring young people about the bright, squiggly, paths ahead of them

11th December 2024 16:23

Earlier this year, our Training Manager Sarah Smith and HR Manager Lucy Pawson were invited to join Aquinas College on their pre-summer careers event. It wasn't our first rodeo. DJS Research have supported Aquinas, and numerous other local schools and colleges, at many such events over the years and they always prove valuable - not just for the students, but for our teams taking part.

In this short piece Sarah shares what happened on the Aquinas careers day and explains why she feels it's so vitally important for employers from all sectors to support young people in careers and skills training initiatives such as these. She also shares her hopes to excite young people about the wealth of potential careers ahead of them and to reassure them that varied and 'squiggly' career paths are often the most interesting.

Article by Training Manager, Sarah Smith

We were delighted to be invited back to Aquinas College to participate in their careers day, having previously supported several different career activities at the college. The day was designed to give students, aged 16-17 years old, an idea of the different kinds of jobs that exist in the world of employment, along with a flavour for different organisations and their associated sectors.

We were asked to prepare a short talk to tell students about our roles and responsibilities, what inspires us, industry challenges, and our route into our roles. We also made ample space for questions. Myself and Lucy attended in the morning and delivered two sessions together. It was great being able to step into students’ world and meet them all (even if it did make us feel old!) and share insight with them that hopefully inspires and excites them about their future. Lucy and I both shared how ‘making a difference’ is part of what drives us in our roles, and really, that is what makes us keen and excited to engage with young people, or those considering their career choices, to help them find their way into jobs that they find rewarding and enjoyable!

Having completed an industrial placement year as part of my degree, I know, first hand, the value of connecting the world of employment with academia, I’m afraid there really is only so much a book (or the internet) can tell you! As employers, I think we can add value to the decision-making process of young people starting out in their careers, and I think we can and should be taking opportunities to inspire them and to show them that their futures are indeed very bright and potentially very varied too! We shared with the students the importance of softer, interpersonal skills like communication and building relationships, and so on.

Hopefully, from our conversations, we were able excite the students of Aquinas about what lies ahead, and to show them that squiggly career paths are wonderful things!