CHILDREN preparing to make the leap to secondary school were inspired to consider a host of careers through practical sessions run by North-East organisations.
The morning of activities, at Rydal Academy, in Darlington, comes in the light of a common consensus that it is important to get young people thinking about the world of work at the earliest possible opportunity.
The year six pupils took part in seven practical tasks across the course of a morning
School cook Carole Hudson shows Tegan Stanwick, 11, Melissa Inston, ten, and Cherry Stockton, ten, how to decorate cakes.
Each task lasted no longer than 15 minutes to give the young people a short, sharp introduction which would stick in their memory.
Darlington College taught the pupils the fundamentals of painting and decorating while County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust taught the children basic first aid and how to identify body organs – key skills if they are to consider the medical profession.
The Army reserves provided a field mine-sweeping simulation, while Paul Fraser, of Gateshead College, which has the contract to deliver electric vehicle training for Nissan employees in Sunderland, showed the children how to generate electricity from water and potatoes before demonstrating the Nissan Leaf.
Jeff Summerhill, the beat officer for the area in which Rydal Academy is based, also gave the children an introduction to policing where they could try equipment.
The day was organised by Foundation for Jobs in conjunction with the school.
Headteacher John Armitage said: “I think it has provided our pupils with a sense of direction for future careers.
“We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from the pupils whose only difficulty is now deciding on one career for the future.
“I think the short, sharp practical sessions really engaged the pupils and provided real life role models.
Sharon Seymour, of NHS County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust, shows pupils the
techniques of bandaging and making a sling.
“It demonstrates to the children that their future goals are attainable.
“I would like to thank all the organisations involved for providing their time, equipment and staff and the Foundation for Jobs team for organising the event.”
Foundation for Jobs is a national award-winning initiative involving Darlington Borough Council, The Northern Echo and the Darlington Partnership, of public and private sector organisations.
One of the key strands of the campaign is engaging industry with school-age children.
This has been demonstrated to make it up to five times less likely a young person will be unemployed at the age of 25.
For more details on Foundation for Jobs, call campaign co-ordinator Owen McAteer on 01325-388367.
Michael Appleby, of NHS County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust, shows pupils a training dummy revealing the anatomy of the body.
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