Dalbeattie High School were delighted to welcome over 35 local businesses and organisations to their Careers Day on Wednesday 1st February 2023.
The annual event aims to showcase the huge range of industries and careers that are available within Dumfries & Galloway and inspire pupils to consider their own future career pathway whilst boosting their employability skills.
The day was made up of two parts with a series of interactive workshops throughout the day for all S2 and S3 pupils, followed by a whole school Careers & Courses Event in the evening to kickstart the school’s options process.
Pupils were met by a fantastic display of vehicles and equipment as they arrived at school on Wednesday morning including a tanker from T.P. Niven Transport & Storage, a digger from John Jardine Plant Hire, a “Big Foot” forestry trailer from Jas P. Wilson and a couple of emergency service vehicles.
S2 and S3 pupils then began their rotations around 10 interactive workshops which gave them a hands-on insight into a variety of professions. Some of the highlights included working with animals and machinery with SRUC, getting kitted up with Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service at the scene of a road traffic collision, finding out about life as a lorry driver with T.P. Niven Transport & Storage, and learning how to drive plant machinery with the simulator from John Jardine Plant Hire.
In addition, pupils gained an insight into the Performing Arts sector with a workshop from The Theatre Royal in Dumfries, developed a marketing strategy for a new piece of equipment with Jas P. Wilson, learned about careers within Radiography and the wider Healthcare sector with NHS Dumfries & Galloway, and considered the meta-skills that would be essential for a career in Retail & Customer Services with Tesco.
Skills Development Scotland and a group of S6 pupils also gave pupils the opportunity to reflect on their own skills and how they can develop them within school through social enterprise.
When asked what they thought of the day, S2 pupil Kivah said “I really liked the day and it’s made me think more about my career” and S3 pupil Lily said “I loved the lorry stuff and think you should do more of these events”.
In the evening, the Heughan Hall was filled with over 35 local businesses and organisations for the Careers & Courses Event. After a short presentation to introduce the options process, pupils from S1-S6 and their parents/carers were able to chat to further and higher education providers, employers and voluntary organisations to understand the skills and qualifications required for their chosen career pathway.
Dalbeattie High School’s Principal Teacher of Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, Alison Houston, said: “The day was a huge success and it was great to hear pupils getting excited about potential future career options. The day could not have happened without the support of all the local businesses and organisations involved and we are incredibly grateful to them for giving up their time to inspire our young people.
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