Enterprise Adviser helps Parkside Academy to deliver successful post-16 parents evening
Parkside Academy in County Durham worked in partnership with their Enterprise Adviser from Galliford Try to attract a wide range of providers from the local area into their school for a special post-16 parents' evening.
The event aimed to help Year 11 students to make more informed choices about their chosen career path after leaving school, and parents and carers were also invited.
Assistant head teacher, Steve Row said: “The event brought together a range of post-16 education establishments and businesses and the school’s Enterprise Adviser helped support this event both strategically and operationally.”
The students and their families had the chance to talk with a variety of organisations, support services and training providers including The British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Durham Police. They also got to meet local employers including Galliford Try, who talked about careers in the construction industry.
BL Training and The Learning Curve Group were on hand to share information about apprenticeships, and students could also speak to advisers from Jobcentre Plus and the National Citizen Service (NCS) for general careers advice.
Ten local college and sixth form providers also attended so students and their families could find out more about higher and further education courses available.
Two thirds of Year 11 students attended the event, and those that couldn’t make it will have another chance to talk to the exhibitors at the academy’s autumn term ‘Inspire Day’. They can also access key advice and guidance through the school, including through the academy’s Careers Adviser.
Following the event, a large majority of Parkside Academy’s Year 11 students have now selected, or are in process of choosing, their preferred post-16 pathway, and feedback from students, parents and carers has been excellent.
The Post-16 Parents’ Evening will continue to take place every year with the support of the academy’s Enterprise Adviser from Galliford Try. The ambition is to grow the number of businesses, apprenticeship providers and education institutions in attendance year-on-year, to deliver the maximum benefit for each and every student.