South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 21/10/2015

From film making to forensics, students from South Gloucestershire secondary schools and academies got a taste of their future employment prospects at a careers event yesterday.

Held at the University of the West of England’s Frenchay campus, teenagers had direct access to 120 local and national employers along with staff from colleges and universities who were on hand to help guide the students through their future options.

Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, Cllr Erica Williams attended the event. She said: “Ambitions is an inspiration for young people looking to secure a highly skilled job in South Gloucestershire. Over the two days, this hands-on event provides the students with a unique opportunity to talk to employers and those in higher education about the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to excel in their chosen career.”

The Ambitions Careers event is organised by South Gloucestershire Council, the University of the West of England and South Gloucestershire & Stroud College (SGS) and has been running for several years. It is one of the largest events of its kind in the South West with more than 10,000 Year 9 students taking part in interactive workshops with employers and thousands more attending the evening events with their parents. Ambitions aims to help young people make effective decisions about their future choices in education and employment.

Katie Jenkins, Director, Future Students at the University of the West of England (UWE), said: “Decisions on type of course and university have become a lot more important in light of the need to not just find an enjoyable course but a career that will make those years of studying meaningful and worthwhile. The Ambitions Careers event has gone from strength to strength in providing the guidance so badly needed in making higher education choices and UWE is delighted to be supporting this event again.”

Johnny Walker, Head of Schools Engagement at SGS College, added: “South Gloucestershire and Stroud College provide a wide offer of progression opportunities to 4,000 post-16 learners and 700 apprentices via higher, technical and professional courses. We have been a partner of the Ambitions event for the past eight years and see it as a vital process in helping South Gloucestershire’s students explore many careers from an early age, leading to well- informed study choices later on that they excel in.”

Ambitions