Students at Xaverian College recently had the opportunity to explore their post-18 options, as inspirational exhibitors filled the Sports Hall for the College’s annual Careers Fair.
The fair aims to give students a greater awareness of the education, employment, Apprenticeship and Traineeships, work experience and volunteering opportunities available to them as they look to embark on their next steps beyond college.
The event was attended by over 40 exhibitors including further and higher education providers, employers, youth organisations and charities.
Jo Leach, Careers Leader at Xaverian College, said: “Our Careers Fair was an amazing opportunity to raise aspirations and further support our students. Our exhibitors were engaging, and our students were truly excited to find out more about the different routes available to them post-18.”
Xaverian College students typically progress to Degree courses at university, however in recent years, many students are pursuing sought-after Higher and Degree-level Apprenticeships with high-profile businesses, such as, Amazon and PwC UK.
Jo continued: “At Xaverian we ensure all our students are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about the progression routes available to them after successful completion of their course and we’re seeing a fantastic increase in the number of students going on to study Apprenticeships.”
Oliver Cocris, a representative from the University of St Andrews, said: “These events are incredibly inspiring. You get to meet the younger generation, who are actively looking to find the future that fits them best, which creates a real buzz. Xaverian is a fantastic college, with a very diverse range of subjects and all students have a keen eye on what they want from university study, it’s great to play a small part in their decision-making.”
Hannah Goodwin, a representative from The University of Manchester, added: “Xaverian students are always really insightful and interesting to talk to. They are always well-prepared, and they ask all the right questions about their next steps in education.”
Mabelle Zissou, Apprenticeship Recruitment Co-ordinator at AJ Bell, said: “The Careers Fair provided a great opportunity for our company to support young people thinking about their post-18 options. We already have a strong relationship with the College, and have received a number of high-quality applications from Xaverian students wishing to study Apprenticeships with us.”
Arpana Hathi, Internal Recruiter for Banner Ltd, said: “It was lovely to attend the Careers Fair on behalf of Monkhouse. We’re able to provide numerous job opportunities to young people, ranging from marketing, wholesale and retail operations, product development, buying and merchandising, and we always welcome students into the company to shadow our colleagues and discover more about different careers they may be interested in.”
As one of the largest providers of post-16 education in the region, Xaverian College offers an extensive range of A Levels, and several BTEC courses that can be studied as standalone subjects or combined with A Levels. Visit xaverian.ac.uk to find out more.