Hundreds of students had the chance to connect with 25 of Northern Ireland’s leading employers at a landmark careers event at Millennium Forum, Derry~Londonderry. Run by School Employer Connections, ‘Futurecamp’ aimed to inspire students to consider careers in sectors which have current or predicted skills shortages including life and health sciences, financial services, manufacturing, engineering, digital technology, hospitality and tourism.
Students from year 12, 13 and 14 visited zones to learn about the career they are interested in and in an innovative twist, they had an opportunity to put questions to a panel of leading employers using twitter. Employers shared their experiences of working in their sector and provided an insight into the range of paths into their sector.
Martin O’Donnell, Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland was delighted to showcase careers in financial services. He explains:
“Bank of Ireland is always glad to support students. Futurecamp provided us with an opportunity to influence students at an important stage in their lives. We would advise all employers to engage with students and to share their expertise.”
Director of School Employer Connections, Dr Annette Begley, touches on the positive response to the event from students and employers alike:
“Futurecamp has provided a platform for students to connect and hear from employers in an interactive way which has truly inspired them and opened their eyes not only to the variety of opportunities available to them, but how the labour market is changing and what they have to do to be competitive. We saw the event as a chance to put the issue of skills shortages on the map and to address the problem head-on by making connections which will no doubt inspire students to make informed choices about their future career path.”
