Third Orkney Careers Fair Hailed a Success

The third Orkney Careers Fair was held earlier this month at the Pickaquoy Centre and was attended by over 900 young people and adults from across the county. 

As well as being attended by members of the general public, over 550 S4-S6 pupils from Stromness Academy and Kirkwall Grammar School, and S3-S4 pupils from Stronsay, Sanday and Westray Junior High Schools came along and accessed a wide variety of careers, education and training information, all geared to helping them understand the options available to them locally and further afield. 

Along with local school pupils, 13 senior pupils from Farr High School in Bettyhill, made the trip over the Firth to attend the event. 

A total of 64 stands, featuring 76 exhibitors including local employers, education and training providers and local support services were on hand to speak to those visiting the event.  Employers spoke about the different careers and jobs available in their sector and gave advice about appropriate training or education routes into these careers. 

They were also able to speak to young people more generally about the skills they look for in their employees and help young people learn more about the opportunities available with their organisation including work placements, apprenticeships, or other work-based learning opportunities. 

After speaking to employers, those visiting the event were then able to speak to training providers and universities and colleges to get tailored advice about the different courses they offered which may suit a career in a particular sector. 

Support services were on hand to speak about how they can help individuals take the next step on their career journey. 

A new addition to this year’s event was the introduction of a Quiet/Relaxed session which was open to young people or adults who would prefer to attend at a quieter time.  Over 100 people attended this session, including a small number of school pupils and UHI Orkney students all of whom benefited from attending during a quieter time. 

The event supported everyone in identifying their next steps and helped them chose the right pathway to suit their individual skills and aspirations. 

The Orkney Careers Fair was co-hosted by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Orkney and Skills Development Scotland and both organisations were delighted with the response from local employers, training providers, support agencies, universities and colleges in attending the event. 

The exhibitors offered a range of informative and interactive activities to encourage young people to learn more about careers in their sector.  Exhibitors were very complimentary about all of the young people who attended, saying they interacted well, asking questions and taking the chance to learn more about the opportunities available to them. 

The employers who were exhibiting at the event covered a range of sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, construction, creative careers, food and drink production, healthcare, IT and the public sector.  They included local businesses as well as national organisations such as the armed forces and the emergency services. 

Thanks to everyone who came along to the event as either an exhibitor or visitor; your attendance made the event the great success it was. 

If you would like to learn more about any of the exhibitors who were at the event, visit DYW Orkney’s website, here:  https://www.dyworkney.co.uk/orkney-careers-fair-2024.html