On the 8th March as part of National Careers Week, Cambridge Regional College welcomed 50 Y5 students from Abbey Meadows Primary School to take part in a day of hands-on activities inspiring them to think about the career possibilities available to them after they leave school.
Student and teacher ambassadors led the year 5s through an exploration of job roles and different sectors in the STEM industry including engineering, construction, computer technology and laboratory science. By giving them the chance to get hands-on experience in a wide range of activities, Cambridge LaunchPad hopes to encourage students to strive to reach their full potential. Being able to work with learners in a later stage of education and early career professionals, students are able to connect with the roles that are being shown and possibly see themselves in these careers in the future.
Year 5 student from Abbey Meadows Primary School, felt inspired to continue being curious about careers.
“I have always been interested in how things work and understanding how to make things like the electrical trucks move. My volunteer told me that this is really important in engineering and now I think I could be an Engineer!”
Working through the activities, students were introduced to new concepts, how they were applied in a real world setting and the skills used in different job roles. They learnt about how to take an idea from initial design to physical product, used their creativity to market a new computer game, developed their teamwork skills to construct wooden buildings and structural towers and used lab equipment that was new to them, to understand more about cell structure.
Kate Da Costa, Director of 14-19 Study Programmes at Cambridge Regional College, said
“What an amazing and inspiring day for all. It’s such a pleasure to be introducing the next generation to a wide range of opportunities and opening their eyes to the possibilities of a career in something they never would have previously imagined. The staff and students who volunteered to make the day successful feel very privileged to have been involved.”
Throughout the day they were shown the importance of transferable skills that are used across many different careers. The students were encouraged to develop their communication, problem solving, imagination and innovation. Those who best displayed their understanding of these skills were invited to attend the annual Cambridge LaunchPad award ceremony and additional trip at the end of the academic year.
Molly Askham, STEM Outreach Co-ordinator from Form the Future CIC, said
“There has been such a variety of activities and subjects on show today for the students to get stuck into. By introducing them to some of the job roles in the industry we hope to inspire the students to see themselves in these careers in the future.”
If you want to find out about how you can help inspire the next generation of STEM professionals, please visit: www.cambridge-launchpad.com
