Hundreds of students attended the third annual EDGE Careers Fair in Godmanchester.
The event saw 700 students from six Huntingdonshire secondary schools visit 88 stands and activities to find out about the future career opportunities on their doorstep.
Organised by EDGE – Huntingdonshire’s jobs and skills facilitator - the event brought together representatives from civil engineering and construction, mechanical and electrical engineering, finance and banking, animal welfare, the Armed Forces and health and social care.
The event provided hands-on opportunities to try tasks and get a feel for some of the job roles being recruited locally, and support and advice on the training and skills needed to get into them.
Most popular among the activities was Cambridge Regional College’s “Pit Stop”, giving students an insight into the different trades and skills within Formula 1 motor racing. These sat next to local firm Titan Motorsport, advertising the apprenticeship opportunities available.
Also popular were the simulation diggers and the bridge-building exercise bought by a range of contractors working on the A14 upgrade and the Alconbury Weald development, and a full fleet of vehicles from Huntingdonshire District Council’s operations team.
Naomi Larner, from Cambridge Regional College, said: “The students had a great time learning their way around our car, and the nice thing was that while there were hundreds of students over the day, we had time with each group for them to try out the activities, and find out more about career and training options.
“With both the Huntingdon and Cambridge Campus close by, the new iMET centre for high level apprenticeships and the Universities of Cambridge, Peterborough, Anglia Ruskin and Cranfield all within a half-hour drive, it’s really important young people know the training routes and options open to them, and the jobs right on their doorstep.”
The schools involved were Abbey College, Ramsey, St Ivo, Sawtry, St Peter’s, Longsands and Ernulf Academies. The cost of coaches to transport the students to the event was met by the A14 Implementation Group, as part of its commitment to local jobs and skills opportunities, with other costs met by Urban&Civic, the owner and developer of Alconbury Weald and the founding partners of the EDGE partnership.
The partnership consists of Urban&Civic, Huntingdonshire District Council, Cambridge Regional College, the Department of Work and Pensions and the environmental charity Groundwork.
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