Weymouth College’s Careers College is running all this week with Year Nine and Ten pupils from across Dorset visiting the college to try out a range of options. Here the youngsters describe their day in their own words.
Students find their Top Gear
BLAKE, aged 15, from the Dorchester Learning Centre, was very hands-on with his vehicle at the motorcycle workshop at Weymouth College.
With an interest in mechanics from a young age, he hopes that a quick look into the world of motorcycle mechanics will push him into a career in that area. Blake’s always had a general interest in bikes and is always repairing his friends’ motorcycles when they’re damaged.
He was very happy overall with the workshop and its contents.
Lewis, aged 15, also from the DLC, was "very excited to be part of a group that shares the same interests as me”.
Lewis was intrigued by the course because of his previous interest in mechanics. Lewis mentioned that he felt the teacher was very knowledgeable and was clearly showing him how certain parts of the vehicle worked, which Lewis found very valuable.
By Martyn
Armed forces
WE TOOK part in the Journalism workshop as part of the Careers College day at Weymouth College. This involved interviewing our fellow students that were doing different workshops.
Harry, 15, from Queen Elizabeth’s, who was in the Armed Forces workshop, explained how he wanted to learn about the Army. The workshop was led by Captain Franklin and Staff Sergeant Gaylard.
Harry had underestimated just how many jobs there are in the Armed Forces. He liked the role of ‘Special Communications on the Front Line’ and would consider this for a potential career.
Rather than going straight into the Army, Harry would rather try out the Cadets to get a taste of Army life. Although Harry found the workshop informative, he was also keen to try out other workshops, such as Engineering and Motorcycle Maintenance.
By Hope and Emily
Stage stars
ON A school trip from Lytchett Minster, Katie said she found the acting workshop ‘fun, upbeat and interesting’. This was clear by the size and energy of the group being run by the Weymouth College Performing Arts team.
Katie added: “I like that you get to do solo work as well as group work.”
When asked about her favourite play, she said: ‘It has to be Matilda. Tim Minchin’s music is brilliant. I was in a production of it at school’.
While she wasn’t sure if she would pursue a job in the performing arts, she thought the skills she was learning could be applied to any career she chose.
“You learn about people”, she said. “It gives you an insight into people’s emotions. You also learn about yourself.”
Perhaps the course will inspire a stage star of the future? Watch this space!
By Stuart and Martyn
The Girl Code
We were at Weymouth College for Careers College and participated in the Journalism workshop. One of our tasks was to interview other students in different workshops; we chose cyber security.
We interviewed Abi, 14, from Sturminster Newton High School, and asked her a series of questions. During our interview, Abi explained how she wanted a career in the computing industry and chose the workshop because it sounded ‘cool and interesting’.
She talked about the workshop and the many things she has learnt, such as how to avoid hackers. Abi also expressed her disappointment with the lack of girls in the computer workshop and female role models in the industry. She felt that computing should be encouraged for all genders in schools to decrease the gender gap.
Abi felt that by becoming a cyber security teacher she could influence more young girls to explore the idea of a computing career.
By Emily and Hope
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