12:00pm Saturday 6th December 2008
By James Tourgout
UP TO 200 pupils are set to attend a motivational conference about career opportunities in Dorset.
The Made In Dorset event – the first of its kind – is being held at the Portland Spa next spring for 14 and 15-year-olds.
The aim of the one-day event is to emphasise the wealth of jobs on offer in Weymouth and Portland.
The extravaganza will include a motivational speaker, young role models in good jobs in the area, celebrities living in the area and business people, The conference follows on from the county’s annual skills festival when teenagers have the chance to try out different jobs and trades.
The project is being funded by the Dorset Strategic Partnership through the Weymouth and Portland Strategic partnership. Weymouth College and Popcorn Marketing of Weymouth are organising the event.
Weymouth College projects manager Sarah Colwell said: “The Made In Dorset conference is designed to build on the Dorset Skills Festival. “It will not be possible to accommodate all 800 Year 9 students.
“So, each school will be allocated up to 50 places.
“Students who have already shown an interest in business or who appear to have entrepreneurial characteristics will be invited to attend.”
The programme is being finalised but it will include interactive workshops about vocations.
A series of short films, produced by Weymouth College, will be used during the conference.
During the day students will be encouraged to use their mobile phones to text in questions and observations which will be answered later in day by a panel of experts.
The event will be hosted in the same way as a typical business event and student ‘delegates’ will be required to dress smartly but not in school uniform. Anyone interested in being involved as a case study in the project – such as a successful young person in employment – is urged to contact Julie Cleaver at Popcorn Marketing on 01305 774629.
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