The ‘Business Breakfast’ offered an informal introduction to the school’s careers programme for Withernsea High's newest intake of learners. Over the next five years, the programme will deliver a range of opportunities, information, advice and guidance aimed at equipping students with the skills and knowledge required to achieve their career aspirations.

Joining students to talk about their future options were representatives from a number of organisations including Humberside Police, Cranswick Country Foods, Holderness Health, Centrica, Southgates Chartered Certified Accountants and Wilberforce College.

Emily Lucid, marketing and liaison manager at Wilberforce College, said: “It was a fantastic event. The year 7s are a credit to the school and were extremely engaged in learning about careers and what it takes to get into the industry of marketing.” While Sarah Powell, head of patient services at Holderness Health, added: “It was a great opportunity to interact with young people and to explain the workings and purpose of a doctor’s surgery.” 

To help students get the most out of the experience, the school’s 160-strong year 7 cohort had previously been given the chance to work with expert trainers from Talk The Talk – an organisation whose aim is to develop communication skills through oracy intervention.

During a transition workshop, which took place within the first fortnight of the new academic year, Talk The Talk supported students using oracy-based activities and strategies designed to enhance self-confidence, resilience and empathy. Among the activities were a number of tasks that encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones, away from people they knew at primary school, to interact with others who were new to them.

School careers leader, Viki Foster, said: “Our year 7 students confidently put their enhanced communication skills to the test at the Business Breakfast where they were placed in groups and encouraged to get to know an external representative who had been assigned to each table.  

“Taking their cue from prompts in an accompanying workbook, the students were interested to learn about the lives and career paths of their assigned representatives, as well as the opportunities that could be available to them in the future.

“While decisions about future careers may seem quite a long way off for year 7, it is important that they take their first steps towards thinking about their futures and begin exploring the many options available to them. Our aim is to provide students with impartial information about all the pathways and opportunities available so that when they come to make decisions, such as what to study at GCSE level or which direction to take upon leaving school, their decisions are fully informed.

“The behaviour of students throughout the Business Breakfast was exemplary and feedback has been incredibly positive. We are very proud of year 7 for the mature way in which they have embraced their introduction to our careers programme and I hope they have enjoyed the activities so far.” 

In recent years, secondary schools have been given more responsibility to arrange independent careers guidance and encounters with employers. This includes working with qualified careers professionals, businesses and training providers to make sure young people receive impartial information and guidance to understand the full range of options available to them.

In September 2022, the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Act 2022 came into force which extended the reach of careers education to include students in year 7. For students at Withernsea High School, this provision was already in place.

Viki Foster added: “As a school, we are proud to have been ahead of the national curve by including year 7 in our programme of careers events for a number of years prior to the 2022 careers guidance reform. The oracy workshop and business breakfast not only complement each other, they also serve as a strong foundation for year 7 to build their careers knowledge on.

“The skills and experiences that such events bring, including increased confidence and enhanced communication skills, are not only an asset for the workplace of the future, they will also help students to navigate their way through high school and their teenage years.

“These events also help us to achieve one of the eight nationally recognised ‘Gatsby’ benchmarks, a framework of eight standards for the provision of careers guidance in schools, which states that ‘every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.’”

ABOVE: Emily Lucid, marketing and liaison manager at Wilberforce College, pictured with a group of year 7 students at the Business Breakfast. 

ABOVE: Former Withernsea High School student Erin Morley, now a Senior Internal Auditor at Centrica, was one of a number of ex-students who returned to the school to support the event and inspire the next generation of school leavers. 

ABOVE: The students (and visitors) enjoyed free hot chocolate and pastries for breakfast. 

ABOVE: School office manager, Chris Moyse, was one of a number of staff who volunteered to share their careers experience with students at the event.