What do you want to be when you grow up – and how do you maximise your chances of getting there?

That’s the question which was posed to Telford College students at the latest in a series of careers enrichment talks.

Dr Ben Silverstone, workforce transformation strategy and policy lead from WMG Skills Centre at the University of Warwick, visited the Wellington campus to outline some of the crucial skill sets which he said students would need for their future.

They included the power of independent thought, a growth mindset, a drive to add value, and a constant desire to learn.

He said it was also important to be an adaptable team player with a focus on sustainability issues, and a desire to be of benefit to society.

Dr Silverstone urged students to think of their future progression is terms of ‘careers’ rather than ‘jobs’, and advised them to be constantly alive to opportunities which may present themselves in today’s fast-moving business world.

“The only constant is change,” he told them.

Telford College enrichment co-ordinator Rosie Baldwin-Jones said: “Ben spoke to students about his career journey and the key soft skills companies look for when recruiting and interviewing.

“It was a very thought-provoking presentation. The aim was to encourage students to think about their career paths, and motivate them to think about how they can stand out to employers.”

Telford College is currently working closely with WMG from the University of Warwick on a number of projects to provide innovative solutions to industry through research, education and collaboration.

Dr Silverstone was also a keynote speaker at an Electrification and Sustainability Conference which was held at the college’s Wellington campus last summer.