Telford College’s sports hall was a hive of activity, as over 700 students attended careers fair, with a wide range of stalls to choose from across a whole host of industries. 

Stalls included universities, local and national employers, student services and internal higher education progression routes, all looking to pass on valuable advice and options to students as they plan their future careers.  

Ellie Campbell, undergraduate student recruitment and access officer at Keele University, said: “Keele are here today to support the learners here to make those next steps into higher education or their future career, helping them find the skills they need to make those decisions. 

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries about nursing, midwifery and psychology programmes today, but we’ve also launched our brand-new mini guides with new information about courses and life at our campus.” 

One of the many employers at the careers fair is the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, where Kate Ballinger, community engagement facilitator at the trust, is excited to discuss volunteering opportunities with students: “We have a lot of fantastic ‘volunteer to career’ opportunities. 

“One such opportunity is our upcoming radiology voluntary role, where they get to learn first hand in a specialist field and there’s a lot coaching available on how to join the NHS. It’s available to current students at the moment and if they want to pursue a full-time role after studies, those connections are in place.”   

“We want to encourage students today to be the best versions of themselves. They don’t realise that they’re doing transferable skills in their everyday lives, such as budgeting and time management. It’s about giving them the confidence to take that further and reaching their full potential.” 

Isobel Barrett, Careers Coordinator for Telford College, and organiser of the Careers Fair said: “We’re really excited that our students today have had the opportunity to meet local employers, find out how to plan their learning pathways and understand the local labour market. 

“We’re a very student-centred college and we’re always trying to improve how they can be prepared for the world of work, I believe we can boost this through meaningful encounters with a range of employers and helping them realise their next steps after college. 

“Its the first time we’ve worked with companies like Mott McDonald Bentley and Amazon Web Services who we hope to work with in the future.”  

For advice about careers and what to do after leaving college, contact our Careers team at careers@telfordcollege.ac.uk