BMet hosts inspiring career-focused event for students with additional support needs
BMet joined forces with leading local employers this week, to deliver an interactive employability event for “looked after” and SEND students across the college and from local schools.
Held at the Light House Young People’s Centre in Aston in Birmingham, the pioneering “Find Your Future Career” event, had a “No barriers, no limits” theme. The special occasion was sponsored by Birmingham City Council and funded by the UK Government, the West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham Employment & Skills Project.
The aim of the vibrant activity-filled day was to support young people, aged 16-19, to innovatively explore their next steps and define their career aspirations, alongside employers within a variety of sectors e.g. catering, construction, fashion, financial, music and public services.
It was all designed to motivate and upskill students through a range of opportunities and sessions including:
- A welcome and inspirational talk with the event compere and community youth activist, Melissa Jackson.
- Employer Zone Rotations – where students moved through 10 employer zones, spending 20-30 minutes at each, with interactive experiences (using VR demos, hands-on tasks etc.).
- A ‘Dream It, Do It’ Panel & Q&A – where a panel of 3-4 diverse professionals answered questions from the audience.
- A “What’s your dream job?” careers aspiration wall – where students posted the career they would like to pursue.
- A chance for students to have professional “head shots” for their LinkedIn profiles and gain careers advice from BMet’s supportive team.
Organised by Violet Williams, Work Experience Manager at BMet, in collaboration with her team and the college’s marketing, schools and inclusive support departments, the event attracted over 200 students.
Violet said: “I am so happy that the event was a huge success for all who attended. It is very important for me to help drive forward BMet’s vision, to be a career pathway to people no matter their background and for there to be no barriers or limits to success!
“It was so rewarding for all who attended and we received a lot of positive feedback from students – including looked after children, care leavers and students with Special Educational Needs (SEND), employers and practitioners supporting the learners.
“The event was all about breaking down barriers and opening doors to new opportunities and I am pleased to be able to say that we achieved this!”
If you would like to lead an interactive workshop, host a career talk, skills challenge or offer mentorship, advice or work experience insights for BMet students, please contact workexperience@bmet.ac.uk.
To find out more about BMet’s work experience and work placement opportunities, that play a key role within the college’s business development function, please visit BMet’s website.