NI Schools participate in innovative new hands-on careers event

Nine schools from across Northern Ireland took part in the first ever 4C UR Future live careers and skills event, with over 1,200 students taking the course.

With today's rapidly evolving tech sector now containing a huge variety of companies at different scales, it can be difficult for school kids to get accurate representation of what skills they'll need by the time they enter the world of work. Students in year 9 are now thinking about the careers that interest them and picking their GCSE subjects, so it's more important than ever for them to be informed.

Many kids in year 9 have no real idea what subjects they should study and what skills they should learn in order to get the career they want, and some have no idea what subjects they might have an aptitude for. These are problems that the 4C UR Future two-day live event aims to solve.

In a pioneering new programme, year 9 students from nine schools across northern ireland were enrolled in the new 4C UR Future Northern Ireland campaign. The not-for-profit firm took over 1,200 students on Thursday and Friday last week for a two-day live event to help students discover their aptitudes and decide on a career.

The two-day event showcased the various jobs on offer in Northern Ireland through interactive simulated workplaces that used a combination of hands-on experience and gamification to grab and hold people's attention. The results of the experience are then used to help inform students on what GCSE subject choices they should make. Spondors of the event include some of Northern Ireland's tech companies such as Kainos.

The founder of 4C UR Future, Rose Mary Stalker, said, “Given the extent and pace of change and transformation in the world of work, it is going to become increasingly challenging for school careers services to stay on top of the diverse range of career possibilities available to young people. I saw the need for a cross-sector employer and educator collaboration, and established 4C UR Future as a result. This event aims to improve employability, skills, and career provision for young people by putting them at the centre of the process – giving them more control over their own futures. There is nothing like this within the careers space.”

Find out more at http://www.4curfuture.com/.

Source: Written based on press release