Hundreds of year 12 and 13 students find career inspiration at two-day event

More than a thousand year 12 and 13 pupils met leading local employers and expert academics at an event at the University of Derby designed to inspire them to start planning their future careers. 
 
The two-day Build your Career event was held at the University’s Kedleston Road site in Derby. It featured an employer showcase, including organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Derbyshire Constabulary, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, and Alstom, who talked to visitors about work experience and internship opportunities. 
 
Talks by the University’s academic experts provided an opportunity to take a deep dive into a range of subjects, while current University of Derby students and apprentices from Rolls-Royce shared their experiences. 
 
There was a special guest session with Baasit Siddiqui, a University of Derby graduate and educational consultant who is well-known for his appearances with his family on Channel 4’s Gogglebox. Baasit talked about his journey from a degree in Business and Information Systems to running his own business.  
 
Baasit said:  

“As someone who works with children in schools and colleges across the UK, I was so pleased to see how much the students got from the Build Your Career Event at the University of Derby. Each student I spoke to said they learnt something new about University life, the expectations around the work involved and more about the application process. As an alumni of the University I was delighted to share my journey and the positive impact the University has had on my career and business. College staff I spoke to praised the event and said it was the perfect way to get their students thinking and talking about their future.”  

Professor Siobhan Neary, Professor of Career Development Practice and Head of the University’s International Centre for Guidance Studies, commented: 

"Knowing where to start is often the challenge, but events such as this are a brilliant starting point. Having the opportunity to learn about a wide range of options including university, apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships all in one place helps to generate ideas of what the future might look like.” 

Students attending said:

“It was incredibly informative, and I learned so much about future opportunities and potential careers.”  
 
“It was a good insight into the future, and it has broadened my mind on what degrees universities offer.” 

Find out more about studying at the University of Derby.