An off-site event for senior phase female pupils to network with, and gain inspiration from, members of the Business Women Connections (BWC) Aberdeen group.
This full-day event, which was hosted off-site at the Village Hotel, aimed to give senior phase female pupils an authentic networking and business event experience while highlighting the breadth of career pathways that are open to them.
The event was led by BWC Aberdeen, an organisation that supports women in business in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. The programme included mini presentations from BWC members, interactive exercises and networking opportunities.
For many of the young people who attended, this was their first opportunity to network in a professional environment, allowing them to develop their communication and interpersonal skills. The host venue - and the opportunity to interact with a variety of business women - provided them with an authentic experience of a business event. Hearing a mixture of different career stories - and the message that there is no right or wrong path - was inspiring for the pupils, as many of them are as yet undecided on what they will do when they leave school.
Attendees completed a personalised BELBIN report, the results of which they can use to understand how they work best and interact with others.
Although teachers were present, the pupils were encouraged to speak up and interact freely with their peers and the business women who presented. This created a more relaxed atmosphere, particularly during the networking sessions.
"Inspiring. Today made me rethink my possibilities - it has shown me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it."
Pupils with an interest in construction careers benefited from a visit to a local building site, courtesy of Claymore Homes.
The careers conference, with its focus on space science, encouraged young people to explore careers in science and engineering.
A daytime careers event with timetabled slots for S3 and S4 pupils to interact with employers and further/higher education providers.
