Education

Education Career opportunities are virtually yours

Masterclasses, taster sessions and careers talks are just some of the experiences to be gleaned at a virtual event staged by Yeovil College to showcase post-16 and 18 options to people in South Somerset and North Dorset. The event, which will finish on June 17, has been designed to enable students who have not been able to access college, attend traditional information events, try a study programme qualification, nor join a campus tour due to the pandemic and its resulting restrictions. The event, which is ideally focused towards year 10s and 11s, contains hundreds of taster sessions, masterclasses, lessons, takeaway tasks, careers talks and career exploration videos and documents. It will enable students to understand what their next steps could look like, whilst giving them the time, space, flexibility and accessibility to do so. The event is designed to support students to think about their entire career journey, looking beyond both school and college. Amy Wilshaw, Yeovil College School Liaison Officer, said: “Due to its digital nature, we have been able to build and create an event that this bigger and better than any former experience month. It is aimed at our future students and their parents or guardians to give them an insight into their post-16 options, with Yeovil College being an unrivalled option in terms of its first-class and state-of-the-art facilities, achievement rates, relentless ambition and progression opportunities. “This event has been designed to introduce post16 transition, whilst sharing the multitude of options available beyond school, the strengths and benefits of such choices, career possibilities and how to secure the best routes. We introduce all aspects of life at college including study routes, Yeovil Edge and enrichment, academic success, resources and the high expectations created at Yeovil College.” Jackie Surrey, 14-19 Partnership Director of Careers and Enterprise, said: “At the 14-19 Partnership, it is critical for us to raise the aspirations of young people within our local area, and it is important for young people to think about what they want to achieve beyond 18, as early as possible. “By allowing them to do their own research, find out first-hand about their options and do their own exploration, they can work backwards from there, and then plan their own career pathway. There are many fantastic opportunities available to a young person here in Somerset.” n For more details on the Yeovil College Experience Month go to ycexperience month.vfairs.com.

ONLINE OPPORTUNITES: The virtual meeting at Yeovil College

U3A ready and raring to learn face-to-face

For many of its members Blandford & District U3A was a valuable lifeline during the lockdowns of the last year with members keeping in touch mainly by Zoom and email. But with the latest lifting of restrictions, members are now gearing up to return to face-to-face group meetings. Secretary Lynne Rogers believes it won’t be long before members are back enjoying the full range of activities available. She said: “The U3A has a great motto – learn, laugh and live – and we are all more than ready for a spot of informal learning, be it French, history or brushing up on table tennis skills with some laughter thrown in for good measure. It will be great to be with friends we may not have seen in person for over a year. We are ready and raring to get going!” First on the social agenda is the Summer Open Meeting at Durweston Village Hall on Friday, July 2 at 2pm. Bridget Spiers, speaker coordinator, reports: “We have had some brilliant Zoom talks by a variety of speakers in recent months but this time we have Adrian Green from Salisbury Museum talking to us in person about Heywood Sumner, painter, illustrator, designer, archaeologist and folklorist. “Sumner designed his home, Cuckoo Hill in Hampshire, in 1902 along Arts & Crafts lines and took to his bike around Dorset illustrating its ancient monuments.” See blandfordu3a.co.uk

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