BBC Bitesize deliver careers advice for Rastrick High School students

A team of presenters and personalities talk to Rastrick High School students about the myriad of jobs within the creative industry as well as offering students advice and ideas on GCSE choices, CV writing and work experience.

They held 3 x 1 hour sessions focused on the diverse range of jobs that are available not only within the BBC but the creative industry in general.

With presenters and panellists, Jaguar Bingham (DJ/Broadcaster for BBC Introducing) Will Wray-Lang (Head of Media for the Huddersfield Giants) Nigel Mealing (Camera & Electrical for ITV), and Conor Murphy (Junior Editor for BBC Bitesize) they each delved into their lives and spoke of their successes and failures as they made their way into the world of work.

The sessions aimed to change perception, inspire ambition, engage and open student’s minds to the creative industry.

The creative industry shows consistent growth and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s most recent economic estimates for employment owed that there were 2.04 million jobs in the creative industries in 2018, an increase of 1.6% on previous years.

The BBC employ over 30,000 people and without sessions like these students will not know the extent of jobs and careers that are available.

The panellists and presenters spoke about their own personalities and traits when they were younger, they delved into how their traits have enabled them to become the people they are today. Some explained how they were “the quiet one at school” or “really shy”, “funny one”, “hardworking” or “over confident” and by acknowledging their traits and personalities they realised this is what makes them strong and helped them to forge their own paths within the creative industry.

Overall these sessions make the world of difference to our students. Being able to ask questions and to be involved, they can make more informed decisions about their futures, especially for students that will be picking their GCSE options shortly.

Mr Wilson, Assistant Headtecher, Quality of Education said,

“What a fantastic day it’s been and what a great opportunity for our students. As a school we are all responsible in ensuring students are set up with the skills to become successful in the future,

I have always been proud to work in a school where academic rigour and exam results is equally weighted with diverse enrichment and an outstanding quality of career guidance.”