Our school hashtag #itstheclimb is a fitting description for pupils making important decisions about the next stage of their exciting lives. One of those staging posts is the annual Mount Kelly Careers Event.
Presenting a range of degree, career and work experience opportunities for pupils from Year 9 onwards, the fourth Mount Kelly Careers Event on Friday 6 October aimed to offer something for everyone to consider, with inspiring speakers and giveaways, to exploring the options of full-time employment, to graduate schemes.
Brandie Deignan, CEO Pier Health Group and former Managing Director at Marco Pierre White Restaurant sparked enthusiasm for life after School with an inspirational talk to Years 9 -13, following her own impressive and inspirational career. She even put herself in the hot seat by agreeing to be interviewed by the pupils.
Brandie was the only black female MD within a branded restaurant group in the UK and the only black female CEO in a UK Primary Care Super-partnership, at the time of joining. She also has a long list of awards, from being one of the top 15 BAME high fliers in the travel Industry, to becoming a finalist at the Black British Business Awards in 2020.
Brandie told pupils, “I’d like to share five of my life lessons with you. I have learnt that when you are a leader you do not need to be the smartest person in the room. So, when you are in a situation you don’t know much about, don’t worry about it. Being a great leader is a marathon not a sprint, everything I do today I have learnt to do. Morality matters as much as competency; I have no doubt that I am competent, but I have to be doing the right thing too. Everyone can help you learn something. And finally, I have learnt to find my own greatness and use that greatness.”
Joining Brandie were industry representatives from Babcock International, presenting engineering careers and apprenticeships; Womble Bond Dickinson, on routes into a career in Law and St Austell Brewery on apprenticeships and working in the hospitality business
Universities of Plymouth, Bath, Exeter and Swansea were all on hand, as well as universities overseas, including Rutgers, the State university of New Jersey, USA, IE University, with information about studying at the University in Madrid, and Aspire USA with information about Sports Scholarships to the USA.
Plymouth Marjon University covered student finance; the NHS, careers in pharmacy and the British Army, careers and employability.
Becky Callard, Head of Guidance and Teacher of PE said, “The Mount Kelly Careers Event is a motivating day that shows pupils the benefits of connecting with potential employers. It prepares them for networking, gives them the opportunities to meet with hiring managers and listen to inspiring speakers; all activities which will help them prepare and think about their many options in the future.”
More photographs can be found on Facebook.
Categories: Guidance
