Careers networking – a highlight of Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project

This week, the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon got motoring for 2019 with a careers networking session for Year 9 pupils. The employment-focused event is aimed at helping students understand more about the world of work by giving them the opportunity to chat to, and learn from a selection of local employers.

Ambassadors from local and national companies, both from within and outside the racing industry were on hand to answer questions and raise awareness of a range of employment options, so too the skills that are valued in the workplace.

The ambassadors, all of whom kindly volunteered their time, represented global brands such as Barclays Banks and biotechnology giant Qiagen, as well as local racing industry employers Godolphin, Newmarket Racecourse, the BHA and Racing Together.

The students were split into small groups and were given four minutes with each of the ambassadors. They were tasked with asking questions about each guest’s job, their aspirations and what advice they could offer for planning a future career. Each group was then rated by the ambassadors on their attitude, communication and teamwork, with the highest-ranked team awarded a prize.

Following the event, Dean Tofts, Relationship Manager at Barclays Bank for the Newmarket area, reflected:

“It is very important for Barclays to be part of the local community. Getting the chance to be involved with the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project is richly rewarding for me. As a father and a long-standing local employer, I want to help to prepare children for their first steps into adulthood and considering a career path as they leave school.”

Lucy Saunders, Community Engagement Manager at Racing Together, said:

“It is really great to see these young pupils already starting to think about their future career and the skills they will need to pursue it. Racing is such an important industry in Newmarket, so it’s great to see it represented, but it is also encouraging to see other large local employers here explaining a wide range of options.”

Racing to School are extremely grateful to all of the ambassadors who have given up their time to be part of the event, and to Godolphin for their continued support of the programme.