Alleyn’s Year 9s Go Around the World of Work

As the summer term approached its final weeks, Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 took part in a new careers event – Explore Earning: Entrepreneurship & The World of Work

For Year 9s, that involved an Around the World of Work event on Friday 20 June. It started with a panel discussion in the MCT, which all 150+ students in the year attended followed by nine interactive workshops from which students could select one. These workshops were designed to allow participants to build on a specific transferable or industry-related skill.

We were delighted to welcome a fantastic panel incorporating current and future parents from and friends of the Alleyn’s community – all of whom represented different roles and industries so by design and truly reflecting that Y9s gained insight into a wide range of careers. Moderated by head of careers, Mrs Visram, the panel included:

• · Rita Dhut, Investment professional
• · Rory Kinnear, Actor/Writer
• · Dr. David Lara, Scientist, Apple
• · Funmbi Ogundiwin, Senior Account Executive, Salesforce
• · Charlotte Samuelson, Chief Operating Officer, World Rugby 
• · Georgia Taylor, Consultant Design Director, Knitwear

Early feedback from Year 9s about the panel portion of the event includes:

“I found that the people were very engaging and they answered the questions in lots of detail. I also liked how the careers were some i had never thought of like tech sales which was interesting to learn about” Y9 pupil

“It was interesting to find out about their educational backgrounds and see how different they turned out to be from their professions” Y9 pupil

“I liked Rory Kinnear talking about how his path of life lead him to his occupation” Y9 pupil

“Rita Dhut’s stories from our age made it engaging for me as it was more relatable” Y9 pupil

“I found that the people were very engaging and they answered the questions in lots of detail. I also liked how the careers were some i had never thought of like tech sales which was interesting to learn about” Y9 pupil

When asked about takeaways from the conversations on the panel, the audience observed:

“Career journeys aren't set in stone; you don't have to be only one thing if you want to do more”

“I learnt that choosing GCSEs and A-levels don’t actually dictate what i can do (it does in some ways but if I change my mind in the future then that’s ok)!”

Following the panel discussion, the Y9s moved onto an interactive workshop, each created to allow students to embrace a style of working (such as group work) and build on a skill which is relevant to the industry about which they were discovering.

Workshops included:

• Create something unique – delivered by knitwear designer Georgia Taylor: Students interested in entrepreneurship as well as exploring creative industries, arts and crafts were invited to have a go at designing and creating a one-of-a-kind garment - using recycled knitwear, old jumpers, panels and other left-over pieces.
• Discover the lucrative world of tech sales – delivered by senior sales executive Funmbi Ogundiwin: Encouraged to think about how some of their favourite brands (big or small) could increase their revenue, in this workshop, participants learned more about the tech sales industry and through a mini "digital transformation" activity - build some crucial skills needed succeed in this lucrative career.
• Discover the World of Conservation with Ann-Marie Miller of Codex Conservation – Participants interested in protecting and preserving our cultural heritage explored the world of conservation and learned what it's like to be a book and paper conservator. They found out how professionals care for old books and, documents and why this work is so important and through case studies, were able to get a better sense of skills required to be successful in the role.
• From Problem to Product – with scientist / inventor Dr David Lara: Students were encouraged to start the process of designing a tech product that tackles an unsolved problem using their creativity and teamwork
• Order in the Court - with Lara Akande Joseph, In-house counsel, Alleyn's School: In this scenario based interactive workshop, participants took on a real criminal case and tried out key courtroom skills. They wrote and performed an opening speech, question witnesses, had the opportunity to give a powerful closing argument.
• Playwrights in Training – with teacher and playwright Shomit Dutta: Students stepped into the shoes of a playwright, starting to learn how to bring characters, dialogue, and drama to life by devising and writing their very own scene for the stage. Participants were challenged to come up with a simple idea and start turning it into an engaging scene.
• The MedTech Pitch Lab – delivered by Dr Jeremy Holland: In this interactive workshop, participants explored the full journey of a medical innovation—from the spark of an idea to a compelling pitch for investment. This workshop covered the key steps—design, clinical testing, market strategy, and team building, and a pitch for investment.
• The real game day challenge – delivered by COO of World Rugby, Charlotte Samuelson: Participants were invited to think about the months of planning that goes into a major sporting event? What happens if something suddenly goes horribly wrong? Using the backdrop of this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final which will be played at Twickenham in September, Charlotte put partcipants in her match day boots! Participants also had a taster of how World Rugby’s senior team responded in a real-life crisis, when Typhoon Hagibis hit the Men’s 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
• To invest or not to invest – delivered by investment professional Rita Dhut: Participants gained an overview of the fund management industry and discovered what a fund manager does day to day. In small groups, they researched a real company's information and were guided to look at key facts and figures and decide, theoretically, if it would be a smart investment or not!

Reflecting on the activities in their workshops, the word “interesting” came up a lot as students noted:

“I thought that it was very fun and interesting to do and made me more interested in the topic. I also found the way we did the workshop was good and was very enjoyable to do.”

“We researched a company to prepare a poster that we presented to the rest of the class answering specific questions. It was very interesting.”

“It was really interesting to see what the job of a lawyer would be like and i found it really interesting”

Having reviewed the feedback received to date, Gina Visram, Alleyn’s Head of Careers said “The students really enjoyed it! We are beyond grateful for the Alleyn’s community of parents, friends and staff who were instrumental in us delivering an event which achieved the objectives of providing a Y9 students with a taster of lots of different career areas and then allowing students to take a deeper dive into a chosen area. The authenticity and approachable nature of those on the panel and who led workshops meant that students gained insights into certain industries, built some commercial awareness, increased their skill levels and appreciated the human and real nature of the squiggly career journey from education into and through the world of work.”

Thanks to all involved!

Anyone interested in contributing to the Alleyn’s careers programme in the coming years is welcome to contact us on [email protected]