Primary Careers Conference 2016
Date: 25th of April 2016
Venue: British Library Conference Centre
“The best present my father ever gave me was a screwdriver” (Ken Lim). Intrigued? During this year’s edition of the Primary Careers Conference, sponsored by the Knowledge Quarter, young pupils will find out more how a gift, a story, the example of a parent or a relative has shape speakers’ current professional life. Ken Lim, Digital Development Manager from The Guardian is one of the speakers that 200 children, age 9 & 10 from Camden and Islington schools will hear from.
The inspiration behind the Primary Careers Conference is Bavaani Nanthabalan, Executive Head Teacher of Torriano and Netley Primary schools who strongly believes that children need to start thinking much earlier about their career aspirations and dreams. This sentiment is echoed by business organisations that often site that young people are not leaving school equipped with the skills required for the workplace.
The children that attend will hear from speakers from the digital technology sector, science organisations, creative and cultural industries and will learn about entrepreneurship. The speakers will share their journeys, mistakes they have made and how their choices have resulted in an interesting and rewarding career. Transferrable skills are a topic that both Elly O’Brien from CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) and Merlin Evans from the House of Illustration will touch upon. Merlin will share how her skill as an artist is helping medical professionals to communicate important messages to patients.
Students will also get an opportunity to take part in workshops and interactive stalls. Children will create new buildings with Little Architect, invent a new use for a smart material with institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals and solve a crime scene with Francis Crick. Other workshops and stalls are being provided by The British Library, Scriberia, Young Enterprise, Royal Veterinary College, The Guardian, Wellcome Trust, Crafts Council, London Metropolitan Archives, Institute of Research and House of Illustration.
All the children that attend the conference will take on the role of Careers Champions. Not only will they have to communicate the messages of the conference, they will have to work with their school community to plan their own event.
Please click here for more information.
All Knowledge Quarter partners are invited. Please RSVP to Shazia Chaudhry and Angelo Napolano, specifying your name, organisation and time of attendance by Thursday 21st of April 2016.
