The Gradon team returned once again for the careers fair at St. Thomas More Catholic School in Blaydon and the day was a huge success…

The event was attended by a mix of local, national and international businesses, higher education institutions and apprenticeship providers and each organisation brought with them invaluable information to pass on to the pupils who ranged from GCSE students to those choosing A-levels.

We were delighted to be invited back to the event after its previous success and have opportunity to interact with and the pupils and inform them of the career possibilities within the Architectural field of work. Pupils were able to engage with the architectural process through our visual aids; a 3D CGI walk through of the redesign of Haydon Bridge High School demonstrated the visualisation process within the design and a model of the NE40 studios was also on display to give pupils an idea how initial design concepts begin to take shape.

Having started our own Architecture apprenticeship scheme five years ago, we are hugely passionate about the development of future careers. We are committed to offering opportunities which enhance the skills of individuals by giving them the chance to learn in a practical, work-centred environment alongside their education. The careers day therefore gave us the opportunity to speak to pupils about the different pathways into Architecture, whether this be through the traditional A-level and University route, or by following one of the emerging apprenticeships which are due to be rolled out over the next few years.

The event was put together by Careers Coordinator Bobby McAdam who did a fantastic job of organising the entire day, she said of the events success, “The event will be a pivotal moment for some students, having the opportunity to have a face to face conversation with various employers, from a wide range of sectors is so important for that student’s development and understanding of the working world around them. It couldn’t be done without all of the fantastic volunteers that showed the support to our school on that day. I genuinely hope they got just as much from the day, sending my continued thanks – and warm welcomes to the next fair in 2 years’ time!”

The event also gave us chance to catch up with the pupils involved in our recent design competition and those who will be joining the Gradon team for a weeks work experience over the coming months!