Skills Festival for Chelmsford students returned for 2024

Over 1,200 Year 8 pupils from Chelmsford secondary schools attended a festival-style careers fair organised by Chelmsford City Council to learn more about their future work options. 

The Chelmsford Skills Festival returned for another year on Thursday 27 June 2024. It built on its success from previous years by inviting even more students, teachers, and employers to attend. 

More than 70 local businesses and organisations exhibited at the event, to give young people aged 12-13 a flavour of the different careers available locally. The event is hosted in marquees on the ARU Writtle University campus to add to the festival feel. The students are given a hands-on opportunity to find out more about an array of jobs and career opportunities before they choose their GCSE subjects. 

Students from seven of Chelmsford’s secondary schools attended the event: Chelmer Valley High School, William de Ferrers School, The Boswells School, Hylands School, Great Baddow High School, Sandon School, and Beaulieu Park School. They were accompanied by 86 of their teachers or school staff.  

Exploring future careers 

When students reach Year 9 of secondary school, they must pick the subjects they wish to study further for their GCSE qualifications. The Chelmsford Skills Festival is specifically aimed at students coming to the end of Year 8 as it’s an opportunity to discover the qualifications needed for different careers before they make decisions about the subjects they will study further. 

The event provides an opportunity for them to speak to industry experts and immerse themselves in practical activities to get a feel for different industries. The exhibitors go above and beyond to make their stands at Skills Fest interactive so students can get stuck into a task whilst speaking with the employers. It’s a great way to open young people’s minds to future opportunities and give them a chance to find out what they do and don’t like. 

Nick Eveleigh, Chief Executive of Chelmsford City Council, was keen to create an event that was different to a traditional jobs fair: 

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“We’ve structured the event to feel like a festival, from the wristbands they’re given to wear, to being able to enjoy an ice cream – it couldn’t feel further from the classroom – so the students don’t feel like they’re being taught or preached to. Instead, they’re given the freedom to explore and experience the different skills used within the workplace across a variety of job roles. They get to have a go at bricklaying, town planning, virtual reality, science experiments, and radio presenting. They may not even realise some of these are real jobs and real possibilities for their future. That’s what makes this event special and unique and why we want to keep it growing every year.”

Nick Eveleigh, Chief Executive Officer, Chelmsford City Council

Interactive exhibitions to capture imaginations 

More than 70 local businesses and organisations gave up their time for free to exhibit at the festival. Their interactive stands engaged the students in activities to highlight the various skills linked to those job and employment sectors, usually with a practical activity to have a go at too.  

The festival was broken into ‘zones’ to offer structure. 

The ‘Step-up space’ focused on construction, and some of the exhibition stands included: 

• Kier Construction – offered how to navigate their Building Information Model using a Nintendo controller 

• Murphy – enabled students to experience how to operate an excavator or a crane with their plant machinery simulator. 

• GSQ Brickwork Ltd – provided wall building demonstrations, plus the opportunity for students to have a go at bricklaying using real bricks and mortar. 

The ‘Inspiration Zone’ concentrated on activities from the creative sector: from theatre to radio, photography to animation. Examples of exhibitor activities were: 

• Chelmsford Community Radio – offered the chance to present the news, weather and travel for Chelmsford. 

• Brand and Culture Videos – showed how to create video content using smart phones. 

• Dlala Studios – provided everything students could want to know about game design, plus an opportunity to play their latest Disney release. 

• Blue Serif – gave students the chance to get creative and design a social media poster for a new local Mexican restaurant.

The ‘Outdoor Zone’ showcased organisations less desk-based with some offering bushcraft skills, rescue tools and vehicles as well as tree identification and CPR.  

• Essex Police – offered students the opportunity to try on a police uniform and look inside a marked car. 

• Essex Search & Rescue – demonstrated how to use a defibrillator, showcased how drones could be used in emergency situations and offered the chance to practice CPR on a mannequin Chelmsford City Council’s Parks Team – invited students to sit on the tractor and practice their tool skills with a spot of dead hedging.  

The ‘Enlightening Zone’ hosted an array of activities from caring for an electronic baby, learning about accountancy or a career in sport. 

• John Lewis – provided interactive quizzes including dressing the mannequin, guessing brand logos, and creating mood boards for a room design. 

• Hylands House – gave students an understanding of what it takes to work in hospitality.

• ARU Writtle Horticulture and Agriculture – shared what opportunities there are for careers with animals. 

The ‘Motivation Zone’ provided inspiration for careers involving science and engineering. Chelmsford is home to many inspiring companies in this sector. Some of the exhibition stands included: 

• BAE Systems Digital Intelligence – machine learning, 3D printing and robotics featured heavily at their stand. 

• Batelle UK Ltd – provided an opportunity to use the mechanical pipettes just like in the labs. 

• Teledyne UK Ltd – offered an opportunity to win a prize whilst testing dexterity with an interactive game.

The ‘Futures Zone' ranged from charities to bird watching, solicitors and radiographers.  

• Broomfield Radiography – shared what it’d be like to work with human bones! X-ray featured heavily. 

• Chelmsford College – Beauty, Hair and Catering – a very popular stand amongst the students, offering face gems, hair braiding and a chocolate fountain!  

• Ellisons Solicitors – advised on their apprenticeship programme, training contracts and holiday scheme.

Making future Skills Festivals happen 

The event is funded and organised by Chelmsford City Council, utilising UK Shared Prosperity Funding. Essex County Council also sponsored the event, with their sponsorship paying towards the transportation costs for each of the secondary schools. 

Councillor Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council was pleased with how well the event went: 

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“The feedback we get from this event – from the students, their teachers and especially the exhibitors – leaves no doubt that it’s a worthwhile event for everyone involved. There are very few opportunities for children to attend a hands-on, interactive job fair like this one, with the aim of opening their eyes to how their futures could look. It provides inspiration, knowledge and starts conversations.

The fantastic workplaces we have in Chelmsford need workforces that can meet skills gaps, and what better than to start those conversations early. This is a pivotal age to make children aware of the choices they have available to them and provide motivation for their future career choices.

Councillor Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council