On Thursday 10th February, the Sports Hall in the Sixth Form College was buzzing with college students who were finding out about the next steps of their higher education at a University and Employment fair; over 60 university and employment representatives promoted further education and career prospects to students. A range of stands offered information about universities such as Durham, Nottingham and York. Employers varying from Her Majesty’s Civil Service and the Royal Air Force to North Essex teacher training were present.

The event was a great opportunity for students to find out more about universities or employment opportunities. The enthusiasm to discover more about the future was evident by the large number of students looking around the stands and asking questions to the representatives, who were very happy to chat about subject choices, life at the university and required grades.

According to one first year student, Sophie Hayes, ‘the atmosphere was really welcoming and it felt like there had been a lot of dedication put in.’ She added, 'it opened my mind to the next stage of education as you could look at universities that you hadn’t thought about before.’

Furthermore, prospectuses and course booklets were available to give students a more detailed idea of which courses they were interested in, including courses which are not offered at A-level. For students thinking about entering the world of work after sixth form, employers were around to discuss apprenticeships and the best way to get into a given profession.

Whether students came to find out what their desired subject choice would involve at university or what requirements you need for an apprenticeship, everybody took away valuable information that will serve them well for making important decisions about their future.