On Friday 7^th February, we welcomed over 430 people to join our Annual Careers Day. 

All one hundred and twenty of our Lower Sixth Form, together with their parents, were joined by an equal number of pupils from local Edinburgh High Schools to inform and develop their intended pathways beyond school.  Thomas Moradpour, President and CEO of The Glenmorangie Company, delivered our Keynote address, providing inspiring context to the global marketplace of today. 

Following this, students and parents attended three separate events, each with a different aim:

 

The Ability to Re-invent, run by Old Fettesian Alexander Holt, Head of Emerging Opportunities & Partnerships at The Scottish Government

Alexander Holt, himself an Old Fettesian (Ki 1991-1996) got everyone thinking about his message of ‘the ability to re-invent’, he used his wealth of experience to explore the dynamism required for today’s multi-career lifecycle. Alexander is currently Head of Emerging Opportunities and Partnerships at The Scottish Government, he cleverly broke career stages into palatable chunks, making the initial steps into Higher Education and on into work less daunting and much more motivating for our audience. 

 

Choosing your Course at University, run by Jack O’Toole of Newcastle University

This session provided many questions for deep consideration on the steps towards Higher Education.  Why university? What to study? How to study? Where to live? The cost? The benefit? The location? This session got a very high rating from pupils and parents, providing useful and realistic food for thought.

 

Fettes Higher Education Fair

This was larger than ever this year with 48 representative organisations, here to enable full exploration.  From LSE to Dundee; Aberdeen to Exeter and St Andrew’s to Manchester, we had a full breadth of Universities with us to provide diverse opportunities and answers.

Employers were with us too, offering Graduate Apprenticeships and direct entry routes, including EY, PwC, the Army and the Navy. GAP year ideas could be explored with global volunteering organisations and overseas skill development opportunities. 

 

Meet the Experts

Alongside the Higher Education Fair, we were joined by a wealth of Old Fettesians and current parents, all experts in their fields, who generously shared a morning with us to chat informally to pupils, sharing their career journeys and offering friendly advice.

 

We are incredibly grateful to all those who attended and to all those who took the time to share their knowledge and wisdom on the day. If you’d like to learn more about our Award-Winning Careers Programme, simply click here.

 

The experts were so approachable, I found it really beneficial to be able to ask questions about different careers.

Lower Sixth Form pupil, Fettes College

I am very grateful for the variety of opinions and views that the Experts shared with me.

S5 pupil, James Gillespie’s High School

The insight on how to pick Universities was highly relevant to me.

S5 pupil, Firrhill High School

A really good mix of the practical and the useful.

Fettes Parent