Opportunities Doncaster LIVE keynote speaker announced

Students across Doncaster are getting an early look at career fields and industries that may interest them. The virtual Opportunities Doncaster LIVE careers fair is live between 17-21 May, with live activities, speakers and workshops taking place on 19 May.

Sporting champion and inspirational speaker Rachael Mackenzie will open the day that’s set to inspire and engage students to think about their future. She said, “The young people I meet are so inspiring for me. It is amazing to see so much enthusiasm and desire to achieve. By learning new skills and disciplines that they can apply to all aspects of life, today’s youngsters can really strive to achieve all of their aspirations.”

Doncaster Chamber’s Education Director Suzy Broadhead says schools support all their students with an individual career plan. She says the event allows them to start looking at future careers and make informed decisions about which subjects will help them achieve their ambitions.

“One of the things that Opportunities Doncaster LIVE has done is help to prepare the workforce, and we will continue to do that. So, partnering with businesses is critical to our success.”

Pre-registered classes will log on throughout the week and visit different exhibition stands where they can learn about different companies and their jobs. They’ll also have question-and-answer sessions with different companies on 19 May.

Over 4,000 students in Doncaster attended in 2020 and more than 100 local employers exhibited, many of which will be in attendance again for 2021. Some of those include MechFS, VolkerRail, Unipart Rail and Cementation Skanska.

Skanska’s Emerging Talent Manager Katie Alovisi said, “Cementation Skanska is looking forward to supporting the Opportunities Doncaster LIVE event, which is a fantastic forum to facilitate interaction between students and business. The virtual platform will allow new and different forms of engagement, to showcase and communicate the opportunities within the industry.”

There are also live workshops for small classes to engage directly with employers for workshops on a range of employability and further education topics. These include sessions on understanding apprenticeships, developing a growth mindset and understanding Doncaster’s future employment sectors.

“Many of our schools do face-to-face industry visits and fairs, but that number has dropped since the pandemic,” Suzy said. “So hosting Opportunities Doncaster LIVE on a virtual stage will bridge the gap and provide our virtual experience so that students can still learn about these careers and opportunities.”

The event is joint headline sponsored by Unipart Rail and Doncaster College and University Centre. Exhibition stands cost £99 and employers can register to exhibit through the Doncaster Chamber website.