Thousands of youngsters get a flavour of the world of work at skills event

Students watch Councillor Farooq Ahmed holding a cookery demonstration at the Veenas Restaurant stand

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Around 1,500 young people from Rochdale secondary schools, along with 25 businesses, headed to Heywood for the second Rochdale skills event today (Wednesday 12 March).

A unit on Heywood Distribution Park was transformed and filled with activities and stalls aimed at year 9 students to introduce them to the world of work and help them get ideas about future careers.

Businesses and organisations involved included Hopwood Electrical Services, F Parkinson Ltd, Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Commercial Contract/Fix Auto, Link4Life, Crystal Doors, The Army, The RAF, Glass Eye Productions, Cabin Crew Pathways and many more.

Activities included dressing in a firefighters uniform in 90 seconds, news reading, construction building tasks, sports games and a pit stop challenge.

Students and school staff said they found the event very helpful.

Rebecca Francis from Middleton Technology School said: “I have looked at the textile stuff and found that helpful. I found out about going to university and the things involved with that job.”

Josh Howard from St Cuthbert’s Secondary School said: “I have seen a few things that I want to have a look at. It is good because people will only speak to you if you seem interested in what they have.”

Mia Douglas from Middleton Technology School said: “It has been good to come to and have a look at things.”

Careers advisors and teachers at the event also found it very useful.

Lucy Smith, a careers advisor with Positive Steps, said: “This is a really fantastic event which really helps my job. It is great to be able to bring the children along to let them get hands on with things so they can really find out what the job will be like. I think it is much better than last year and think it is really good for Rochdale.”

Diane Wilkinson, the Progressive Officer at Brownhill Learning Community School added: “It is a very well run event and I think it is good that they have aimed it at year 9 pupils this year.”

Exhibitors were delighted at the turn out and the enthusiasm of the students.

Michaella Farrell-Anderson, from Cabin Crew Pathways, who had a stand at the event said: “It has been great. The young people are so enthusiastic and are getting involved and having a go with everything. It is great to see how much they want to know. This is the first time we have been here but I just think it is a really brilliant event for the community.”

Mike Tyler from F Parkinson Ltd said: “It has been great. We are here to show the young people about construction and about apprenticeships and how they can get involved with that side of things.”

Ex Rochdale MP, Lorna Fitzsimons, who now runs the Alliance Project, was keen to stress the importance of the textile industry to the young people. She said: “The textile industry is a thing of the future and not of the past. It is involved with many every day things and people don’t realise how important it really is.”

Mayor of the Borough of Rochdale, Peter Rush is coming to the end of his tenure as Mayor and saw the event as fulfilling his legacy. He said: “This is fulfilling my legacy 100% and is showing young people a variety of things that they can do. All of the young people I have spoken to have got ideas about what they want to do. I was dumbfounded when I entered this morning to see so many businesses and young people here today. It is a brilliant event.”

This is the second skills event to be held at the distribution park in Heywood and was organised by Rochdale Council along with Rochdale Development Agency and inspiredspaces.

Carol Hopkins, from Rochdale Development Agency, said: “There is a real buzz around the place. It is certainly bigger than last year and we have more businesses than last year.”

Rochdale Council Chief Executive Jim Taylor added: “It is really good for young people to come along to an event like this because they can get experience and information from different places. A lot of them are now choosing their options at school so this will hopefully make that choice a little easier.”