Earlier this year, Anglia Innovation Partnership ran a Park-wide Careers Discovery pilot programme for school children that will now form the basis for an ongoing annual programme. Its aim is to raise awareness of the wide range of jobs and careers there are on the campus, inspire young people locally and help to nurture talent, ensuring that young people, particularly those who face barriers, disadvantage or underrepresentation, can see a genuine future for themselves at Norwich Research Park.
The programme, designed in partnership with industry experts Ahead Partnership, was piloted with three Norfolk schools, focused on building skills, sharing realistic career insights and providing hands-on experiences to students who would not otherwise get such access.
Anglia Innovation Partnership CEO, Roz Bird, was interviewed by Louise Hulland of BBC Radio East about why it’s so important to engage young people and schools in science and what Norwich Research Park is doing to encourage this through its Carers Discovery initiative:
[Link to broadcast interview]
Staff from businesses and institutes based on the participated in the Careers Discovery Day, that was one of the key features of the pilot programme. By connecting young people directly with employers, the programme aims to open up career pathways and showcase the wide range of roles across the campus, ensuring they are visible and achievable.
A teacher from Reepham High, who attended the event, commented, “The activities really encouraged our students to aim higher. They were engaged throughout and the skills targeted were relevant.”
John Farley, CEO, iBoxit, one of the company representatives that participated in the day, said, “My highlight was seeing the children engage – they started off slowly and really got into it as the workshop progressed”
Roz said, “Inspiring the next generation and explaining the full range of jobs and careers available at a research park is one of our key objectives. Running the initial pilot Careers Discovery programme has confirmed to me just how valuable and motivational it can be for young people, especially for those who have not previously been exposed to what we do on our campus and the huge range of roles here. Having the opportunity to speak to the region in this radio interview will hopefully help to spread the word.”
