Intermediate pupils have had a thorough glimpse into the world they’ll enter once they’ve completed their school and tertiary studies.
It was careers day at Somerville Intermediate School on November 11 when all year 8 students (that’s form two to us older ones) attended an “exciting” STEAM/Careers Expo.
Leading and coordinating the expo was deputy principal Mallory van Diepen.
It’s the second year all year 8 kids have taken part, after she initially tried it with success with one class in 2022.
“It’s designed to broaden the horizons of Year 8 students, giving them a unique opportunity to learn about potential career paths in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and beyond,” van Diepen says.
“The event aims to inspire young minds by showcasing how different careers intersect with essential skills such as communication, collaboration, and adaptive thinking.”
When the Times entered the Somerville Intermediate hall, a good couple of hundred year 8 kids were sitting quietly, crossed-legged on the wooden floor, listening intently to the charismatic and informative keynote speaker.
Bex Rose, of Howick-based business Growth Culture, specialising in leadership in education and also AI (Artificial Intelligence), opened the day with an enthusiastic presentation that linked traits of personality – words – with potential jobs that might suit their natural skills, as they enter teenage years.
It got them thinking about themselves – what kind of person are they?
For example, Rose put on the projection screens words such as Inventor and suggested jobs such as engineer, designer, game developer, architect, inventor.
Some others were: Discerner – data analyst, detective, lawyer, editor, accountant; Galvaniser – salesperson, teacher, public speaker, politician, entrepreneur; Enabler – nurse, social worker, councillor, and teacher.
Van Diepen described Rose’s session as an “inspiring talk”, starting a day for young people that’s about “learning where their passions are”.
The year 8s were also given a professional-styled booklet they could write down what words they thought represented themselves from Rose’s presentation.
They were then directed to appropriate smaller groups to learn about different jobs from the people who do them.
“Following the keynote, students participated in a series of 30-minute sessions, each featuring professionals who shared insights about their careers, experiences, and how they apply STEAM/the curriculum in their work,” van Diepen told the Times.
“This will offer students a real-world glimpse into various fields and help them connect their classroom learning with future ambitions.”
The expo ran across six blocks, “ensuring all year 8 students got a chance to engage with different careers”.
Presenters, including young adults in trade apprenticeships or further studies, and “parents and friends of the school”, said van Diepen, led sessions in different spaces around the school, engaging with 20 to 25 students at a time.
“The STEAM/Careers Expo is an enriching day that showcases the interconnectedness of learning and careers.”
