Careers Events
Events 2023-24
All Careers Talks will take place during lunchtime (12.45-1.25pm) unless otherwise stated.
Autumn Term 2023
Friday 8th September - Miss Hahn - Post-16 Options Assembly (Part 1) - for all students in Year 10
Tuesday 26th September - West Suffolk College - Post-16 Options Assembly for all students in Year 11
Friday 29th September - Eastern Education Group - Post-18 Options Assembly - for all students in Year 12
& Year 13
Tuesday 10th October - British Army Careers Workshop - for students in Years 10-13
Sergeant Chris Goodwin, Lance Corporals Ben Bedbrook and Rhys Taylor, and Corporal Jonny Finch will deliver a workshop on careers within the Royal Anglian and 3rd Battalion Parachute regiments and guide students in delivering a presentation to the whole group on their regiments' history and role as part of the British Army.
Friday 20th October - Alumni Careers Talk - Politics and Law - Frankie Wright - St Benedict's welcomes back former student Frankie Wright to talk about his career path in politics and law. Working as an Intern in the House of Commons, Frankie has now accepted the Lord Haldane GDL Scholarship from The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. He has begun his Law conversion course at the University of Law and looks forward to pursuing a career at the bar.
Friday 10th November - Miss Hahn - Post-16 Options Assembly (Part 2) - for all students in Year 10
Monday 13th November - BAE Systems Roadshow "From the Depths of the Oceans to Outer Space" - for all students in Year 7 & Year 8
The BAE Systems STEM Roadshow actively challenges stereotypes in the STEM industries and brings learning to life, inspiring students to look at their STEM subjects and future careers from a new and exciting perspective.
Friday 8th December - Careers Talk - The Invisible Universe - Dr. Matthew Bothwell and Dr. Hannah Stathern from Cambridge University's Public Astronomy Department
Dr. Bothwell and Dr. Strathern will share information on the groundbreaking research currently undertaken in space exploration at Cambridge University's Public Astronomy Department and how their own careers have evolved. They will explain how astrophysicists investigate light waves that cannot be seen (by the naked eye) to further explore the cosmos, and what happens when galaxies collide. As Dr Bothwell had begun a Psychology degree before realising his passion lay in Physics and Astrophysics and Dr Strathern completed her PhD in Mediaeval History, our students will learn how transferable skills can lead us into new fields of work and a change in career direction can be both possible and desirable.
Thursday 14th December - Alumni Careers Talk - Commercial Law - Aidan Mayall - St Benedict's welcomes back former student Aidan Mayall to talk about his career path in commercial law. Currently in his final year at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Aidan will give students advice about degree subjects to study for a legal career and how to qualify as a Solicitor. He will enlighten us about the rule of law, outline legal cases studied, and explain the Magic Circle and Silver Circle of law firms that most students aspire to work for.
Spring Term 2024
Tuesday 23rd January - Careers Talk - Roles in the British Army - for students in Years 10-13
Sergeant (Sgt) Chris Goodwin and Lance Corporal (LCpl) Dan Waters from the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment provide an insight into the variety of roles in the British Army. Sgt Goodwin and LCpl Waters will describe a typical 'Week in the Life of an Infantry soldier' and talk about roles such as Army Medic, Dentist, Pilot and Engineer. Students will learn about Basic Training, the Army's funded education, training and rank progression, attractive salaries and Olympic sports pedigree, as well as the ongoing welfare support available to serving soldiers.
Thursday 8th February - Alumni Careers Talk - Becoming an Entrepreneur - Tom Stanford - St Benedict's welcomes back former student Tom Stanford to talk about his success as a self-employed business owner. Tom's journey has led him to become Director at Elemental Search, and he has a wealth of experience as a Business Lead and Senior Consultant in global talent acquisition. Students will discover what it takes to be an entrepreneur and how they can market themselves to achieve success. (New date TBC)
Thursday 15th February - St Benedict's Careers Fair 2024 - Our 2024 Careers Fair will give all students in years 7-13 the opportunity to meet and engage with employers from a wide range of industries and professions. Alongside local, regional and national employers, our event will welcome representatives from Further and Higher Education and Apprenticeship and Training Providers.
Careers Fair Exhibitors: Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Apprenticeships Suffolk, Ashtons Legal, British Army, Bury Physio, Cambridge Regional College (CRC), Care Development East, Central College of Animal Studies (CCOAS), Eastern Education Group, East of England Ambulance Service, Ipswich Town Football Academy, Jardine Motors Group, Knights Lowe, NHS Foundation Trust (including specialist areas of Nursing, Pathology, ODP, Biomedical Sciences, Physician Assistant), Norwich University of The Arts, Pick Everard, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, RSM, Suffolk New College, The Jockey Club Catering, Treatt, Suffolk Constabulary, University of East Anglia (UEA), University of Suffolk (UoS), UoS Therapeutic Radiography and Healthcare, Wardell Armstrong (Archaeology), West Suffolk College Apprenticeships.
Thursday 15th February - Careers Talk - Creative Career Paths - Thomas Rollett - Norwich University of
The Arts
In addition to participating in our Careers Fair, Thomas Rollett will deliver a careers talk that gives students an insight into the wealth of careers currently available within the Creative industries. Thom will introduce the courses on offer at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) as well as NUA Alumni career successes in Art, Acting, Concept Art, Photography and UX Design.
Monday 18th March - National Citizen Service (NCS) Assembly - for all students in Year 11
Monday 18th March - UCAS Discovery, London - for all students in Year 12
Thursday 21st March - Careers Talk - Automotive Engineering - Dr. Damian O'Flynn - Technical Specialist -
Group Lotus, Norwich
Dr. O'Flynn will introduce students to the different disciplines in Engineering, including his own specialism of Automotive Engineering, and talk about the challenges facing engineers in the future. Dr O'Flynn will outline his own career path through university and postgraduate studies, his work on Formula 1 designs and his current focus on developing chassis technology and vehicle dynamics. He will also inform us about apprenticeship routes and the role of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Summer Term 2024
Thursday 18th April - RAF Careers Talk - Sgt. Darren Rivers - RAF
Following his attendance at our Careers Fair in February, Royal Air Force Sergeant, Darren Rivers returns to
St. Benedict's to talk with students about the huge variety of roles and apprenticeships available within the RAF. Sgt Rivers will also share information about the different ranks and routes into the RAF and offer advice and guidance on how to apply. Note that only students aged 14yrs+ will be able to attend this talk.
Thursday 25th April - Careers Talk - Economics in Practice - Frederick Packham - The Bank of England
Frederick Packham is a Senior Analyst in the Bank of England's Financial Markets area and will deliver a talk
on Economics in Practice. Mr Packham will also offer a brief resume of his career journey, including his route into, and progression through, the Bank of England. Students will benefit from a Q&A session to drill deeper into the subject matter and gain more information about what a career in banking might involve.
(New date TBC)
Wednesday 8th May - Careers Talk - Career Opportunities in Agriculture - Matthew Hawthorne and Alice Northern, Euston Estate Farm
Matthew Hawthorne and Alice Northern from the Euston Estate in Suffolk will enlighten students about the breadth, security and longevity of careers in agriculture, from the more obvious crop cultivation, livestock rearing and tractor driving jobs to forestry, haulage and environmental land management. They will also speak about the values involved in choosing a career and finding happiness and job satisfaction in what you do.
Thursday 16th May - RAF Careers Talk - Cyberspace Communications and Defence - RAF
Sgt. Stuart Mulligan will share information about the fast-paced world of Cyberspace Communications with students in years 9-13. Sgt. Mulligan will highlight the ongoing challenge of ensuring the latest technology and digital defences are in place to protect our nation and its infrastructure from cyberattacks. He will also outline the amazing opportunities and sponsorship for training and education within the RAF.
Thursday 20th June - Careers Talk - An Introduction to Publishing - Dominic Kingston - Hachette Children's Group
Dominic Kingston will introduce our students to the world of publishing and his work within the Hachette Children's Group. Dominic will provide an overview of the publishing industry and talk about the different roles, responsibilities and skills needed within it.
Further event details for our summer term will be posted shortly.