The 2023 cohort of 16 to 18 year olds has completed a council-organised work skills and careers insights week with Cambridge employers which has helped widen their horizons about future jobs.
The annual programme has a particular focus on increasing young people’s access to the local creative and cultural industries, and is organised by Cambridge City Council and My Cambridge local cultural education partnership, in association with national charity Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP).
The programme ran from Monday 10 to Friday 14 July, with young people in Year 12 and Year 13 taking advantage of the opportunity to develop key skills, gain insights into multiple careers, and network with people working in the wide range of roles linked to the arts and culture in Cambridge.
During the week participants spent time with:
- Cambridge Junction (pictured above), learning about event production, lighting and sound
- Cambridge University Press, benefitting from one-to-one conversations with professionals in multiple roles, and working on tasks which brought up discussions about ethical business practices
- The Fitzwilliam Museum, focusing on object handling and conservation
- Kettle’s Yard, where the young people explored the gallery’s visitor support and commercial functions, as well as curation
- The council’s Cultural Services team which runs events including the Folk Festival, and includes the City Events team which runs Fireworks Night, Music in the Parks, and the Mayor’s Day Out.
Participants also spent time learning about the psychology of resilience, coping mechanisms and goal achievement models.