“Where’s Glasgow, is that in Wales…?”

Geographical knowledge of the British Isles might not have been one of the attributes of the student overheard chatting excitedly to her friends, as they all made their way around a crowded sports hall, but by the end of their tour she will have known the exact location of Glasgow and numerous other university destinations as well.

It has become something of a truism to say that Loreto’s Careers Fair gets bigger and better each year, but it is a fact. This year saw over fifty universities represented, from Aberdeen to Southampton, Lincoln to Ulster. Whilst the local institutions from Manchester and Liverpool will always attract the greatest amount of interest, it was refreshing to see large numbers of students being more adventurous and engaging in earnest conversation with the representatives of universities from all parts of the UK. A technological innovation this year saw many students researching information from questions they had stored on their ‘phones during preparation tutorial sessions. A representative from one university said that she was very impressed with the perceptive questions the students asked, which were way beyond what she would expect from students at this stage.

The non-university option is becoming ever more important and students exploring this possibility were catered for by an impressive array of organisations offering apprenticeships, together with employers, and gap year and volunteering providers.

The Careers Fair has now expanded to such an extent that three different venues are required, Ball Theatre and E&K cafeteria joining the Sports Hall in hosting the event. Students are provided with a huge amount of information, which they can take home and discuss with parents and carers, thus giving an extra focus to their studies as they continue with their courses at Loreto. Several exhibitors told coordinators Ms Barker and Ms Savage that coming to Loreto and speaking with our students is a real highlight of the year and that the fair is one of the best events they attend.