Earlier this month we hosted a very successful 2020 Careers, Higher Education and Futures Convention. Benenden welcomed delegates from top UK and international universities, gap year organisations, blue chip companies and career representatives to talk to current students, parents, staff and visiting schools about life in higher education, application processes, apprenticeship schemes and career pathways – not to mention the opportunity to travel to far-flung places and participate in volunteer projects during gap years. Many students benefited from the range of enlightening and instructive workshops covering topics such as a gap year using languages, studying in Canada, making an application to a selective UK university through to nutrition, finance and medicine. Amongst the attendees were universities including St Andrews, Durham, Exeter, Imperial, Sheffield, Oxford Brookes, UEA, Nottingham, Cardiff, SOAS, University of the Arts and many others.
International higher education was represented by Study Options (Australia and New Zealand), Burnett Global Education Ltd, New York Film Academy, Les Roches and Glion, IE University (Madrid) and Savannah College of Art and Design. A-List Education and College Prospects of America were also on hand to talk to students and parents about applying to US universities, preparing for US admissions tests and sports scholarships.
Since many students are now keen to experience a gap year before embarking on their next educational or career step, we were delighted to welcome a large number of delegates representing gap year organisations. Parents and students alike were fascinated by the range of careers ably represented by companies, parents and Seniors, including from the Army, National Trust, engineering, cookery, events management, construction, politics, fashion/design, film/media, financial services and banking, publishing, law, marketing and communications, PR, nursing, dentistry and medicine. Our Study Centre was a buzzing throng of activity from 10.30am to 2.00pm and we were particularly pleased to welcome over 100 pupils and parents from eight other local schools.