The inaugural Prior’s Court Careers Day has given our young people an insight into the world of work.

Held on Wednesday, 22 June, the morning event held on our site featured a range of vocational learning opportunities for our young people to encounter and explore.

This included representatives from external parties such as Thames Valley Police and the Army providing experiences, alongside our on-site vocational learning staff offering sessions around baking, housekeeping, maintenance and more.

Virtual Reality was also used to explore work in roles such as train driving, firefighting and veterinary work.

Nickie Dunphy, our Careers Lead, said: “The aim was to introduce our young people to a range of careers and employers that they might not otherwise encounter. This was to create awareness of what tasks or responsibilities people in that job might have to do, or what uniform they wear. And all of this was being delivered in a fun, interactive way.

“It was a great success with plenty of happy faces throughout the event. Vocational learning is so important to us because individuals with autism face huge challenging in gaining employment and so miss out on the benefits that working provides, from the financial aspect through to the mental and emotional health positives that come from having purposeful employment.

“A huge thank you to the PCSOs from Thames Valley Police and 77th Brigade from Dennison Barracks for taking the time to come along.”

Find out more about our careers service.