Careers Fair in Ayr Town Hall

Here are the numbers; 7 Primary Schools involved; 220 children in total; 32 displays

Several meetings with the head teachers were held and based on the numbers of P7 pupils at each school, they were allocated three 90 minute sessions (therefore, approx 70 to each session). The timing of the buses was organised with the help of Dodds Coaches and the number of buses required calculated by them (taking into consideration the number of supervising teachers). Pupils from Ayr Grammar were able to walk to the hall. The ensure ratio of pupils to stalls at any one time was no more than 2 or 3 and this seemed to work out well. There were a total of 32 displays.

In Rotary, there is so much experience covering a very wide scope of interesting jobs and careers and time (with some funding). Whereas the schools have the need but no spare time and no spare resources! Teachers were excellent at organising and supervising pupils. In Ayr, following conversations with Fiona McAvoy, the added incentive was to reach pupils from some deprived communities with families that may not have the understanding how to give support or encouragement, resulting in little expectation of achieving a fulfilling and successful career. The organising committee were very keen not to confine this opportunity to Newton School, but to involve others within the “Heathfield Cluster” serving some of the other more deprived areas in and around Ayr. It was particularly interesting to learn, as the planning progressed, how many of the “stall holders” had come from very disadvantaged backgrounds but who had turned out well (these folk were particularly eager to participate in the Careers Fair, as well as being inspiring people to talk to; most notably, the Dentist and Chef)).

STV attended the fair and transmitted a piece on their evening news that very night. The Ayrshire Post also printed an article both paying testament to the appeal and success of the whole day.

Many congratulations to the event organiser Ayr Rotarian Howard Stevenson