10 April 2017
The annual Higher Education Fair, which is usually run in March, could next year be moved to the following month in order to avoid disruptive weather conditions.
This year’s Higher Education Fair (9 March 2017), delivered by Careers Jersey with sponsorship from the Aztec Group, was a great success on its 25th anniversary, with about 1,000 people visiting Hotel de France to see what their next step might be. It went ahead and helped many prospective students despite heavy fog in the Island that week. 52 exhibitors managed to make it over, and 12 even chartered a fishing boat from Guernsey, but Careers Jersey would rather avoid such a challenge next year.
The annual Fair is always a popular attraction for Islanders looking to better their education, no matter what their age. The event is completely free and gives Islanders the opportunity to talk to exhibitors at more than 75 stands; these range from universities (from the UK, on-Island and overseas), training providers, gap year specialists and employers. This year’s event placed a particular focus on lesser-considered options, such as international universities in France, America and elsewhere, and more vocational routes. As well as those representing traditional UK and international universities, the Fair saw a range of representatives from, among others, the Royal Academy of Dance, Highlands, Sporting Elite USA, the British Armed Forces, Waitrose, and financial and digital firms.
There was also a very popular presentation evening the night before, where potential students could attend talks given by various universities.
Education Liaison Manager at Careers Jersey, Jeremy Field, said “Yet again we had a fantastic turn-out for the event, with Islanders of all ages attending at the new venue of Hotel de France, and clearly enjoying the broad selection of options we had available for them. The stormy weather conditions on the day certainly made it a memorable event for some of our representatives, such as Northbrook College, who had to charter a fishing vessel from Guernsey just to get to Jersey, due to flights and ferries not running. Their monumental effort to get to the event just goes to show how important it is, not just for Islanders, but for the colleges and universities too.
“We would like to say a very big thank you to our new event partner and sponsor, the Aztec Group, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to do it. We very much look forward to more successful Fairs with them in the future.”
Head of Human Resources at the Aztec Group, Joanna Hewlett, commented “The Higher Education Fair provides a fantastic opportunity for people to discuss first-hand the many career and education opportunities available so that they can make the right personal choice. Aztec Group is just one of many companies that offer the opportunity to study and work in a nurturing and rewarding environment, and the Higher Education Fair was an excellent forum to showcase how we can support those joining us.”
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