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Green Careers Week
Green Careers Week provides students with an insight into careers that specifically protect the environment and will help the UK achieve its pledge of reaching Net Zero by 2050. Young people want to be involved in finding solutions to our environmental challenges, so it's vital that we provide opportunities to show them how they can play an active role within the world of work. Knowing how they can find careers that play a significant part in improving our environmental credentials should contribute towards restoring their confidence in a positive and sustainable future.
Please find attached a fantastic free guide for parents here and to explore Green Careers further click here.
Year 8 students visit Leeds Beckett University
Some of our Year 8 students have made their first visit to a university. They had the chance to experience and explore the facilities, accommodation and to see the career options on offer.
Student feedback stated that they enjoyed seeing the technology, taking part in the activities, and asking the student ambassadors their questions relating to finances and university life.
All Year 8 students will be given the opportunity to attend a university within Yorkshire over the next few months.
'Destinations Day' Annual Careers Fair
Destinations Day this year was attended by over 50 different businesses, public sector services, and educational and apprenticeships providers.
This was an exciting and successful opportunity for pupils from all year groups to interact with a range of people from a broad spectrum of sectors. It provided students the chance to explore and learn more about the day-to-day aspects of working life in each of these areas and to be further inspired to pursue their own individual career passion.
We are pleased to say this event has increased careers knowledge for all students regardless of age, with the aim of challenging stereotypical behaviour to impact the future ‘world of work’.
Morley Chamber of Trade and Commerce
We have recently welcomed members from the Morley Chamber of Trade and Commerce into Woodkirk, to help conduct mock business interviews with our Year 11 students.
The Morley Chamber of Trade and Commerce offer support, education, and networking to our local business community in Morley and surrounding areas.
Linda Saint-partner, who organised the event said, ‘The students were amazing, a real credit to the school. I was super proud of them all. You could see that they had followed the 8 week build up programme and took everything on board'.
DM Communications who attended the event said, ‘I was proud to be part of such a tremendous event. The feedback from the students was fantastic, many were grateful for us putting this event on. You could tell the students were growing in confidence after each interview. Credit to the Woodkirk Academy teachers for making these young adults into perfect role models of the future'.
Students and staff have celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2025.
This themed week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider community.
Students have watched apprenticeship presentations, films and stories, enjoyed quizzes and games, listened to guest speaker talks from industry experts, and taken part in a careers panel hosted by Ahead Partnership.
The annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships, taking place across England, reflects on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.
To find out more, please visit: National Apprenticeship Week 2025, 10 - 16 February 2025
Ahead Partnership hosts Year 9 Careers Panel
Ahead partnership and industry guests were invited to host a careers panel with our year 9 students during National Apprenticeship Week. Organisations like Leeds City Council, Aire Global, Scene Architects, Transpennine Route Upgrade team, Stockheld Park, and The Coders Guild answered student questions about careers, apprenticeships, training, routes and other areas relating to the world of work.
National Careers Week (NCW) is a special week that celebrates the careers guidance and resources available in education across the UK, with the aim of providing careers guidance activity to help support young people in schools. During the week, career resources are shared with students. Some of our Year 8’s have recently visited Leeds Beckett University and we will continue the momentum by taking the rest of the year group. Over the next month or so, the students will be visiting the University of Huddersfield, University of Bradford, and the University of Cambridge.
Give Construction a Try
Some of our students took part in a wide range of hands-on construction activities as part of Give Construction a Try – giving them insight into the different career paths available within the sector.
Give Construction a Try, which was held at Castleford College, saw pupils enjoy interactive workshops across the day in bricklaying, building information modelling, carpentry & joinery, clay tiling, electrical, plumbing, roofing surveying and more.
The event was formally opened by Lord-Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson, who spoke about why it’s such an exciting time to be a part of the construction industries and the endless opportunities it offers.
To read more about this event, click here.
University Visits
The Careers Hub organised for Year 8 students to attend a university. Pupils had the chance to experience and explore the facilities, accommodation and to see the career options on offer. They enjoyed seeing the technology, taking part in the activities, and asking the student ambassadors questions relating to finances and university life.
Parent feedback has been incredibly positive, one said, “He really enjoyed the trip, and it opened his eyes to university”, another said “It was a very good use of his time, very encouraging and eased his anxieties, he came back very enthusiastic. He liked hearing from people who attended the university, and he took in all the knowledge that was passed on to him that day and shared it with us all at home, so we got to hear the personal journeys too. This university trip has really helped”.
Former student Latham visits Woodkirk Academy
We were very excited to welcome back one of our previous Woodkirk Academy students into school to help us to celebrate Science Week. Latham is a current PHD student at the University of Sheffield studying Materials Science. He found time in his busy schedule to come and spend the afternoon with some of our chemistry and physic Sixth Form students.
His presentation covered sustainability and clean energy, nuclear fusion and radioactive materials, 3D printing plus new manufacturing and technology methods. The students found it interesting and informative, especially when they were told that materials science was the fastest growing industry in the engineering sector: with 1.6 jobs for every materials scientist available.
The students appreciated being able to handle the different materials and benefitted from Latham’s experience and knowledge when it came to the science experiments that also took place during this valuable STEM session.