The careers and employability teams at Cleeve School and Cheltenham Bournside School are joining forces to deliver a virtual careers fair tomorrow (Thursday 21st January).

The event from 5-7pm is for students in Years 9-13 and their parents/ guardians to enjoy from the safety of their own homes.

It will be the first time the schools have run a careers event together.

Emma Smith, sixth form manager and careers lead at Cleeve School, said: "We are so disappointed that we are unable to invite students and their parents/ guardians into school for this year's careers fair. However, we think that teaming up with the careers team at Bournside School and offering an informative and interactive evening online is the perfect solution.

"We pooled together our contacts and were delighted that a number of businesses, universities and colleges were keen to get on board. They have created some brilliant video content for us to share and some will be a taking part in live presentations and Q&A sessions, to give everyone the chance to ask any burning questions they might have. This will provide a fantastic opportunity for our students and their families to explore different education and career paths for the future. We hope that everyone will find it just as engaging and interesting as they would attending in person."

Steve Jefferies, headteacher of Bournside said, "We are thrilled to be teaming up with Cleeve School to deliver our virtual careers fair this year. Our careers team have developed excellent connections with colleges, universities, and employers across Gloucestershire and beyond, so we can support our students in deciding their next steps to achieve their ambitions.

"Whether our students have aspirations to go to university, seek an apprenticeship, or go directly into employment, they will have the opportunity to explore all of the options available to prepare them for making informed decisions about their futures. We are fortunate to be hearing from some fantastic speakers and look forward to their advice and tips for our students."

There will be representation from Gloucestershire College and Hartpury College, the Universities of Gloucestershire and Cardiff, cyber security and the Royal Air Force, as well as talks from DWP on CV writing, interview tips and job searches.

The virtual careers site will be available from 9am on 21st January at https://froglearn.cleeveschool.net/cleeve-bournside-virtualcareersfair2021 to allow students and parents/ guardians to look at the many opportunities available to them.

Live presentations and Q&A sessions will run from 5pm until 7pm.