This month, students in all year groups have attended our annual Careers Fair, which was supported once again by a wide variety of local businesses, national organisations, colleges and universities.

The event was an excellent way to help students begin thinking about what career they might like to pursue and to ensure that they have the right information to make appropriate subject choices to be able to reach their goal.

Students were able to speak to representatives from a diverse selection of industries about job opportunities within the sector and entry requirements. They also benefited from practical advice from employers in terms of how to make themselves stand out from other applicants in a competitive job market, such as embracing opportunities to gain work experience or volunteering in the community.

This year, more colleges and universities took part in the event than ever before and our students were surprised to learn about the wide variety of specialist courses on offer. Many said afterwards that it had helped to give them a sense of direction and to feel more motivated.

Year 13 student, Ben L had been considering a career in the forces for a while but was not entirely sure it was right for him until he attended the Careers Fair. "I visited a number of stands at the event," he said, "but once I had spoken to the representative from the Royal Navy, I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I went home that very same night and applied online to become a Royal Navy Engineer; now I am really focused and feel much more positive about my future."

We would like to thank the following organisations for their support: The Army, UTC South Durham, Akzonobel, GSK, Darlington College, Ask Project, ICAEW, Sunderland University, Price Waterhouse Cooper, Leeds Beckett University, Durham University, Hydram Engineering, Northern School of Art, East Durham College, Huddersfield University, Northumbria University, Bishop Auckland College, Newcastle University, ITEC, Haden-Collier, National Citizen Service, BL Hairdressing, SW Durham Training, Teesside University, Civil Service, Cummins Engines, PPG Aerospace, New College Durham, Health Education England ( NHS) and Royal Navy/Royal Marines.