Helping our students succeed

Too often, young people living with a vision impairment aren’t given the career opportunities they deserve. That’s why RSBC’s Dorton College hosted a careers day recently, inviting external speakers to inspire our students and help provide them with the tools they need to enter the world of work. 

We spoke to Tricia, a Futures Tutor at the college, and the driving force behind the event.

Why did you want to hold the careers day?

I’d been thinking about it for a while, then decided on a date and just ran with it! Sometimes, our students ask us questions that we’re not be able to answer, so it seemed like asking people to come in to talk to them would be of more benefit to them. They could learn about their roles and understand the opportunities that exist in the outside world.

Who were the speakers at the event?

We were lucky enough to welcome people from various professions. There were representatives, Paula Hollywood and Bethany Doran from Bromley Council, Julie Rose and Lucy Maree from Julie Rose Recruitment, we had a writer, Rebecca, Charlotte, Dorton’s Braille Tutor and Alex, our resident RSBC tech guru. The speakers were fantastic – they answered all the students’ questions and were open to discussion, as well as being full of great advice. 

What did you hope the students would get out of the day?

That they’d gain knowledge of what’s available to them out there, and understand where they could find extra support.

What was the reaction from the speakers like?

Everyone said it was a fantastic day. Some have said they’d love to come back, and other people who couldn’t make it, or have heard about it, are wanting to join our next one. Word must have spread about how good it was!

How did the students react to the speakers?

Very well. For example, Rebecca, the writer, helped them feel inspired because there are various different avenues you can take with writing. You can do it as a job and aspire to become a published author, or you can simply enjoy it as a hobby. 
 
One of the students said: “There were a lot of inspirational people at the careers day, including the writer, who made me think about possibly starting to write again.” 

The one-to-one sessions between Julie Rose Recruitment and the students were a huge hit. One student was with them for 45 minutes and they were given so much useful information. It was a fantastic confidence boost for them. 

Feedback from our students included: “Julie Rose Recruitment said that my CV was really detailed, and that it included a lot of information around my work experience and education; everything that I’ve done so far. They’ve even added my LinkedIn profile, which is great, as it could help me get a job.”

Do you hope to run more careers days in the future? 

Absolutely! For the next one, I’d like to open the eyes of the people who come by speaking about what our students can do. I might ask the students themselves to write speeches, then ask the professionals to offer advice on how they can help them specifically.

What do you think the biggest takeaway from the day has been?

I feel that the students were given more confidence by knowing what’s out there, that people can help, and that they shouldn’t be afraid to ask. It’s scary enough for people without a vision impairment or additional needs to go out into the working world, so I don’t want them to be anxious once they leave Dorton.

I was delighted that so many of the students asked questions on the day. Many have said that they’re nervous talking to new people, but all of them were getting involved in the discussions. It was great to see.

The students made it such a special, fantastic, amazing day, so huge thanks go to them. And there will be a lot more to come in the future!

 
If you’d like to speak at our next careers day, get in touch with Tricia at: tricia.smith-ojoko@rsbc.org.uk

To find out more about how we support vision impaired students at Dorton, head here: www.rsbc.org.uk/dorton-college