Pupils from Haverhill schools given a taste of future careers during a two-day event hosted by West Suffolk College

Hundreds of primary school children were given an early insight into future career aspirations during two Skills Escalator Days held in Haverhill this week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a total of 240 pupils from four Haverhill primary schools; Coupals, Place Farm, New Cangle and Burton End, plus St Mary’s School, in Cambridge, took part in the event at the West Suffolk College (WSC) site in Park Road.

Vik Fiebelkorn, the skills escalator lead for the Eastern Colleges Group, of which West Suffolk College is a part, worked with Elaine Simmons, WSC Haverhill’s head of community and business centre to set up the two-day event - which was being held for the second time following a successful pilot last year and was organised in partnership with West Suffolk Council.

Representatives were there from West Suffolk Council’s economic development, family and communities and waste management teams, Suffolk Constabulary, HSBC, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and UK Power Networks.

Children were given an insight into the range of jobs that the employers could offer and how they play a part in the community in which they live, they got to take part in hands-on experiments and tasks and tried on police and fire uniforms – and more besides.

Elaine said of the days: “They just really broadened the children’s horizons a little bit and got them to think about how many jobs are in all of the organisations.

“The children were so engaged. It was lovely.

“It’s been a really positive experience. The children went away buzzing and I think we have just given them some aspirations.

“You don’t want them to think about being a fireman at five or six but it’s just given them an idea of what some of the jobs are that are available.

“They’ve had a really fun time. They’ve got stickers, they’ve had their fingerprints taken and done the recycyling and I was amazed at how switched on to it they all were.”

The Skills Escalator Days are being run this summer in Haverhill, Bury st Edmunds, Ipswich, Thetford, Sudbury and Chatteris.

Elaine added: “We are taking aspirations out into the community, which is what we should be doing.”