National Careers Service Inspiration Agenda and IBM recently partnered to host a special Apprenticeship Insight Day.

Teachers, careers professionals and students explored apprenticeship schemes and graduate opportunities at one of the world’s biggest global digital companies.

The event took place on Monday 3 July at IBM’s headquarters based in Warwick. IBM has continually evolved to remain at the forefront of technological innovation, and began with staff giving an overview of the company and its operations that expand across 170 countries.

Test Analyst, Charlotte Gascoigne and Health Check Analyst, Cassia Edwards discussed their journeys that led to a career at IBM. Both did not consider a career in technology, but they still found their skills were applicable to the industry.

The sequence of the day was then split into two halves with one hub dedicated to teachers and another allocated to students.

Teachers and careers professionals were given an introduction about the Inspiration Agenda delivered by Sonia Kumari and Meera Kotak. This explained how they both broker relationships between employers, schools and colleges to help bring the world of work alive for young people.

The students hub consisted of a mini careers fair with multiple stalls promoting various opportunities at IBM. Students were able to discuss the various career pathways such as apprenticeships and graduate schemes. A Q&A session along with a workshop was also conducted to help students learn about the application process and ask questions about careers in technology.

Gloria Smith, Partnerships Manager said: “Digital skills are at the heart of employment opportunities. This event has enabled students, teachers and career professionals to understand the importance of the various career pathways available and the part that technology plays in future employment.”

The event evaluation concluded that there was a clear need for more events of this nature, and professionals suggested that they would like to see more students gain a first-hand experience of what’s it like working for technology companies.

Visit our Flikr page to see more images from the event