YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY HAVE ANSWERS

Posted 17 February 2003

HOW DO I BECOME a Chartered Surveyor? What do I need to do to get a career in Off Road Vehicle Design? Is there a future for me in Agriculture?

College students wondering where to go and what to do next in their education or career pose these and many similar questions each year. Now, help is at hand in the form of the Higher Education Choices conference, which will be held at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire, on July 7 – 8, 2003.

As the slogan might say, ‘you have choices, they have answers’ because Higher Education Choices, or HEC, will bring together advisers from universities, colleges and businesses across the UK. They will discuss a diverse range of courses and careers including agriculture, applied biology, business, conservation, engineering, land management, marketing, marine biology, retail management, veterinary nursing and science, zoology and many, many more.

Formerly known as the National Sixth Form Conference, this international event has a fourteen-year history of helping as many as 250 young people a year obtain the information they need to take the next important step in their career.

The name of the event has been changed to reflect the increasing numbers of overseas students attending, particularly from the Republic of Ireland, where students do not attend a Sixth Form. It is hoped the change of name will make the aim of the conference clearer to all.

Amongst those supporting the event will be the universities of Nottingham, Liverpool, Reading and Bangor, the Scottish Agricultural College, Bishop Burton, Warwickshire College, Reaseheath and Writtle, as well as businesses such as JCB, Farmers’ Weekly and Tesco.

The National Farmers Union, the National Association of Young Farmers Clubs, LANTRA, ISCO, Connexions and the Royal Association for the Protection of Birds will also be involved.

The two-day event kicks off with an opportunity to visit careers stands and talk to the many advisors present – an ideal networking and information gathering opportunity.

The first afternoon then offers a variety of seminars, each geared towards a particular subject area. Students will be able to attend three of these seminars, each of which will provide information and advice on courses and careers in that subject area.

Overnight accommodation is provided in Harper Adams’ own Halls of Residence and this will give all concerned their first, real taste of what university life will be like. A programme of games and competitions will be hosted in the Students’ Union, followed by the opportunity to party the night away.

The second day continues the theme, offering a further taste of university life with a choice of subject based activities. These activities put students through sample lectures and exercises to give them an idea of what they would be studying if they took that subject up as a Higher Education course. Students will again have time to attend three of these activities.

The benefits of experiencing university life before you finally decide where to go and what to do, and the importance of making sure you have all the facts before deciding what direction to take your career in, should not be under-estimated.

Best of all, the experience will not make too large a dent in your pocket either. The conference fee, which includes all your meals, accommodation, entertainment and a conference pack stuffed full of freebies, including the exclusive Question Mark T-Shirt, is just £25. Apply with a friend and you’ll pay just £35 in total, so what have you got to lose?

For further information and an application pack, please ring +44 (0) 1952 815 265, E-mail sbishop@harper-adams.ac.uk or log on to the Website: www.thequestionmark.co.uk

(Ends)