Council Welcomes Students for Jam-Packed Day as part of Careers Week
After a successful visit last year, Hyndburn Borough Council were pleased to once again welcome students from local high school, Accrington Academy, last week as part of the school’s Careers Week. During their visit, the students had the opportunity to learn more about the work done by Council Officers and Elected Members, as well as the many different pathways to careers at the Council.
Students took part in a variety of different sessions and activities throughout the day, led by Council officers from a range of departments like ICT, Parks and Environmental Health, to learn more about the work being done by their local Council and garner a more in-depth understanding of how this work unfolds around the Borough.
The afternoon session proved especially engaging for the students as they took part in a mock full Council meeting led by the Mayor of Hyndburn, Cllr Terry Hurn, to debate real issues that offered them the opportunity to play their part as decision makers. Cllr Terry Hurn, the Mayor of Hyndburn said:
“As someone who has been involved in local politics for a long time now, I was thoroughly impressed with all that I saw and heard from the students today during their afternoon session. I have found today very personally rewarding and it was a real pleasure to meet with the students and to hear their views on the very issues that we deal with on a day-to-day basis.”
Provided with a background of Hyndburn Council’s corporate priorities from the Policy and Development team, the students split into two teams to develop a motion that they felt would support the Council’s priorities and benefit local residents. From discussions about introducing new arts and cultural events into the borough to new ways to encourage residents to be active in their local green spaces, the teams engaged in meaningful debates about what new initiatives could be implemented to improve how people view Hyndburn as a place to live or visit.
Cllr Zak Khan, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Sustainability, said:
“The students were a real credit to both their school and the borough of Hyndburn, driving really insightful conversations about their local area and how they would propose improving it for all who work and reside here. Yes, the mock debate was a fun activity but the conversations that stemmed from it showed great promise for Hyndburn’s future from the next generation.”
These sessions serve to inspire the next generation of young people to achieve all that they can and consider thoroughly the different career opportunities available to them, both traditional and more diverse. Not only are these days rewarding for the teams who get to engage with students, the students themselves leave with a greater sense of excitement about their studies and where these may lead them in the future with tangible examples in mind. Hyndburn Borough Council welcomes similar enquiries and opportunities in the future.