Future looks bright for Aureus students

The workforce of tomorrow got a glimpse into the future when they met potential employers and apprenticeship providers at Careers Fest 2026.

The Year 10 cohort from Aureus School in Didcot joined around 3,000 fellow students from across the county for the annual event, which is organised by the Oxfordshire Careers Hub.

“Careers Fest is a large-scale careers and pathways showcase, featuring employers, further education colleges, universities, training and apprenticeship providers, interactive activities and demonstrations, and information on local career pathways and labour-market opportunities,” explained Amy King, Careers Lead at Aureus.

“It is designed to give students meaningful encounters with employers and education providers. Around 3,000 students from schools and colleges across Oxfordshire attended during the daytime sessions.”

Held at the Kassam Conference and Events Centre in Oxford across 18 and 19 March, the event brought together some 75 exhibitors, including employers, colleges, universities, and training providers, thus enabling visitors to speak directly with industry professionals about career routes, apprenticeships, and post-16 and post-18 options, as well as collect prospectuses, brochures, and employer information.

There was also a range of hands-on activities and demonstrations on offer for the students to enjoy.

Miss King continued: “Highlights included meeting real employers and apprenticeships, discovering local opportunities they didn’t know existed, seeing practical demonstrations, asking questions about future pathways, and gaining confidence about next-step decisions."

She added: “Careers Fest is highly valuable. It provides meaningful employer encounters; helps students understand local labour-market opportunities; supports informed decision making for GCSE, post-16, and post-18 pathways; builds students’ confidence in speaking with professionals; broadens awareness of apprenticeships, technical routes, and university options; and encourages aspiration by showing real examples of career journeys.”