Anything but a ‘car crash’ at Careers Day

It was a day of adrenaline and discovery for students from across Northamptonshire earlier this week, as they had a taste of higher education.

The day kicked off with a dramatic performance of a car crash by the University’s undergraduate Acting and Creative Practice courses, who played the parts of the motorists, passengers and witnesses involved in the collision.

For safety reasons the ‘crash’ had already happened, so students instead witnessed the immediate aftermath, with some of the actors arrested at the scene by officers from Northamptonshire Police, treated by student paramedics from the University’s Paramedic Science course, and witnessed members of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue ‘extricating’ a person trapped in a car.

The students were then led through a series of workshops with University of  Northampton undergraduates, lecturers and members of the Aspire Higher team, giving the students an opportunity to see the roles various professions play in giving care and support after a car collision.

The purpose of the day was for the students to get a hands-on taster experience and look at career options on offer at their local university, challenging the perceptions they might hold about these professions.

The students who took part came from the following schools: Abbeyfield School, Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, Parker E-Act, Corby Business Academy and Kingsthorpe College.

Patryck Nilipiuk, a student at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, reflected on the day and said: “All of the workshops were really engaging, and I particularly enjoyed watching the car crash scenario and learning useful life skills like CPR.

“It’s given me a lot to think about with my future career, and one thing I’m certain of, is I’d love to come back next year and try out the next sessions!”

Christine Webster, Co-ordinator of Aspire Higher at the University and who organised the event, said: “I’d like to thank all of the students and teachers who took part in this year’s ‘Car Crash Careers Day’. It was great to see everyone getting stuck into the workshops – and having fun at the same time!

“It’s one thing speaking to young people around a career in paramedic science, but it’s quite another for them to witness real-world paramedics in action, responding to a live incident with the adrenaline pumping.

“It is through events such as Car Crash Careers Day which we hope to inspire students to take a deep, but enjoyable, look at the huge array of jobs on offer to them and for them to aspire to take that next step in their education.”

The full schedule for the day was:

• Law (general law from a solicitor’s perspective and medical law from the perspective of an in-house lawyer)
• Midwifery (this session is linked to one of the victims who is pregnant)
• Occupational Therapy (focusing on victim injuries and how this will impact their lives)
• Paramedic Science (basic life support session and introduction to paramedic equipment)
• Podiatry (diagnosis of lower limb neurology)
• Policing
• Fire Service (opportunity to talk to the fire service and understand the role and routes to enter the profession)
• Environmental Science (Don’t cry over spilt milk, a workshop on understanding the damage a road traffic accident can have on the environment)
• Wellbeing (Understanding self-management techniques to cope with stressful situations. Linking careers in the field.)