Fantastic Turnout for King’s Careers Extravaganza 2025

Now in its third year, the King’s Careers Extravaganza continues to go from strength to strength, with record numbers of eager pupils and their parents/guardians attending over the two afternoons in March.

The events in College Hall welcomed pupils from Year 6 upwards from across the King’s Foundation and the wider Worcestershire school community to meet with local businesses. We were incredibly grateful to the Old Vigornians (OVs), King’s parents, and friends of the School, who generously donated their time to support these inquisitive young minds investigating their own potential future careers.

The first afternoon focused on opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The Keynote Speaker was OV James Smalley, who is a Mechanical Engineer for Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, which designs, build and tests the Power Units for the Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Aston Martin Formula One teams. The rapt audience keenly listened to James’s sage words of advice, including recommendations for A-levels, university options, and what to expect from a career in F1. A current parent commented, “James Smalley’s talk was excellent. He talked so fluently and confidently about what he does (even without slides) – he really knows his stuff.”

In the main hall, we hosted 30 exhibitors representing careers in the following sectors, giving visitors exceptional access to a great range of STEM careers:

• Medical
• Environmental – Sustainable & Renewable Energy
• Engineering
• Science
• Armed Forces & Police
• Apprenticeships

You can see the full list of exhibitors and read about what they do in this pdf booklet HERE.

For the second afternoon, attention shifted to careers in Business and Creative Industries, with exhibitors from across the following sectors engaging, encouraging, and educating the keen visitors:

• Financial Services
• Marketing & Communications
• Event Management
• Law & Charity
• Property, Real Estate & Land
• Creative Business
• Technology/Cyber Security

You can read the full list of exhibitors and what they do in this pdf booklet HERE.

Our Keynote Speaker was OV Cameron Walker, Royal Correspondent for GB News and Broadcast Journalist, who wowed the audience with his experiences whilst giving them thoughtful words of advice and encouragement for their own potential career in the media. A current parent commented, “Cameron Walker was fascinating and inspiring.”

The exhibitors were similarly impressed by our wonderful pupils. Mark Smith from Lloyds Bank, now in his third year of exhibiting at the Careers Extravaganza, said, “The questions and interest we had this year were superb – a great reflection on how the School is preparing your pupils for the world ahead.”

Ben Murphy from the Iguana Group agreed, commenting, “It was a fun afternoon. I was very impressed by all the children who popped by to chat, everyone was very polite.”

As the reason for the King’s Careers Extravaganza is to help pupils learn more about their future options, though, it is fantastic to hear from some of them with their thoughts:

“It’s really great to speak to people about different jobs. I found out some interesting information on careers in engineering and law and it’s really sparked my interest to want to learn more.”
Year 8 pupil

“It’s been really interesting and very informative. The solicitor was very engaging.”
Hannah, Year 8

“I loved speaking to the interior design lady as that is the job I have always dreamt of having.” Bethan, Year 7

“I really liked speaking to the solicitor as I’ve always wanted to be one. So it was great to find out more about what they do day-to-day.”
Evie, Year 7

“The event has really opened new doors; it was a great fact-finding experience and has made me excited about my future. It’s been useful to see the variety of future career options on offer.”

Year 13 pupil

Mrs Gent, Head of Careers at King’s, added, “The annual King’s Careers Extravaganza is an incredible opportunity for pupils at King’s and we are delighted so many pupils took advantage of the knowledge and experience of the exhibitors across both afternoons. Many thanks especially to all of the exhibitors and our excellent Keynote Speakers, for their support and time.”