Cotswold School invited local priests to come and chat with young people about their futures, gifts and vocations at a careers fair, providing space for deeper reflection on broader questions about their identity and purpose.
The Revd Hannah Allen said: “It was good for clergy to be visible at the fair so that young people and parents could ask questions about being a minister in the Church of England. Answering questions such as, “what do you do in the week?” and sharing some of our own journey to ministry showed how a future in church leadership could be a possible future path for young people today.
“The stall had three elements to it. One was church leadership. A few students already involved in local churches expressed interest in taking on church leadership roles in the future. We were able to promote the young leadership programme the diocese offers.
“The second element was gap years. We were engaging students who were unsure about their next steps, and those hesitant about immediately pursuing further study or work. A globe was on the stall which we used to explore the idea of travel as a way of learning more about yourself away from the structures of education. The globe also raised awareness of the church around the world.
“The third element encouraged students to explore the idea of vocation more broadly. This was the most popular element and attracted dozens of students from both faith and non-faith backgrounds. While other stalls at the fair were about specific career paths, colleges or universities, our stall offered space for deeper reflection on broader questions about identity and purpose: ‘Who am I? What am I passionate about? What do I love?’.
“We provided a skills inventory to help students identify their gifts, talents, and passions so that students could begin to consider vocation in their own lives. We also offered students a single plain jigsaw piece to take home. They were to remind the students that there is a place for them in a bigger picture, that they are precious and important. The jigsaw pieces were particularly powerful in encouraging young people who had no idea what they wanted to do once they finish school.
“Every item on our display table was referred to in conversation at some point during the afternoon including leaflets about exploring faith in God and the details of a lunch time group for exploring the Christian faith.”
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