Thousands flocked to Barking & Dagenham College last Wednesday to experience the range of skills and career opportunities on offer for young people.
The Skills Show Experience featured some of area’s top employers and businesses, like the Post, and shone a spotlight on almost every industry imaginable.
More than 2,000 people took part in exciting competitions, demonstrations and ‘Have a Go’ activities from e-design to engineering, and sports science to solar panelling.
One of the most popular attractions was the hairdressing stand where student Simran Kaur, 18, from Barking, showed the audience how to curl.
Simran said: “I love the idea of being creative and making people feel good about themselves, and you can do that with hairdressing.
“I’m doing my hairdressing course this year but then I want to do a business course so I can open my own salon.”
A wide variety of speakers joined in the fun including the likes Mayor of Barking and Dagenham Cllr Hardinal Singh Rai and BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory presenter Maggie Philbin.
Ricky Knell, 20, from Romford, visited the show to try out the different trades on offer.
He said: “I’m a qualified electrical engineer but I wanted to see what the other trades were like too, so I came along to the event. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, it’s a good experience.”
College students also put on fantastic dance shows and live bands played all day, while catering students cooked up some treats to tempt passers-by.
Forensic science student Luke Endacott, 20, was on hand to help visitors get to grips with extracting DNA from strawberries.
He said: “Everyone’s been really interested in the activities we’ve had going on and it’s been very busy.
“It’s great to see so many young people here.”
Cathy Walsh, the college’s principal and CEO said: “The show was buzzing all day and the atmosphere was tremendous with everyone commenting on how useful, informative and fun it has been.”
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