HSDC students have access once again this year to the Southern Universities Network (SUN) Guest Speaker Series, but with a slight twist – because of the pandemic it will all be done virtually.
SUN is a collaborative partnership of higher education providers in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight which provides higher education outreach activities to schools and colleges to support students and their parents/carers with a better understanding of a student’s future options.
This year’s online programme spans a variety of subjects, featuring speakers from a host of different universities and industry experts talking about courses, employment and apprenticeships in that industry, job roles and education pathways. Guest speakers will host a live Q&A to provide on-the-spot answers to questions the students may have.
Included this half term are interesting talks and career sessions on sport, midwifery and the South-Central Ambulance Service amongst others, as well as CollegesLive, a webinar co-sponsored by the Association of Colleges and Pearson which featured musicians, a Climate Change Activist, a historian, a former FBI agent and a former NASA astronaut. Highlights included historian Edgar Feutwanger, who grew up a few doors down from Adolf Hitler as Hitler rose to power, and NASA astronaut Charlie Duke, who was the youngest astronaut to walk on the Moon and was the voice of Mission Control for the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Students were able to ask questions during the presentations, which were answered live by the presenters.
SUN Progressions Mentor Jodie Meakin coordinates the events for Alton students,
“The SUN Guest Speaker Series is an exciting way to offer students a true picture of a course and/or career they hope to follow. We are happy that we can offer these sessions to students despite the pandemic.”