Bournemouth University hosted its annual Careers Advisers and Teachers Conference, gathering a host of local schools, colleges and education providers for a day of training.
Hosted during Mental Health Awareness Week, the event focussed on health and wellbeing, with sessions from Dorset Mind and Young Minds, talking about how attendees can support their students.
The event was also a chance for attendees to hear about recent changes to higher education and at Bournemouth University to inform and support students to make well-informed choices about their post-18 options.
Nicola Murray-Fagan, Head of UK Student Recruitment and Outreach at Bournemouth University, said, “Today is really important because we have the opportunity to come together as education professionals and look at ways we can improve our practice, build relationships and further develop the partnerships we have with schools and colleges.
It is important for us to have strong relationships with schools and colleges because we want to ensure that we are supporting students through their transition from secondary into higher education, and to give them information that they need to make good, informed choices.”
Hayley Jones, Careers Advice and Guidance Manager at Queen Elizabeth’s School, in Wimborne, “Bournemouth University is our main university for support at QE School. Today is a really good opportunity to find out more about changes that BU are making, as well as update my own personal knowledge, and find out what support is available for our students.
“Coming along and finding out how we can support our students is really helpful. I’ve just been to the workshop by Dorset Mind, I personally learned about my own wellbeing as well as how we can help our students, so it has been really helpful.”
Sessions on the day also included information on nutrition, and the Southern Universities Network (SUN), as well as a series of sessions led by academics showcasing subject areas in BU’s course portfolio.
Anna Powney, Children and Young People’s Service Manager at Dorset Mind, said, “Teachers have a huge influence in supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing, probably more than they realise, and they are in positions where they are in daily contact with young people, they can identify when changes are happening, when signs and symptoms are presenting themselves, they could be the first to intervene and put things in place.
“To be able to come today and showcase our service, and tell people that this is who we are, and this is what we are trying to support across Dorset, is vital, because we are passionate about this and we are here to help schools and students at any stage of their education.”
For more information about studying at Bournemouth University, visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses
