Page 27 - Old Ratcliffian 2020 Edition

COUNCIL

CAREERS DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION

Earlier this year, Ratcliffe’s Year 12 students were offered the opportunity to bid for a share of £1,000 towards their career development,
thanks to a generous donation from an Old Ratcliffi an. All of the students were given the chance to enter a competition which required
them to put together a proposal to bid for a share of £1,000, specifi cally to enhance either their current studies (with equipment or
software), or to attend a recommended careers programme or short course.

The Careers Development Competition was set up following an approach from an OR who left in 1968, and who continues to remember
Ratcliffe with fondness. His wish was to support students at Ratcliffe who were facing the challenges of their next steps in life and,
specifi cally, their careers. Whilst the competition offered the chance to win a share of the funding, it also enabled the Careers Offi ce
and the students’ subject tutors to guide and enlighten them on how best to develop their current profi les, considering opportunities
that might give them an advantage for forthcoming applications to universities and the job market, whilst developing their employability
skills in the process.

The three successful students (pictured, above) were Sophie Brown, Rishi Desai, and Dhrumil Rajpara, now in Year 13, who all undertook
courses during the summer of 2020 and reported back on how they helped them.
Rishi Desai participated in an Investment Banking course. He said: “This allowed me to simulate trading currencies and to manage a
portfolio in order to optimise risk-reward. It also allowed me to access a new network and receive mentoring from industry professionals,
which helped me to gain awareness of different pathways within the sector. The opportunity has supported my university application
signifi cantly and helped me to confi rm my career aspirations.”

Sophie Brown used the funding to undertake a C-Programming course during lockdown. She said: “I am applying to study Computer
Science at university. This programming course was an amazing talking point for my personal statement, and it allowed me to continue
my independent studies when schools were closed. It reminded me why I wanted to study Computer Science in the fi rst place: I love to
solve problems, and using code to do so is incredibly fulfi lling.”

Dhrumil Rajpara used his share to attend an Engineering virtual internship, where industrial experts from across the world hosted
sessions on topics ranging from driverless vehicles to AI technology. He said: “I found the session on nanotechnology particularly
informative, as we discussed the use of buckminsterfullerene as a material to transport medicine, such as insulin, to targeted organs
within the body. I was especially drawn to the concept of using engineering-developed technology to help future generations to cope
with chronic conditions. Another part that really fascinated me was an experiment applying Bernoulli’s Principle to the camber of an
aerofoil to determine the lift and thermal effi ciency of the wings of an aircraft. This task gave me an insight into the fundamentals of
aerodynamics, which I found particularly intriguing, as it links perfectly to the science behind Formula 1 racing cars. F1 is a sector that I
aim to work within in the future.”

The Careers Offi ce was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to support the Year 12 students in these activities. Kate Grace, Head
of Careers, said: “2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for our students. We launched the Careers Development Competition
shortly before school closed. The timing unwittingly allowed us to encourage all students within the cohort to research opportunities
that could support their future career aspirations. The winning students were particularly thorough in their quests for activities, and
they were able to pitch their ideas successfully. We were delighted to be able to fund them.”

We are now looking for a donor to step forward to support the 2021 Careers Development Competition, to give this year’s cohort
a similar opportunity. If you are interested in supporting this worthwhile project, please get in touch with the Association Offi ce or
Andrew Yell, Development Director, on 01509 817000 or ayell@ratcliffecollege.com.
The Old Ratcliffi an 2020 27