[22 October 2007]

Sussex skills festival

'Be what you want to be' - that was the theme for this years Sussex Skills Festival which took place on October 10th - 12th at Brighton Race Course and thousands of school children from across Sussex did just that! Attendees were given the chance to find out about a variety of skills and career options from over 60 exhibitors. The festival was also supported by veteran TV presenter Fred Dineage, who welcomed VIPs and young people to the event, along with David Lammy MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for skills.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service worked in partnership with West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service hosting a wide range of interactive activities with the aim of engaging with young people about the importance of fire safety whilst demonstrating the exciting career prospects available to them within the Service.

Activities included an impressive abseiling display that demonstrated some of the skills used by firefighters during a rope rescue operation. Young visitors to the event also had a chance to experience first-hand what it is like to work as an operational firefighter through a computer generated programme. There was also a blue light simulator, which enabled the participant to experience what an emergency call is actually like by showing real life footage of a journey. Attendees were also able to gain a broader understanding of some of the difficulties encountered on the roads by the emergency services.

For those people interested in a career within the Fire Service, the festival was an excellent opportunity to get a feel for a wide range of operational situations and to ask operational firefighters questions about their careers.

Other interactive exhibitions included the Coaching for a Safer Community football challenge, which contributed towards giving visitors an insight into the community safety work that East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service are involved in as well as an opportunity to take part in a competition to see who could score the fastest goal!

The Sussex Skills festival is organised by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who are responsible for funding and planning further education and vocational training in England. Their mission is to raise participation and achievement through high quality education.