YEAR 11 students from Lawn Manor had the opportunity to practise their interviewing skills with local employers last week.

The event, aimed at pupils who will be leaving in the summer after their exams, helped prepare them for their future in work and education.

A range of local employers including Catalent, Span Training and New College gave students a taste of the interview process.

For students who are interested in the public services, both the army and the police put pupils through their paces.

Oxford Brookes University also attended, interviewing students who hope to progress to university.

In preparation for the event, pupils created their own CV and then chose a job they were interested in.

Following this, they were then invited to be interviewed for the role they had applied for.

Afterwards, each employer gave pupils individual feedback on the positive side of the interview and then gave the pupils tips on how they could improve when they are interviewed again.

The waiting area was full of nervous energy but there were lots of smiles when pupils came out of the interview room.

The majority of pupils started the day concerned about it being scary having never had the experience before, but felt positive afterwards and prepared to face a real interview in future with an insight into questions that they might get asked again.

Lawn Manor headteacher Sandra Muir said: "It is amazing the confidence our pupils had.

"Being prepared for the world of work is a life skill many pupils never get the opportunity to do and we feel it is a vital skill to give to our Year 11 before they leave us.

"We would like to thank all the employers for their support, without this we would not be able to offer this day."