An exciting addition and important part of the National Careers Service is the Inspiration Agenda. The Inspiration Agenda establishes relationships between schools, colleges and employers. It provides a range of innovative, engaging activities in a work place environment enabling young people to think about their future careers.

What Prospects did

Prospects organised for 24 students from Burntwood Girls School, in the London borough of Wandsworth, to learn about how the fire service works. The day was led by a female fire fighter stationed at Dock Head, one of the newest fire stations in London. The visit coincided with the London fire brigades need to target more female applicants.

The London Fire Brigade had a senior female officer who was in her seventh year of service and the station manager who had been in the service for 28 years talk to the students. The students also had the chance to meet a recruitment officer from head office.
 

The focus of the event was to increase awareness of the work fire fighters do including those in the back room, who operate control functions, those in operational roles as well as non-uniformed roles. The students learned about how the station operates on a daily basis. The students took part in activities on how to operate and carry a hose in a safe way, disengaging a water valve to fire a stream of water at a target. They learned the correct way to carry a body using realistic manikins. The final activity consisted of the girls working in pairs to complete an obstacle course while one was blindfolded and the other gave instructions, this was to mimic conditions in a smoke filled room with poor visibility.

Outcomes and results

Both students and the London Fire Brigade enjoyed the day. One student said: “I had not appreciated how vital regular training exercises were ensure fire fighters remained safe until now.”