Schools' careers fair scrapped as agency withdraws support

A POPULAR careers fair staged by two Edinburgh schools has been scrapped after a Government body said it could no longer support the event.

Careers Scotland has been running the event for parents and pupils at Balerno and Currie high schools for the past five years, attracting several hundred people each year.

However, the agency has now withdrawn its support for the annual convention – which alternated between the two schools – to "refocus" its provision of careers advice in the Capital.

Instead, it is providing two central events, one in September and one in March, and offering its database to the schools to organise their own careers fair.

But parents are calling for Careers Scotland to reconsider its decision, saying the schools do not have the money or the time to organise the events themselves.

Liz Carrie, chair of Balerno High School's parent council, has written to the agency asking for a rethink.

She said the events were always held at a time when parents could attend and the fact that the fairs were held at the schools involved parents more.

She said: "I'm very disappointed about it.

"They have been hugely successful and have offered a range of opportunities for kids and their parents to look at things together, which is really important."

The conventions held at Balerno and Currie schools have featured representatives from universities, colleges, the Army, police and a wide range of employers.

David McLetchie, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, is also asking Careers Scotland to reinstate its support. He said: "I'm very concerned that a government agency has withdrawn from running what has been a very successful careers convention.

"School budgets are tighter than they have been, and if Balerno and Currie want to run the conventions the way they have done in the past, they are going to have to meet the costs from their limited budgets without support from Careers Scotland."

But Careers Scotland insists its decision to focus its services into two main events in Edinburgh is more beneficial to young people.

A spokeswoman said: "We decided to concentrate our careers advice events in the Edinburgh area to the Higher Education Convention in September and the Careers Scotland Jobs Fair in March. This approach allows us to involve more partners and provide access to a much wider selection of careers to a larger audience of students and parents."

The city council said it would not be "appropriate" to comment on the situation.