Thank you for accepting our invitation to attend the Orkney Careers Fair 2024 on Wednesday 2 October 2024, at the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall. We are delighted to have so many exhibitors attending, representing a wide range of career pathways available to young people and adults in Orkney.
Below are some details you will need to know to help you prepare for the event, please share this information with everyone who is working on your stand. You can also find a link to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) which we hope will help you.
If you have any queries that are not answered below, please do not hesitate to contact DYW Orkney on [email protected] or by calling (01856) 569 353.
Below are some details you will need to know to help you prepare for the event, please share this information with everyone who is working on your stand. You can also find a link to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) which we hope will help you.
If you have any queries that are not answered below, please do not hesitate to contact DYW Orkney on [email protected] or by calling (01856) 569 353.
Travel and Accomodation
If you are an exhibitor who is joining us from outwith Orkney, the following information will help you to plan your trip.
Regular flights are available to Orkney from Shetland, Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh through Loganair. Ferry travel is also available with short crossings available through Scrabster from Northlink Ferries and Gill’s Bay (near John O’Groats) from Pentland Ferries.
If you require accommodation, this should be booked as soon as possible. Orkney is a popular tourist destination and finding somewhere to stay at short notice can be difficult. The Orkney.com website has a search function for accommodation.
Stagecoach operates the JET (service 4) bus service from Kirkwall Airport into Kirkwall, which runs every 30 minutes. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes. Taxis can be booked through Craigie’s Taxis on (01856) 878 787.
Regular flights are available to Orkney from Shetland, Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh through Loganair. Ferry travel is also available with short crossings available through Scrabster from Northlink Ferries and Gill’s Bay (near John O’Groats) from Pentland Ferries.
If you require accommodation, this should be booked as soon as possible. Orkney is a popular tourist destination and finding somewhere to stay at short notice can be difficult. The Orkney.com website has a search function for accommodation.
Stagecoach operates the JET (service 4) bus service from Kirkwall Airport into Kirkwall, which runs every 30 minutes. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes. Taxis can be booked through Craigie’s Taxis on (01856) 878 787.
Deliveries
If you are an exhibitor who is joining us from outwith Orkney and would like to have any prospectuses/promotional material sent to the venue in advance of the event, please send them to: Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LR and mark them ‘Orkney Careers Fair’.
Please ensure you leave plenty of time for delivery, due to our location ‘next day delivery’ is not possible. We recommend that you allow at least one week for deliveries to ensure they arrive on time. Please note, the venue has limited storage facilities so do not send any material up too far in advance of the event either.
If you are an exhibitor from Orkney, you will only be able to take promotional material to the venue from the evening before the event. Please see 'Event Set-Up' below.
Please ensure you leave plenty of time for delivery, due to our location ‘next day delivery’ is not possible. We recommend that you allow at least one week for deliveries to ensure they arrive on time. Please note, the venue has limited storage facilities so do not send any material up too far in advance of the event either.
If you are an exhibitor from Orkney, you will only be able to take promotional material to the venue from the evening before the event. Please see 'Event Set-Up' below.
Event set-up
Access to the venue will be available from 5pm-7pm on Tuesday 1 October 2024, and from 8am on the day of the event (Wednesday 2 October). We request that all exhibitors are set up in the arena by 9.20am on the day.
There will be no display boards available at your stand, however you are welcome to bring along your own display boards, pop-up banners, promotional displays, interactive activities, etc. as there will be sufficient space at your stand for these items. If you have specific requirements for your stand (e.g. you need additional space or access to power) can you please let us know as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with exact measurements for your stand area. Photos from the 2022 event are available here to help you visualise the space available.
There will be no display boards available at your stand, however you are welcome to bring along your own display boards, pop-up banners, promotional displays, interactive activities, etc. as there will be sufficient space at your stand for these items. If you have specific requirements for your stand (e.g. you need additional space or access to power) can you please let us know as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with exact measurements for your stand area. Photos from the 2022 event are available here to help you visualise the space available.
Venue Facilities and catering
There will be limited wi-fi available at the venue, if you require access to the internet for your stand, please let us know.
Power sockets will not be available at every stand, and priority will be given to those who indicated they needed power in their booking form. If you think you will need access to a power socket, but did not indicate this in your booking form please let us know as soon as possible.
We will be providing lunch and refreshments to all exhibitors free of charge. If you have not already done so, can you please confirm how many people will be on your stand and any special dietary requirements by Friday 6 September 2024.
Water dispensers will be made available in the Arena, so please take a reusable water bottle with you.
There is also a café available at the Pickaquoy Centre, where you will also be able to purchase refreshments throughout the day.
Power sockets will not be available at every stand, and priority will be given to those who indicated they needed power in their booking form. If you think you will need access to a power socket, but did not indicate this in your booking form please let us know as soon as possible.
We will be providing lunch and refreshments to all exhibitors free of charge. If you have not already done so, can you please confirm how many people will be on your stand and any special dietary requirements by Friday 6 September 2024.
Water dispensers will be made available in the Arena, so please take a reusable water bottle with you.
There is also a café available at the Pickaquoy Centre, where you will also be able to purchase refreshments throughout the day.
Format of the Day
The event will be open to the public from 9.30am-6pm. Exhibitors are required to remain for the duration of the event.
The event will be attended by pupils from the local Secondary Schools and Junior High Schools. The itinerary for the day and pupil numbers can be found below:
9.30am-10.30am: Kirkwall Grammar School (S4 pupils - approx. 170 pupils)
10.30am-11.45am: Stromness Academy (S4-S6 pupils - approx. 150 pupils)
11.45am-1pm: Relaxed / Quiet Session
12.30pm-2pm: Lunch Break
2pm-3.30pm: Kirkwall Grammar School (S5 and S6 pupils - approx. 228 pupils)
3.30pm-6pm: Open to the General Public
S3 and S4 pupils from Sanday, Stronsay and Westray Junior High Schools will attend at times that suit their ferries. This will be approximately 30 pupils.
This year we have introduced a Relaxed/Quiet session which will be for young people and adults with additional support needs or those who would benefit from attending at a quieter time. This will be open to the public, school pupils and individuals supported by local support services.
The times the schools attend will be our busiest periods so you will need to staff your stand accordingly. We will be open until 6pm to enable parents and members of the public to come along too, although the event will be open to the public all day.
Lunch will be served between 12.30pm and 2pm in the Leisure Pool Gallery. To help with the flow of exhibitors in the dining area, we advise you to stagger when your staff attend to get their lunch.
All parents of senior phase pupils will be informed of the event and encouraged to attend with their children. We will also be promoting the event to the general public and encouraging them to attend too, particularly those looking to return to work following a career break or those looking to change career. Further details about promotion, and how you can get involved will be shared later.
The event will be attended by pupils from the local Secondary Schools and Junior High Schools. The itinerary for the day and pupil numbers can be found below:
9.30am-10.30am: Kirkwall Grammar School (S4 pupils - approx. 170 pupils)
10.30am-11.45am: Stromness Academy (S4-S6 pupils - approx. 150 pupils)
11.45am-1pm: Relaxed / Quiet Session
12.30pm-2pm: Lunch Break
2pm-3.30pm: Kirkwall Grammar School (S5 and S6 pupils - approx. 228 pupils)
3.30pm-6pm: Open to the General Public
S3 and S4 pupils from Sanday, Stronsay and Westray Junior High Schools will attend at times that suit their ferries. This will be approximately 30 pupils.
This year we have introduced a Relaxed/Quiet session which will be for young people and adults with additional support needs or those who would benefit from attending at a quieter time. This will be open to the public, school pupils and individuals supported by local support services.
The times the schools attend will be our busiest periods so you will need to staff your stand accordingly. We will be open until 6pm to enable parents and members of the public to come along too, although the event will be open to the public all day.
Lunch will be served between 12.30pm and 2pm in the Leisure Pool Gallery. To help with the flow of exhibitors in the dining area, we advise you to stagger when your staff attend to get their lunch.
All parents of senior phase pupils will be informed of the event and encouraged to attend with their children. We will also be promoting the event to the general public and encouraging them to attend too, particularly those looking to return to work following a career break or those looking to change career. Further details about promotion, and how you can get involved will be shared later.
BReakout Sessions
As part of the Orkney Careers Fair, we are offering a series of breakout sessions for exhibitors, employers, teachers and parents to attend. The topics these sessions will cover, as well as how and where to reserve your space will be shared shortly.
Employer's Toolkit
To help you prepare for the Orkney Careers Fair and support your engagement with young people and adults who will be attending the event, we have developed an Employer's Toolkit. You can access a copy of it at the button below.
Pre-Event Briefing
Ahead of the Orkney Careers Fair, we held a pre-event briefing for all exhibitors. The briefing session was held on Wednesday 11 September, and a recording the briefing can be viewed here.
At the above link you will also find a copy of the presentation slides available below, along with a copy of the Floor Plan and the Employer's Toolkit. Please share this link with anyone in your organisation who will be attending the careers fair to work on your stand.
If you have any questions after viewing any of this information, please contact the planning team by emailing [email protected].
At the above link you will also find a copy of the presentation slides available below, along with a copy of the Floor Plan and the Employer's Toolkit. Please share this link with anyone in your organisation who will be attending the careers fair to work on your stand.
If you have any questions after viewing any of this information, please contact the planning team by emailing [email protected].