YOUNG pupils were given an introduction to university life to help inspire their career decisions in years to come.

The group of around 30 year eight pupils from Darlington secondary schools Longfield Academy, The Education Village, Hurworth School and Darlington School of Mathematics and Science (DSMS) spent a day at Teesside University, in Middlesbrough.

The visit was organised by the university in partnership with Foundation for Jobs, the national award winning project to tackle youth unemployment.

The first part of the visit involved university orientation tasks such as a campus treasure hunt and activities designed to show the range of options, both from an academic and social point of view, university life can offer.

In the afternoon the pupils took part in activities related to Law and sport science.

The aim was to give the pupils an early understanding of what university life involved and potentially inspire them to consider higher education as a realistic option for their future.

Teesside University’s recruitment manager Nicola Noble said: “For many of the students, this will have been their first interaction with a university.

“It’s important that, from an early age, students are given an insight into higher education and they all were able to see for themselves the rich opportunities that student life offers.”

Foundation for Jobs is a national award winning initiative involving The Northern Echo, Darlington Borough Council and the Darlington Partnership of public and private sector organisations.

It has worked with 2,700 young people aged between 10 and 24 since its launch two years ago.

A major strand of the campaign is linking young people with industry and career opportunities while they are still at school.

This often challenges young people’s existing perceptions of certain industry sectors and also what is needed, both in terms of educational and personal attributes, to enter these sectors.

Research has shown that engaging children in work related activities while still in education can lead to them being up to five times less likely to be unemployed at the age of 25.

For more details contact Foundation for Jobs co-ordinator Owen McAteer on 01325-388367 or go to www.foundationforjobs.co.uk