EVENTS
TEESSKILLS CAREERS FAIR
INSPIRATION
Work prep – Work Ready Collective co-founder Claire Preston delivering an inspiring talk to students.
STATION
600 students hear from powerful speaker line-up at careers fair
Nearly 600 students from schools across the Tees region heard from a powerful line-up of inspirational speakers at the inaugural Tees Skills Careers Fair.
Students came from across the Tees Valley for the debut event – including Darlington, Hartlepool, Guisborough, Brotton, Middlesbrough and Stockton.
And they packed the Middlehaven, Fenton and Rockliffe lounges at Middlesbrough FC’ s Riverside Stadium to hear from some of the region’ s most inspiring figures.
They included:
Claire Preston Co-founder of Work Ready Collective & inaugural Tees Businesswoman of the Year
Ready for What’ s Next? Preparing for the world of work and learning how to show up, stand out and step confidently into the future.
Claire said:“ It was a pleasure to be part of the fantastic Tees Skills Careers Fair and to share my own career journey and Work Ready Collective insight with hundreds of local young people.
“ Events like this are invaluable. They showcase opportunities, connect students with employers and highlight the need for even stronger links between education and business – to provide more meaningful career-related engagement and experiences across our region.”
Rachel Burke Director, Tracerco & Power of Women, Tees Businesswoman of the Year 2025 – 26
Rachel shared her remarkable journey from TS1 and leaving school at 16 with few qualifications to becoming an awardwinning business leader – and the life lessons she learned along the way.
Jordan Thornhill Outrank A behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of digital marketing and the exciting pathways available in one of Teesside’ s fastest-growing sectors.
Imran Anwar CEO, Alt Labs & Tees Tech Ambassador 2025 An inside look at the tech and digital careers powering Teesside’ s transformation.
Neil Young Teesside Freeport skills and workforce development manager
Supported by Tees Valley Combined Authority’ s Janine Armstrong and Suzanne Strathern, Neil explored the high-growth careers emerging across the Tees Valley – from clean energy and offshore to advanced manufacturing, innovation and digital.
Professor Dr Muhammad Safwan Akram Teesside University
A fascinating journey into the future of medicine, engineering biology and biomanufacturing – and the skills needed to succeed in fast-evolving bioscience industries.
Laura Bains Technip Industries
An insight into how careers in technology, engineering and construction are transforming – and the routes young people can take to join this dynamic sector.
The appliance of science – Teesside University’ s Professor Dr Muhammad Safwan Akram delivers his talk.
The voice of business in the Tees region | 23