St Illtyd’s School in Cardiff recently hosted an exciting and inspiring careers session that gave pupils a hands-on introduction to the creative industries.
The interactive event, coordinated by Careers Wales and delivered by Screen Alliance Wales on Thursday 11 November 2025, was designed to bring the world of work to life and showcase opportunities within one of Welsh Government’s priority sectors.
Pupils explored a library of videos highlighting a range of roles in film and television and discovered the diverse career pathways available. They also took part in a practical activity creating special effects make-up – an experience aimed at sparking interest in the creative sector and demonstrating the skills behind the scenes of this growing industry.
Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education in Welsh Government, also came to visit the pupils. Her visit underlined the importance of employer engagement and the value of inspiring young people to consider careers within different industries in Wales.
One learner who took part said: “I found out that if I cant be an actor there are lots of other jobs I can do in films just like we’ve been shown today.”
Another pupil said: “I was surprised about the amount of research done before doing actual special effects make-up.”
Adam Fleet, assistant headteacher at St Illtyd’s School, said: “It was good for the students to hear the variety and number of opportunities available to them in the creative sector, many outside their knowledge, and to keep their eyes and ears open for any opportunities that may come their way, and grab them with both hands.”
Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education, said: “It was brilliant to visit St Illtyd’s School and see first-hand how pupils were engaging with the creative industries to develop practical, transferable skills.
“The creative sector in Wales is thriving and can offer diverse and exciting opportunities for our young people. Welsh Government is committed to supporting vulnerable learners through practical experiences that build confidence and skills.
“Careers Wales facilitated interactive employer engagement events like this make a lasting difference by opening young people’s eyes to the wealth of opportunities available in Wales and inspire them to pursue these careers in the future.”
The event was organised by Anwen Phillips, a business engagement adviser at Careers Wales, with support from Nick Sparrow, the Careers Wales careers adviser based at the school.
Anwen Phillips said: “It was a pleasure to coordinate the recent Screen Alliance Wales careers session at St Illtyd’s School.
“Employer engagement like this is vital in helping pupils broaden their horizons and understand the world of work.
“We were delighted to host the Cabinet Secretary at the event, and illustrate exactly how these experiences give young people a real insight into the opportunities available to them and help them make informed decisions about their future.”
Screen Alliance Wales works closely with schools across Wales through Careers Wales to provide employer-led experiences that help to connect young people with the world of work.
Rhys Bebb, Welsh language education & training manager at Screen Alliance Wales, said: “The creative industries in Wales have great potential for growth. It has been successful based on the facilities and locations we have available here, but we at Screen Alliance Wales wish to ensure that the personnel on these future projects are from the area in which they are based.
“My role is to ensure students are aware of the diverse range of opportunities and roles available, including special effect make up discussed today, but also the different pathways available to them entering the world of work.”
