Your Future Story: Cohort 1 students explore future pathways at Spaceport Cornwall and Leonardo Helicopters

Students in the first Your Future Story cohort have been taking part in inspiring employer visits across the South West – meeting one another in person, taking on new challenges, and discovering more about the exciting futures that could lie ahead.

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​A key part of Your Future Story is giving students the chance to encounter leading employers and universities, broaden their horizons, and see the range of ambitious, high-skilled careers available here in the South West. These visits are also designed to give students opportunities for stretch and challenge beyond the classroom and, just as importantly, to bring the cohort together so that a strong sense of shared identity can begin to grow.
 
That spirit of connection was built into both visits from the very start. At both Spaceport Cornwall and Leonardo Helicopters, students began the day with an icebreaker challenge: collecting a sticker from a student at every other participating school by introducing themselves and asking a question. It was a simple but brilliant way to get conversations started, and helped set the tone for a day full of energy, friendliness and curiosity.
 
Students from the western half of the cohort came together at Spaceport Cornwall, where they took part in collaborative STEM challenges, toured the Spaceport site, learned about Cornwall’s central place in the UK space industry, and built and launched their own rockets. It was also the cohort’s first chance to meet one another in person – a moment that made the idea of a regional cohort suddenly feel real.

Students from the eastern side of the cohort visited Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil. Their visit came just a day after Leonardo had announced a £1 billion contract to build the next generation of British helicopters – providing a timely reminder of the scale, significance and future of the work taking place there. During the day, students explored the site, learned more about cutting-edge helicopter design and engineering, and took part in hands-on engineering activities led by Leonardo’s team, creating bridges from spaghetti and designing their own helicopter to fit with a customer brief.

Both visits shared the same sense of excitement and possibility. On each day, students impressed staff with the way they embraced new experiences, worked with pupils from other schools, and engaged so positively with the challenges they were set.
 
Students were joined throughout the visits by their Teacher Champions, whose support has been such an important part of the programme so far. Having those familiar adults alongside them helped encourage students to take part with confidence, while also strengthening the sense of partnership between the programme and participating schools.
 
Student reflections captured that sense of impact powerfully. One described the programme as helping them see “the new opportunities for different jobs and what you could do in the future”, while another spoke of discovering “bigger opportunities for the future and your hopes and dreams”. Others reflected on how enjoyable it had been simply to meet other pupils on the programme and realise they were part of something bigger.
 
These employer visits are just the beginning. Over the coming years, students will come together again and again through a growing programme of university and employer encounters, mentoring and support.
 
Later this year, the cohort will visit the University of Bristol and the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus as the next stage in that journey.
 
For Your Future Story, visits like these are about much more than a single day out: they are about building confidence, widening horizons, and helping young people begin to imagine ambitious futures for themselves.