MORE than 5,000 Durham school pupils took part in a series of career bootcamps this week with many put through their paces by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

A broad range of employers told them what it’s really like to work in County Durham, what qualifications and skills are expected, and what opportunities await them after school or university.

The bootcamps were part of the Get The Buzz initiative, the brainchild of the County Durham Education Business Engagement Board, which is made up of prominent businesses and education providers from across the county.

Sarah Slaven, business development director at Business Durham, the economic development company for County Durham, said one of its aims was to bring schools and businesses closer together.

She said: "The Get the Buzz events are designed to help students become more aware of the world of work, raise their knowledge of the different career options that may be available when they complete their education, and help them find out more about some of the industry sectors available in their local area."

Apart from the MoD, employers such as Northumbrian Water, Lloyds Bank, Keepmoat, Go Ahead Training, Ebac and Dyer Engineering visited schools along with the Newcastle United Foundation, Durham Police, Durham County Council and Home Group.

Louise Hunter, Northumbrian Water’s director of corporate affairs, said: "This week was a fantastic opportunity to bring business and education together and gave the pupils involved a detailed insight into the career paths available to them in the wide range of businesses that we have in County Durham. Businesses have a significant role to play in encouraging young people to stay and work in our region."

Michael Wardle, headteacher of Durham Johnston School, said: "The bootcamps are key to keeping up momentum and keeping education and employment high on the agenda with the support of our employers."

Schools taking part included Greenfield Community College, Shildon; Woodham Academy, Newton Aycliffe; Bishop Barrington School, Bishop Auckland; and Parkside Academy, Willington.