For the fifth year running, CoolLED was pleased to take part in the John Hanson Careers Fair in Andover, joining fellow local employers and education providers to help students consider their options beyond school.

Representing CoolLED this year were Luther Hindley and Flo Hinton in the morning, followed by Avik Bhattacharjee and Ben Furness in the afternoon. Between them, the team spoke with students about the different careers available within a technology company, the skills employers look for and the sometimes unexpected routes people take into their professions.

But one subject kept coming up throughout the day: artificial intelligence.

What does a career look like in the age of AI?

It's a fair question, particularly for students currently making decisions about GCSEs, A-levels, apprenticeships and further education.

AI is already changing how people work, and its capabilities are developing at a remarkable pace. Students wanted to know what that might mean for their own futures. Which qualifications will still matter? What skills should they concentrate on? And how do you prepare for a career when the technology involved might change completely?

Nobody can confidently predict what the workplace will look like in five or ten years. At the current rate of development, even six months can bring considerable changes.

What we could offer was some perspective from our own experiences, working for a British technology manufacturer where scientific knowledge, engineering expertise, commercial understanding and practical problem-solving all play a part.

While the tools people use will undoubtedly change, having a good understanding of your chosen subject, being willing to learn and knowing how to approach unfamiliar problems will remain a sensible foundation for any career.

And perhaps that's the most useful advice we could give. You don't need to have your entire working life mapped out at 15 or 16, particularly when the world you're preparing to enter is changing so quickly.

Five years of conversations, and counting

Of course, there was still plenty of interest in what we actually do at CoolLED, from developing LED illumination systems for fluorescence microscopy to supplying specialist lighting technology used in scientific research and industrial applications around the world.

As a local employer, it's always encouraging to meet young people interested in science, technology and engineering, particularly those who might never have considered the opportunities available within a company like ours.

This was our fifth consecutive year attending the fair, and while our involvement has become something of an annual tradition, the conversations certainly haven't stood still.

Our thanks go to everyone at John Hanson Community School for inviting us back, and particularly to the students for their questions, curiosity and willingness to challenge us.

We might not know exactly what the future of work holds, but it was a pleasure to spend the day talking to some of the people who'll be part of shaping it.