Meet Rosie Powley, our New Outreach and Engagement Manager

In this month’s blog, we’re excited to introduce Rosie Powley, our new Outreach and Engagement Manager. Recently, Rosie took part in the New Scientist Live event in London as part of our public outreach activities. Here, she shares her background, her new role, and the importance of inspiring young people to consider a future in the veterinary professions.

About me and my role at the RCVS

I joined the RCVS as Outreach and Engagement Manager earlier this year. Previously, I worked with local councils to help develop and upskill workforces and, most recently, as Head of Outreach at the University of Essex.

In my new role, I’ll be focusing on engaging current students and new graduates to show how the RCVS can support them throughout their careers. I’m also committed to widening participation within the veterinary professions. This involves ensuring that school-age children from all backgrounds see the veterinary field as a viable and welcoming career option, ultimately helping to foster greater diversity within the professions.

New Scientist Live

To kick off my work as Outreach and Engagement Manager, in early October, I, along with other RCVS staff members, attended the New Scientist Live event – an annual event which aims to bring science to life and inspire young people about its impact on the world. This was the first time that the RCVS had attended the event and it presented a fantastic opportunity to engage with young people, as well as their teachers, and guardians.

On our stand, we sought to spark curiosity about veterinary medicine with hands-on activities. Attendees could examine parasites by looking down a microscope (thank you, University of Surrey, for loaning this to us!), explore canine and bovine anatomy, and take part in a fun animal-based quiz. Current veterinary students and professionals were also on hand to talk with young people and their guardians about the professions and its many opportunities.

Our Senior Vice President, Dr Sue Paterson, also gave a careers talk to introduce the diverse array of roles within veterinary medicine and outline accessible pathways to joining the profession, such as foundation and access courses. This talk was streamed online, broadening our reach to a virtual audience as well.

Over the course of the event, we engaged with over 600 children, parents, carers, and teachers, distributing resources and sharing our vet and vet nursing careers materials. We handed out rulers, which the children loved, with QR codes printed onto them, which also linked to the careers information. These careers materials are currently serving as a starting point for a larger careers hub, which will eventually be housed permanently on our website.

Why engaging with young people matters

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is a core challenge in the veterinary sector. Currently, veterinary programmes struggle with diversity compared to other healthcare-related fields like medicine and dentistry. (Read more here: Veterinary School’s Council, Towards a Fairer Future: Working together to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine). To bridge this gap, it’s essential to reach out to underrepresented groups early on and show them that the veterinary profession is open to everyone, regardless of their background.

Collaborative efforts in outreach, starting with young students, are essential for change. When students from all backgrounds can see the veterinary professions as a potential and viable path, they are much more likely to decide to pursue a career in veterinary in the future.

Moving forward

To promote diversity within the professions, we’ll continue reaching out to local schools, students, families, teachers, and careers professionals. This ongoing work includes sharing career resources, participating in events like New Scientist Live, and strengthening partnerships with vet schools and other local and national organisations.

Some upcoming initiatives include:

• A central careers hub on our website.
• Ongoing communications with career leaders and advisors to provide updates on pathways into veterinary education.

As I settle into my role, I’m eager to make a positive impact on young people from underrepresented backgrounds, showing them that the veterinary professions are an accessible option for them. I’m also looking forward to building strong relationships with other veterinary organisations, as well as with current vet and vet nurse students.

Want to get involved?

If you’re a veterinary professional or student interested in contributing to our outreach efforts, please do get in touch with me at [email protected]. Any feedback or ideas for future outreach work are also welcome.