‘Higher or Lower’ Sector Game
In today’s fast-paced world, there are thousands of unique jobs waiting for talented individuals like you. The best part? Everyone’s career journey is different. However, it’s essential to recognise that some jobs are more popular than others and some industries are set to grow, whilst others may shrink in the years ahead. Use our ‘Higher or Lower’ Sector Game to find out!
This short game – ideal to play in the classroom or at home – helps you to learn about the most popular jobs and sectors in Stockport and Greater Manchester right now. It may surprise you to learn which industries employ the largest number of workers and encourage you to think carefully about your future study and employment choices. Sectors with high levels of employment and jobs available will be less competitive and constantly on the look out for new recruits. Whereas sectors with lower employment numbers may be more competitive and selective when it comes to hiring top candidates.
Use this activity as a prompt to learn more about the different sectors, what jobs exist within them and key trends contributing to their future growth with our Career Guides or Day-in-the-Life Employer Videos.
How to use
This quick-fire Sector Game activity focuses on helping young people to consider whether sectors are in high-demand or low-demand, growth or decline, competitive or buoyant, when considering their future study and work options. It encourages students to make realistic and informed decisions based on an improved understanding of the local labour market and the jobs, careers and employers that exist now and into the future.
Time to Play: 10 minutes plus additional time if you wish to discuss different sectors – what they mean and why they may employ a larger percentage of the local workforce for example.
Setting Up: Simply print out the flashcards on A4, fold in half and stick in a long line on your classroom wall or whiteboard (or lay out on the table), with the main sector picture facing up (and the answers hidden on the back!). This can be in any order you wish, but you will need to keep a copy for yourself so you can reveal the results. This can be played with the whole class at the same time or by splitting them up into smaller groups if you wish. You can provide students with the ‘Higher’ or ‘Lower’ flashcards to hold up or simply ask them to shout out the answer / raise their hands to vote.
Instructions:
Referring to the first sector picture you have displayed (e.g. Construction), tell students what percentage of the Stockport and/or Greater Manchester workforce are employed in this sector and the number of employees this relates to.
As a prompt/discussion point, you may wish to test students’ knowledge about this sector with suggestion questions below, if not move onto the next sector picture.
Ask students whether they think more or less people are employed in this sector by raising their hands / shouting out with the response ‘Higher’ or ‘Lower’. Reveal the answer by telling students what percentage of the Stockport and/or Greater Manchester workforce are employed in this sector and the number of employees this relates to.
Repeat until all sector pictures have been discussed. You may then wish to turn the cards over to reveal the key statistics and arrange them in order from greatest number of employees to fewest and return to the talking points below if you have time.
Suggested talking points:
- Who knows what this sector does?
- Can anyone name any companies that work in this sector?
- How many job titles can you think of that work in this sector?
- Were you surprised at the number of people employed in this sector?
- Why do you think there are so many / few people employed in this sector locally?
- Why do you think there is a higher/lower percentage of people employed in this sector in Stockport compared in Greater Manchester?
- What trends do you think affect this sector currently?
- What trends do you think will affect this sector in the future?
- Would anyone like to work in this sector?
