On Monday 22 March 2010 over 200 Year 10 pupils from schools across the Northwest will descend on BT Convention Centre, part of ACC Liverpool to join leading architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners and other professionals for GoPlaces, the region’s first built environment pupil conference organised by Places Matter! the architecture centre for the Northwest.

The conference will include talks from inspirational architects working in the region including Wilkinson Eyre Architects who designed Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool and Ian Simpson Architects who designed the Hilton Tower in Manchester. Young people will also participate in a series of interactive workshops led by leading design professionals, giving them an insight into what it means to work in the sector. Representatives from local Further and Higher Education Establishments, professional bodies and employers will also be present providing up to date careers information.

The conference will be chaired by Matt Brook. A graduate of Liverpool’s John Moores University, Matt is the youngest Director at Broadway Malyan, a practice with offices across the UK, Europe and Asia, and designed the striking Mann Island development on Liverpool’s waterfront.

The aims of the conference are to give young people an insight into working in design and the built environment, breakdown preconceptions about the type of people that have successful careers in the sector, demonstrate how the built environment can be used to support key curriculum aims and provide information about educational routes into the sector. The conference is being delivered by Places Matter! Education with the support of Aimhigher Greater Merseyside, BT Convention Centre, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool.

Matt Brook, Conference Chair, said: ‘All of us come into contact with architecture and are impacted by the quality of design of our built environment but many young people do not have the opportunity to engage with, learn about or understand the built environment that surrounds them.

‘The aim of this conference is to inspire and inform, offering more young people the opportunity to learn about the value of good design and give them the skills to communicate their views so that they can demand better design for our region in the future.’

Jo Harrop, Places Matter! Education Manager, said: ‘Helping to increase awareness of the opportunities open to young people and break down the stereotypes around people who work in the sector is part of all our projects. Places Matter! Education aims to encourage young people from a wide range of backgrounds to make the most of their talents.’

Deirdre Lynksey, Aimhigher Greater Merseyside, said: ‘Aimhigher is pleased to be supporting Places Matter! in this unique opportunity for young people from across Greater Merseyside to access some of the country's leading architects, urban designers and planners.  Young people need to be advised at an early stage about the skills, experience and knowledge they need to develop to ensure they can progress into this area of work. Places Matter! is doing this!’