Year 10 are put to work!
Year 10 Work Experience Week runs from 29th January to 2nd February. Work Experience gives students the opportunity to spend a week in a business or industry that they may consider pursuing a career in, such as a veterinary practice, school or law firm. They usually observe at different levels of the business and get a feel for how it operates as a whole. Work Experience isn't like a Saturday job, instead our students work or shadow at the level of their career ambitions. Our Year 10 cohort begin their Work Experience in the way that any jobseeker should begin their journey to employment: by researching and applying for their positions. Our students have been successful in securing placements in ambulance maintenance, Nottingham Magistrates Court, primary schools, engineering companies, dog grooming businesses, hairdressers, restaurants, IT companies, opticians, dentists and so much more.
Going into a workspace as a teenager, especially without the security of friends and familiar spaces, can be a daunting prospect. Work Experience enhances the resilience our students have been building throughout their time at Hall Park Academy, presenting them with new challenges and situations to test their skills and build confidence for life beyond school. Students spend their week with people who have expertise in a particular industry or profession which takes their interest; anything from Aerospace engineering to Zoos. This is not always a comfortable or easy experience for them, but as with most things in life that are rewarding, the satisfaction comes from overcoming the challenge and succeeding with the task at hand: Teachers have been out and about this week visiting students at their work experience placements, as the pictures with this will show, and the praise they have heard time and again has been about how our young people are hardworking, enthusiastic and eager to learn.
All students at Hall Park Academy have the opportunity to take part in organised work experience during their time with us, in Year 10 and again in Year 12. Work experience serves a practical purpose: it helps make job applications stand out from the crowd, showing true interest and primary knowledge of an industry. But it isn't simply an addition to a CV, and it isn't just about putting in the hours from 9 to 5 (or earlier or later, depending on the job!). It's about developing essential skills and experience to prepare for leaving school. It's a journey of exploration, personal growth and self discovery. It's about helping our young people to think about their own, very real and very imminent futures when they leave Hall Park.
Mr Fenby
Work experience co-ordinator