Work-related Learning: making it happen with your alumni network
Welcome to my blog spot! I’m Vic Geary RCDP and I’m a qualified and Registered Career Development Professional, and part of the Future First team.
Research from Education and Employers found that “Young people taught in independent schools routinely have access to high quality work experience which is more relevant to university admissions than their state-educated counterparts” and “Around half of work experience placements are sourced directly by pupils or their families, this does not mean a good fit with the realities of demand in the labour market*. This sets a challenge for those working in state schools to level up the opportunity playing field for our students and a key way to do this is by making use of the school alumni network.
Whether you are working towards hitting the eight Gatsby Benchmarks or the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, now that the world is getting back to normal after the pandemic, you may well be considering how to facilitate in-person work experience opportunities to your students. The exact format that work experience should take is not dictated by any of the above measures so you can think outside the box and work in collaboration with alumni and local employers to find ways to offer experience of workplaces or employer encounters to students in a way that works for everyone.
| Benchmark/Purpose | How you could meet it using your alumni |
|---|---|
| Gatsby Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees | "Guess my job" panel in assembly, lunchtime career talks, virtual presentation recorded for form time, alumni linked to relevant curriculum areas |
| Gatsby Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces | Traditional one-week work experience placements, shorter work shadowing placements (1-2 days), insight visits to local employers for small groups of students |
| Curriculum for Wales purpose 2. Enterprising and Creative | Enterprise Challenge introduced and judged by alumni panel, virtual work experience/employer insight sessions |
| Curriculum for Wales purpose 3. Ethical and Informed Citizens | Alumni careers workshops, including educating students about the role of business in society |
Top tips for Work-related Learning
- Consult your local Careers and Enterprise Company Careers Hub to find out about the key employment sectors in your area. Can your alumni help with placements in these sectors to ensure your students are ready for the local labour market if that’s where they choose to stay?
- Consider sourcing placements that offer experience of customer service, an office environment or working outdoors as students interested in a wide range of careers would benefit from these environments. This is how you cater for those who are hoping to pursue careers that cannot be ‘tried out’ through school work experience e.g. Cabin Crew, Site-based construction.
- Involve your school’s Careers Advisor if you have students who are struggling to engage with work-related learning. Often this is because they are overwhelmed with choice and need guidance from a qualified careers professional.
- Ensure that you are considering the individual needs of students in line with the Curriculum for Wales principle of “A curriculum accessible for all” or Gatsby Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil. Remember that not all young people are ready for a full week-long work experience placement at the same time so offering appropriate alternatives ensures an inclusive approach.
Want to know more?
I’d love to hear from you to understand what other topics you would like me to focus on in the coming months. Whether its further blogs, opportunities to meet ‘virtually’ to discuss topics or webinars: contact the Future First team below.
