Over seventy students embraced the opportunity to embed their careers learning in a practical way by seeking out and securing their own placements - helping them to understand how the world of work operates and how it differs from life in school.

As part of the Gatsby Benchmarks, a national framework for the delivery of careers education in schools and colleges, it is stated that ‘every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.’

This was fully embraced by the students who participated, with a successful week of placements being enjoyed across a range of employment sectors from education to engineering, and hospitality to hairdressing.  

Commenting on the benefits of work experience, Withernsea High School’s Careers Leader Viki Foster said: “Work experience is a valuable part of our careers programme, where students get to sample real life work scenarios for themselves. This not only helps them to prepare for future life in the workplace, it also equips them with knowledge and information regarding career paths which they may not have previously considered.

The proactiveness of our students in finding their own placements was really impressive, and the support of local employers remains invaluable. Work experience is not only beneficial to our students, it also gives businesses the opportunity to raise their profile in the local area and to be involved in developing the workforce of the future. We are grateful to everyone who supported placements this year and are delighted that so many have already expressed an interest in accommodating students in future years.”

Feedback from employers was universally positive, with many of them commenting on the positive attitude of the students; their ability to ask relevant questions and their willingness to get involved in the tasks being given to them.

Students not on external placements were given an opportunity to shadow members of staff in different departments around the school, while others engaged in a range of employability activities designed to help prepare them for the world of work.

In addition, around thirty students participated in a virtual work experience opportunity that was led remotely by construction company Balfour Beatty. This unique experience, which removed the need for students to travel to the employer’s base, saw students working in teams and tasked with planning, costing and designing a new school. Each team member was assigned a specific role, from Project Manager to Design Engineer, to help inspire teamwork and shared responsibility for their project. 

Supervised by staff in school, students got to grips with the concept of remote working and enjoyed sharing their presentations via video call to representatives from Balfour Beatty.

Viki Foster said: “The Balfour Beatty virtual work experience mimicked the current trend for hybrid-working which has become more commonplace since the Covid pandemic. Remote working offers flexibility for both employers and employees and our virtual work experience helped to show our students the opportunities that are available, the independent working that is expected, and the benefits of technology in maintaining connections with employers.”

Work experience is an essential part of students’ development and understanding about their future career routes. Taking part helps them find out more about the local labour market and the opportunities for employment in our area. It provides a great opportunity to ask questions about different roles within their place of employment and to learn more about the skills and qualifications that are needed to work for specific companies. With college and apprenticeship applications set to open in the Autumn Term, the experience came at a crucial time as students begin to consider their post-16 options. 

In recent years, colleges and secondary schools have been given more responsibility to arrange independent careers guidance for their students. This includes working with many different partners, including qualified careers professionals, employers and training providers, to make sure young people receive impartial information and guidance to understand the full range of options available to them.

To help achieve this, education providers use eight benchmarks developed by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation to set a standard of excellence in good careers guidance.

The Gatsby Benchmarks were created by Sir John Holman, a former Headteacher and founder of the National STEM Learning Centre, as part of an independent, international review of career guidance that was funded by the foundation. In the resulting report, Sir John identified the following qualities for the improvement of careers guidance in schools and colleges:

A STABLE CAREERS PROGRAMME: Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

LEARNING FROM CAREER AND LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION: Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF EACH STUDENT: Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

LINKING CURRICULUM LEARNING TO CAREERS: All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.

ENCOUNTERS WITH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES: Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

EXPERIENCES OF WORKPLACES: Every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities.

ENCOUNTERS WITH FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION: All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

PERSONAL GUIDANCE: Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

These benchmarks are now helping to successfully drive a comprehensive careers education programme at schools and colleges around the country, ensuring that students are given the information, advice and guidance needed to build a successful future.

Meanwhile the former Year 10 students of Withernsea High School are now preparing to return as the new Year 11 cohort for a busy academic year ahead that will see them sit their exams next summer, before embarking on their next steps towards further education, employment or training. Throughout the year they will continue to enjoy one-to-one careers interviews and guidance which will help them as they choose their post-16 options.

ABOVE: Catherine Morgan, Communications and Social Value Coordinator at Balfour Beatty, joined students remotely to evaluate their plans and help lead the virtual work experience opportunity. 

ABOVE: Groups took turns in presenting their plans over video call.