Work Experience is a vital part of Secondary Education and enables students to better understand where and how their unique skills and talents might fit into the Future World of Work. All the photos below show past St Aidan’s students ‘on the job’ in local companies.
Invariably a work placement proves to be a powerful and sometimes a pivotal experience, opening eyes and minds to career opportunities and paving the way towards future goals and aspirations. Most importantly, it inspires confidence and reassures students that they have, or can readily develop, skills that employers need.
Work Experience – Why, How and Where?
St Aidan’s has excellent links with local business and 3rd sector organisations and is an active and long-standing member of the Harrogate Chamber of Commerce and other business networking groups. The link below gives an infographic overview of the positive outcomes of over 600 individual work placements since 2016 and also celebrates the companies and organisations who so generously invest their time and resources to support our students and inspire their future.
Virtual Work Experience
Since Covid 19 put a temporary top to face to face work placements, many companies have developed some excellent, live Virtual Work Experience opportunities which have proved so effective that the format is most definitely here to stay. professionals working with some of the UK’s largest companies and nationally recognised
Speakers for Schools and Springpod have emerged as brokers of very high quality virtual opportunities and many of our students have benefitted hugely from taking part in their programmes over the past 18 months – read some of their testimonials here.
For the full list of Current opportunities click on the red button above.
Infographic Summary and Employment Partners 2016 – 2020
We strongly promote our annual Year 11 Work Experience Programme and encourage students to use their own networks or proactive research techniques to secure a placement in specified weeks at the end of the summer term. In addition, a combination of one to one help and advice via lunchtime drop in workshops, plus access to a comprehensive work experience database ensures around 200 successful opportunities each year.
