Bristol City Council’s Work Experience Programme
In order to support a diverse future work force and continue to help to remove barriers to meaningful experiences of work for young people, Bristol City Council has developed a new programme of traditional work placements.
The placements are based at various locations around the city and are being offered to all Bristol WORKS schools, Ashton Park, City Academy, Merchants Academy and Orchard School. The council’s new programme aims to demonstrate the diverse nature of the council’s work. With placements in a variety of departments from Bristol Family Cycle Centre to Public Relations to the Mayor’s office, Bristol City Council hope there is something for everyone.
Bristol WORKS Project Manager, Karen Blong, organised the programme of placements.
“Bristol City Council’s new programme of traditional work placements aims to offer students from WORKS partner school dynamic and fulfilling experiences.
A programme of activity has been created that demonstrates the diverse work that takes place at the council, whilst empowering students to take ownership of their own projects and being immersed in a team of professionals.
As part of the new programme, students will work in teams with a work placement mentor who will set the student a real work challenge. Students will also participate in group employability sessions, exploring different job sectors and interview skills as well as receiving information from the Bristol Apprenticeship Service about the new apprenticeship opportunities that are currently being developed following the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. Students will be asked to keep a diary of their experience which will they be created into a blog at the end of the week.”
By offering the students a taster of real-life challenges whilst supporting them to improve their employability skills and reflect on their experiences, Bristol City Council are hoping that other organisations will follow suit. This model aims to demonstrate that meaningful experiences of work can be embedded into regular working practices and help to develop a skilled local workforce.