Getting to Grips with Apprenticeships at North Star 240
This week, Bristol WORKS supported a group of Year 11 learners from North Star 240 to explore the exciting world of apprenticeships! Through the session, students gained an insight into apprenticeships as an alternative career pathway and were able to practise the skillsets needed for specific roles in Bristol. We were lucky enough to be joined by three fantastic Bristol-based apprentices: Zoe from Bray and Slaughter, Regan from Savills and Yolanda from Bristol City Council, who all shared with students their own experiences of pursuing an apprenticeship.
We kicked the session off by taking students through the fundamentals of what an apprenticeship is, how they are structured and supported students to consider what they needed to know when looking for their ideal course, such as location and application details. From here, students were split into small groups and invited to meet our volunteer apprentices and take on work-place challenges related to their respective sectors!
To reflect her role as a Digital Marketing Apprentice, Zoe showcased the power and influence of social media in developing professional relationships and boosting the online presence of a company. As part of their Social Media Challenge, students were quick to recognise how creativity was essential in Zoe’s role and this was reflected through their brilliant proposals for North Star’s fictitious ‘50th Birthday Celebration’! Students also gained an insight into Yolanda’s world of Data Protection at Bristol City Council. Yolanda took learners through the skills and qualities she utilises daily before asking groups to help her solve a unique data breach case. The groups were excellent in pinning down what had gone wrong and offered solutions for how they would have managed the case differently.
Finally, Regan introduced students to his role as a Surveyor at Savills by presenting each group with a derelict Cold-War bunker based in South Bristol that needed repurposing. Students had to consider what building work could be done on the bunker as well as present a brand-new purpose for the space. We were impressed by how innovative students were during this task- their ideas included preserving the bunker as a Museum, as well as redesigning the space as a Cold War themed restaurant and bar for locals!
We finished the session with a Q&A where students learnt more about apprentice salaries, why our volunteers pursued an apprenticeship and took away advice that our volunteers had for students considering this pathway. We would like to thank our fantastic volunteers from Bray and Slaughter, Bristol City Council and Savills for their time and for providing such valuable insights into their careers. A huge thank you to the staffs at North Star 240 and finally to the Year 11 group for being so enthusiastic and curious throughout the session!
