Cars, carpentry and coffees: a week of work experience with North Star 240 students
We have recently supported year 10 students from North Star 240 Academy to participate in a traditional work placement. Across this academic year, many of the students have been accessing work experience tasters with a variety of employers coordinated via Bristol WORKS and this week was about taking their experiences one step further… As part of this week, students were supported to access a 1-2 day more traditional work placement within a work environment to gain a deeper insight what it is like to work in their sectors of interest.
The first group of students spend two days at Bristol City Council’s Fleet Services. On day one they were able to undertake a tour of the site, familiarising themselves with the health and safety requirements and receiving their protective gear including safety shoes. They supported Fleet Services staff with some mechanical work both under the bonnet of a car, and underneath a car from the pit. On their second day they helped to complete a full check and service of a vehicle and supported with moving and sorting some mechanical parts. One of the students who took part said: “It was really good. The staff there were brilliant and trusted us to do our jobs. Can we go back and do a few more days?!”
Another group of students spent a day at Boston Tea Party building their hospitality and catering skills. Students were supported to work across three areas of the restaurant. First, they learnt about the work baristas do in the coffee station, including having a go at grinding and making coffee as well as making smoothies and milkshakes for customers. Next they learnt about the 7 principles of hospitality with someone from the front of house and had a go at carrying plates and trays of drinks and serving food. Finally, they went into the kitchen, having a tour and taking part in an avocado fanning challenge where they prepared an avocado as the chefs would. The students were also lucky enough to get a delicious lunch provided by Boston Tea Party.
A final student spent two days working on a construction site with Overbury. After an induction, they supported with checking and reporting any health and safety issues around the site. They then worked with the carpentry team to create a skirting for the cabins that are on site to protect the area underneath them. On day two, they helped move and store items that had been used at different locations around the site and built some flat pack furniture. The student who took part said: “I’ve really enjoyed doing something different. I like being practical, using tools and doing jobs.”
All the students who took part said that their experiences of work had helped them understand more about the industry they selected. They also agreed that they had developed skills that would be useful when they were looking for jobs in the future. The Careers Lead at North Star 240 said: “The work experience opportunities provided by Bristol WORKS to our year 10 students were relevant, aspirational and engaging. Staff at Bristol WORKS and employers were extremely accommodating to liaise with students about their interests and needs before and during encounters to ensure maximum engagement. Our students’ primary need is social, emotional and mental health, so for them to participate in activity with new people and environments is challenging. However, many were impacted positively by workplace experiences including increased confidence to communicate with members of the public, use equipment, travel to venues and follow more complex instructions.
Congratulations to all the students for putting so much effort into their work experience days, and thank you to Fleet Services, Boston Tea Party and Overbury for providing engaging and practical experiences of work that built young people’s confidence and helped to prepare them for the world of work.
