SPOTLIGHT ON: PREPARING FOR THE WORLD OF WORK WITH REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE
14.10.2024This Saturday was our first Open Event for 2025 entry – and we had a great day speaking to students about how HNC is the start of them becoming their best selves! Our prospective students heard more about how as a member of our College community they will be educated, enriched and enlightened – and more importantly, the tangible ways this will be achieved.
One way students are supported to do this is via work experience. At HNC we encourage all students to undertake work experience – this can be either through a College arranged opportunity, or a self arranged one. The College has a dedicated Employer Liasion Officer who works with employers, and also advises students how they can seek their own placements.
Many of our students opt to volunteer or complete their work experience outside of lessons, however, up to five days of absence from College may be authorised where the experience has clear links to a student’s vision for the future. As part of the experience is to help students prepare for life beyond HNC, our work-based opportunities mirror the real world as much as possible, and students take responsibility for each stage, with support available from staff as required. This may include completing a short application form and attending an interview for some of the College led opportunities, with feedback provided throughout the process.
The first term has been action packed with opportunities and today we’re shining a spotlight on three of our current experiences which have included placements at JRM Physio, Donaldson’s Vets and AHR, an architect and building consultancy. At each, students have been able to deepen their knowledge of working and shadowing experts in their field. Many of them have also had a chance to shadow in different departments, broadening their knowledge of their chosen sector. The images below showcases some of our students on these placements.
Aleena, who enjoyed a placement at JRM Physio, said: “Whilst at JRM I experienced Respect and Passion, two of our college values, in action. Respect is an important part of patient care and I was able to exercise respect with patients and colleagues during my experience. I enjoyed watching how the Physio team helped people and make the patient feel better, reassured, and comfortable. This has allowed me to build my passion and motivation to progress in this field.”
Rebecca King, Employer Liaison Officer comments: “Undertaking a work placement is a real investment for our students in their future selves. Not only can they experience their chosen career in action, and gain experience for university and their CV, the process will see them becoming more confident in preparing for competitive employment based scenarios through active experiences in completing applications and interviews. We’ve got some incredible opportunities coming up in accountancy, teaching and at the National Trust to name a few, so I’d encourage students to keep a look out and contact us if we can support something that they have in mind!”
Esther from JRM Physio shares more about why she welcomes HNC students on work experience: “Personally, I love having students as I feel that it’s important to support the future of the profession, everyone has to start somewhere! I also like that it keeps me on my toes in terms of assessment and treatment techniques, as I tend to “think out loud” when I have a student explaining to them what I am doing and why.”
If you are an employer who could offer a student some work experience please email r.king@huddnewcoll.ac.uk
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