Students at Selby College marked National Work Experience Week 2022 by taking part in a number of training and employability workshops with global employers.

Engineering students completed the ‘Grid for Good’ work experience programme with National Grid and charity Young Enterprise, which included a range of different workshops such as insight, building and upskilling.

This saw students work in groups to solve real-life business problems and complete mock interview competency-based questions designed to prepare them for the recruitment process.

Annabelle Armes, Programme Manager for the Grid for Good scheme at Young Enterprise UK, as well as National Grid employees Tom Dutton, James Kyte and Rory Macarthur, also provided insight into the different roles and career paths which are available within National Grid and the energy sector.

Having National Grid and Young Enterprise onsite delivering sessions with our students was a fantastic way to mark National Work Experience week. The students really engaged with the tasks and enjoyed being able to interact directly with National Grid employees. Initiatives such as this are a great way to connect our students with some of the world’s leading employers, whilst giving them the tools and skills they need to progress into employment.

After successfully applying for the placement via Uptree, Level 3 Computer Science and Information Technology students also got involved in a virtual technology work experience day with Arm®, which is a global semiconductor and software design company.

The students enjoyed an interactive coding session using Micro:bit's virtual classroom and an exercise where they explored the power and benefits of technology for sustainable development.

I really enjoyed taking part in Arm’s technology work experience day and being able to interact with such knowledgeable people in the technology sector. It was incredibly inspiring to hear all about the history of the company and the exciting work they are doing. They also gave us advice about the skills and characteristics that employers look for, which was really valuable. Taking part in the programme has given me a taste of what it’s like to work in the field of technology and has further encouraged me to pursue a career in the sector once I have finished in education.

Students from the College are also set to take part in a first-of-its-kind work experience programme called ‘BootsCamp’, which is hosted by the UK’s leading health and beauty retailer Boots UK and national charity Speakers for Schools.

Selby College is one of 24 colleges across the UK which will be involved in the newly developed programme, following a competitive application process with 180 other colleges. 28 students from the College will be taking part in the virtual work experience programme, which is aimed at students aged between 14-19.

National Work Experience week took place between Monday 25th to Friday 29th April 2022 and aims to introduce young people to the world of work experience is.