Walsall College is looking to speak to businesses who would like to take students on for one-week work experience placements to support young people to develop their employability skills and potentially secure new talent for their organisation. The college’s work experience scheme enables employers to meet and inspire prospective and enthusiastic candidates who are learning the skills identified as key to their industry, and benefit from any new ideas students can bring to their organisation.
All 16-19 year-old students at the college are required to undertake high quality work experience, relevant to their course, alongside their studies.
Work Experience Coordinator at Walsall College, Jaswant Sembhi: “Work experience provides a vital opportunity for our students to develop their skills and enhance their learning, through applying the lessons from the classroom to real working situations. This helps to ensure that when our students graduate, they have the skills that employers are looking for and are prepared for the world of work.”
He adds: “As well as providing young people with a chance to showcase what they are capable of the scheme also has many great benefits for employers that take students on. Some of the success stories we have seen include companies adopting new ideas presented by our students and others have even offered students permanent jobs on completion of their courses!”
Brady Bags snapped up Fashion student, Lucy Jones, as a designer after she impressed bosses during a work experience placement where she created a bag design the company are now pitching to their East Asia market. While Interserve Support Services gave Business student, Kianna Annakie an apprenticeship following her work experience with them and David Paradine Ltd recruited Electrical student, Chris Roberts as a trainee after he supported the company on a major construction project.
Laura Heise, Skills Coordinator at Interserve Support Services, said: “Kianna successfully carried out a number of administration tasks within our human resources and learning and development departments, to a very professional standard and with an exceptional manner.
“She was able to use her own initiative to get on with work she was given fairly independently but also fitted in very well within our team. We are delighted to have her on board as an apprentice and feel she will be a real asset to the company.”
The college’s curriculum spans a range of areas including Construction, Engineering, Hospitality, Creative Arts, Travel, Hair and Beauty, and they are looking to work with businesses across many sectors.
