17 March 2021
Mrs Bodil Chambers, Head of Higher Education & Careers
Work experience has not been easy to find during the pandemic, but several of our students have taken part in virtual programmes, many of them organised by Springpod. Springpod works with many of the UK’s top employers, including Google, Nestlé, EY, NHS and Jaguar Land Rover, to design 10-hour programmes across many sectors and covering many skills areas. The programmes, which run in school holidays and usually involve two hours per day, include meeting professionals in interactive workshops, working on real projects with real teams, learning new skills and developing industry knowledge.
Eloise, Emma (pictured) and Sophie have shared their experience of programmes they undertook in the half term break.
Eloise, Year 11
I did the virtual nursing and midwifery work experience, which was really great and included webinars, activities and quizzes. I found it really helpful to explore many aspects of nursing and midwifery and having the opportunity to have Q&A sessions with people in different specialties was great. Also, the way the programme is structured means that not only do you learn about the job you but also get to learn and develop your own values.
Emma, Year 11
I really enjoyed the marketing virtual work experience. It was only an hour each day, Monday-Thursday in the first week of half term and a few days the following week, with interesting speakers. I completed various activities for the course, such as making a poster to promote a brand as part of a marketing campaign. I think the experience will help me in A Level business, which I plan to take, and it gave me an insight into a career in marketing. I hope to do another course during the Easter break.
Sophie, Lower Sixth
I found the journalism virtual work experience programme extremely beneficial. Through live webinars with top journalists working for organisations such as the BBC, I was introduced to the various sectors in journalism and what they entail. I particularly enjoyed the activities we were set, which included writing articles and organising news schedules. I would definitely recommend this to anyone thinking about a career in journalism.