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Year 10 pupils at St Richard’s Catholic College in Bexhill-on-Sea recently took part in a work experience preparation day. The morning involved a variety of activities within their form, including:

• Preparing CVs

• Completing application and medical forms – for their work experience placement

• Health and Safety in the workplace

• Interview technique

• Role play of various scenarios that they could face whilst out on placement.

The pupils also took part in a 20-minute interview with one of 50 employers, all of whom were volunteers from the Rotary Club, parents/carers and businesses from across the local area. The employers were impressed by the smartness of the pupils, who were asked to wear suitable work attire for the day rather than their school uniform, and by how responsive the pupils were during their interviews. The pupils found their mock interviews to be a very useful learning experience in helping them to think about how to prepare for future interviews as well as giving them more confidence in how to conduct themselves.  

The school was extremely grateful to all the employers for giving up their valuable time. It was a great success with the pupils gaining much of value from the interviews. One employer mentioned, “The pupils interviewed better than some adults!” and another emailed in to say, “I appreciate the huge amount of work and organisation that goes into making such a morning a success... and a success it was. The learners I had contact with were all, without exception, a delight, interesting and concerned to do their very best. It is easy as an older person to become a bit disaffected by all manner of things. This morning was an antidote to that!”

Well done to Year 10 who looked fantastic on the day and were a real credit to the school.