Year 10's Great Experience At Work Experience

Student Assessment Reports completed by the employers report that students were highly engaged, polite, punctual and took the initiative often.

A couple of students were either offered work or encouraged to complete courses to be employed. 

Hear from some of our students on their experiences during work experience week:

Ava – SEED (Staff Wellbeing) Program, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

Q: What did you do during your week of Work Experience, and what was your favourite thing you did?

Over the course of my Work Experience, I was asked to complete a lot of tasks that I have never done before. This was challenging, but also really rewarding and stretched me to grow and learn.

My main task was to create a visual map of the journey of the SEED program to date, which also included where they are hoping to develop the program in the future.

One of my favourite tasks was a day trip to Robertson’s Wallaby Hill farm. This was a really beautiful setting and all the staff came together to do a range of different team building exercises and planning.

The SEED program has developed a set of ‘Affirmation Cards’ to support staff to consider different ways of thinking about complex problems in health, and to help staff to also consider how to care for themselves in this environment. I was asked to choose different cards and present these to the team during the Wallaby Hill day.

During the week I had been asked to represent what I had taken from the affirmation cards as a year 10 student, and to also create some visual representations of this using the theme of equine therapy. This was really hard, but it made me think really deeply about what I was learning.

I also had to present my draft visual map for feedback from the team.

Q: Do you think Work Experience was worthwhile, and why?

It was only a week, but it felt like I learnt so much more in that time than I would normally have, not just about what it is like to be at work, but also about myself.

Q: What advice would you give to the current Year 9 cohort about Work Experience?

Every new person that you meet provides an opportunity for a new perspective; every new perspective provides an opportunity for change; every change creates possibility.

Hannah – Always Flowers, Kiama Public Library

Q: What sort of tasks were you asked to complete as part of your Work Experience?

At the florist I conducted tasks such as washing buckets and vases, taking flowers out of the cool room and preparing them for arrangements, writing Mother's Day cards (due to my Work Experience week being the one leading up to Mother's Day), learning to interact with customers, and helping with stock.

At the library I conducted tasks like helping with children's programs, shelving books, and aiding in stock take.

Q: What was a highlight of your Work Experience placement?

A highlight at Always Flowers was definitely taking the flowers out of the cool room in the mornings - I loved their smell and colours and arranging them into vases.

I am now also working for the florist each Saturday and I love it.

Q: What advice would you give to the current Year 9 cohort about Work Experience?

When planning your placement, I would suggest contacting as many people as possible, as early as you can. Don’t leave it to the last minute!

Jackson – BaiMed Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Clinic

Q: What sort of tasks were you asked to complete as part of your Work Experience?

I would observe when patients were undergoing their physiotherapy sessions, and come up with different exercises to help them.

I also helped run some of the Parkinson's Disease classes with elderly clients, and helped out 1-on-1 with some patients with disabilities or with their rehabilitation.

Q: What was a challenge you encountered during your work experience placement?

A challenge was helping people with Parkinson's Disease. We had to come up with ways to help them, but they had to be simple because people with this condition interpret things differently and are quite slow to process new information.

Q: What would you say to the current Year 9 cohort about Work Experience?

I would say if you are interested in the field of medical or physiotherapy, BaiMed Kiama is a great location!

They were extremely welcoming and helpful, and very professional but loads of fun. There was never a moment when we were quiet, so there were lots of things to do.

Elijah: Defence Work Experience Program, HMAS Albatross, Nowra

For this placement, I had to complete a state-wide competitive application that was composed with questions that tested my ethics and morals.

Q: What did you do during your week of Work Experience, and what was your favourite thing you did?

My schedule was filled with many exciting activities that involved teamwork, fitness, and problem solving. The majority of the time was touring the base and visiting different Squadrons, while meeting some of the recruits there and listening to what their life is like in the Defence Force.

My favourite activity was flying in the ‘MH-60R Seahawk Romeo flight simulator’. The experience was so realistic, it felt like I was actually flying.

Q: What did you learn from your Work Experience placement?

There was so much that I learned from this experience, from something simple like how to do a proper handshake to learning how to save someone from drowning. Everything I learned was very memorable and definitely worthwhile. I also loved seeing how structured and organised the Defence Force is.

Q: What advice would you give to the current Year 9 cohort about Work Experience?

Some advice I would give to Year 9 is definitely to find something you love and something that you're passionate about. Don’t pick something that you’ll regret, because the experience you can get from it is memorable.  

If you are reading this and thinking that your business or place of employment would be a great place to host a Work Experience student in 2024, please email dgillett@calderwood.nsw.edu.au.

Mrs Dianne Gillett

Secondary School Careers Advisor