That was the question posed to a number of our Sixth Form students who had applied for work experience with Stanley Engineered Fastenings.
Working together with former student now HR Apprentice, Lauryn Baker, we arranged for eight students to attend an interview day based at UTC. To secure a work experience placement, students had to participate in an aptitude test, a team task and a short interview with Lauryn.
All of the students stepped up to the occasion, showcasing the skills we have been embedding in them since they began here which makes them more prepared for the workplace and more employable. Lauryn was particularly impressed by the student’s communication skills and how they articulated their thoughts and answers during the group task and interviews.
“Taking part in the interview day was a daunting experience but has set me up for the future. This was my first experience of work interview and I’ve learnt so much. The challenge really puzzled us as a group. We could only manage one nail. When we got our feedback, it was great to hear that Lauryn was impressed with our attention to detail and how we spotted details in the nails. During my interview, I spoke about the professional skills I had learnt in college and while participating in NCS at the start of Year 12.”
– Lee, Year 12
Stanley Engineered Fastening
Stanley Engineered Fastening is an advanced manufacturing company based in Woolston, Warrington. They design and produce fastenings for a variety of different sectors including the aerospace and energy industries. Stanley is one of our top employer partners, employing three former students from our first cohort in different departments. We are producing their future talent pipeline, ensuring that they have a sustainable and highly skilled workforce.
Work Experience
Work Experience placements are a vital part of our student’s development. We work closely with our employer partners to ensure students gain valuable experience within their workforce and increase their chances of securing places at top destinations. We advertise placements around the college for students to apply for and send out opportunities to parents to browse through in parent newsletters.
Students are encouraged to organise their own work experience placements through contacts they may know through family and friends. Sixth Form students studying towards a BTEC in Engineering or Civil Engineering are required to participate in work experience to complete one of their modules. Key Stage 5 students can spend two weeks out on placement at any one time during their studies, ensuring that they take responsibility for catching up on their missed leaning. For Key Stage 4, Year 10 students can go on work experience during the holidays or in a specified week in July. Confirmation of the exact dates for this week will be communicated to parents in the near future.