Students at Wixams Academy were given a taste of work experience without having to leave their school, thanks to a first-of-its-kind project launched by Bedford Giving.
The ‘Taste of the Workplace’ project brings organisations and businesses into schools, giving students an immersive experience of work without the pressure of having to find external placements.
The first placement was in partnership with Bedfordshire Police, East of England Ambulance Service, BLMK Health and Care Academy hosted by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wingman Mentors. It was run by Bedford Giving delivery partners, 4YPUK for year 9 students.
The day kicked off with a hard-hitting dramatisation by police cadets in real time of a knife attack, showing how the different emergency services would respond to the situation.
It included paramedics saving the victim’s life, the suspect being detained, scenes of crime officers taking evidence from the scene, police officers setting up a cordon and taking statements from witnesses.
This was followed up by the students spending time with the emergency services, having guided tours of their vehicles and equipment, as well as learning about the different careers available within the organisations.
BLMK Health and Care Academy taught the students vital life-saving skills, such as the use of tourniquets, the recovery position, and other critical techniques. Wingman Mentors also joined to show the students the contents of Stop the Bleed kits available in the local community.
Paul (PK) Kellett, Director of Bedford Giving, said: “We found it’s becoming increasingly more and more difficult for students to find work experience placements, with employers requiring the right insurance and the ability to have under-16s in their workplace.
“We decided to flip it on its head, to bring businesses and organisations into the classroom.
“This way we reach a large number of students at one time, who can work on real-life examples and really get into the nuts and bolts of the day job, getting a taste of what it’s like in the workplace. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the project with the flashing lights, sirens and truly immersive experience at Wixams Academy.”
Emily Hurst, of Bedfordshire Police, explained why the force got involved in the project.
“It has been a real privilege to show these young people the reality of the policing world and all the vital careers within,” she said.
“The young people were really engaged and asked us lots of interesting questions and we hope that through this project we have inspired some future police officers and staff.
“Bringing the work experience into schools makes it far more accessible to all children from any background. We really hope they all enjoyed their time with us and have learned some vital life skills.”
On day two of the project, students observed and took part in hospital resuscitation simulated practice and learnt basic life support with BLMK Health and Care Academy.
And not for the faint-hearted, Bedfordshire Police delivered an eye-opening virtual reality experience, allowing students to step into the shoes of someone being arrested and processed at a police station.
They also had a Q&A session with the force’s Boson Unit, which deals with guns and gangs.
Over the next two weeks, the project will focus on cybercrime, a forensic post mortem and how the emergency services manage social media, as well as pathways into careers within the police and NHS.
Abigail Dinner, Practice Educator of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the event created a fun and positive learning environment.
She said: “It was evident that the students were not only absorbing critical information but also gaining the confidence to apply these skills in real-life situations. We look forward to further broadening their understanding of healthcare roles and providing them with more practical skills.”
Patrick Downes, assistant head teacher at Wixams, added: “We are delighted to have been chosen to pilot the Taste of the Workplace project.
“I was really blown away by the scale and visual impact of the scenario. It was so rewarding to see the students so engaged in the session and there was such a buzz amongst them.
“The professionals involved were absolutely amazing, they made the session fun, exciting, engaging and interesting for the students and we are so grateful to all those involved.”
The next Taste of the Workplace will take place at Daubeney Academy in June and July and involves companies Skanska, M&J Roofing, bpha and Anglian Water who will all be bringing their work projects into the classroom for students to work on.
You can find out more about Bedford Giving at their website here.
