Schools’ traditional careers fairs, sector specific careers events, visits from speakers, workshops, employability skills coaching and crucially, work experience, cannot go ahead right now for obvious reasons. But the need to support Dorset’s young people doesn’t stop because of a pandemic!
That’s why the Dorset Careers Hub – whose remit includes ensuring schools meet the Careers Strategy Gatsby Benchmarks (an Ofsted requirement) – is looking at alternative ways to ensure young people in Dorset still have the opportunity for work experience. Arming them with the same level of careers knowledge as their predecessors will help them make informed choices about their future careers and is more important than ever, so it’s all going ‘virtual’!
This is where you come in; the help and support of Dorset’s businesses is key to making this work. The benefits of Zoom, Teams etc. is already well established and applying it to Careers support is a no brainer. If anything, virtual platforms overcome some of the barriers to offering work experience, especially from an employer’s time and resource point of view: a virtual work experience opportunity is more manageable and has a greater geographic reach (over 10,000 young people from all across Dorset, including rural areas – although not all at once!).
Offering a virtual placement offers young people the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the world of work without having to leave their homes or school environment. It also gives a range of benefits to employers, from generating interest in your organisation to build a talent pipeline, to strengthening training and development skills for current staff as they support the students.
Research proves that work experience is one of THE most important activities for a young person. It provides a crucial link between school learning and its application in employment. Work experience broadens an understanding of opportunities, helps young people start to crystallise career aspirations, and can help them to start building their own network.
Young people gain transferable skills, improve confidence and have a better sense of self-awareness – all those things you would want to see at an interview. They feel better prepared for the future and their inevitable transition to the workplace.
Join the Dorset Careers Hub online on Wednesday 4th November, 12.30-1.30pm to find out more by booking via Eventbrite or contact Laura Bush, Enterprise Coordinator, BCP Council at laura.bush@bcpcouncil.gov.uk