Old Blue support is vital

[Ian Stannard]

Since taking over the Careers department, the lack of a structured work experience programme is clearly a weakness that needs to be addressed. A few years ago a new initiative was launched by Neville Osmond and today Mark Curtis and myself are taking this to a wider audience. Old Blues are an outstanding source of support and help to the current student body. I would urge all Old blues out there to contact Mark at the school and add your name to the database of parents, staff and OBs willing to help with advice and work experience opportunities.

Furthermore, if anyone out there is willing to return to the school to give a talk to interested students, please get in touch. The same goes for current undergraduates who might (in return for expenses, a fine Fairfield lunch and a trip down memory lane) come back and share their thoughts with the Deps preparing for parole!

[ben ashton]

It's Scolarest now isn't it?

[Great Plum]

It's Scolarest now isn't it?

Pedant!

Well if anyone wants a hand in getting into the travel industry, then i'm your man!

[Hobbit]

hey what type opf jobs in teh travel industry???

[Great Plum]

hey what type opf jobs in teh travel industry???

Depends what you are after? I work for Kuoni Travel who are probably the best long-haul tour operator in this country...

[Hobbit]

well i am probably after like holiday planner and trafel planner than anything else....i like working with ppl etc, and due to being at uni at mo could only do holiday work. also i travel mysleft like form 11th july i wont be aorund in uk till late spetmeber. PM for more details or anything else

[Sabina Stewart]

As a London-based headhunter with over 20 years' experience in recruiting, I'm more than happy to offer career advice to Old Blues

[Hendrik]

the lack of a structured work experience programme is clearly a weakness that needs to be addressed - indeed, and if the common room EVER listened to the student body, this would have been picked up on DECADES ago!

i had to go to BAVARIA just to get some work experience through CH!

whilst we're on the subject of training/education, how about (entirely off the top of my head):
driving lessons for grecians - all you need is a car and a teacher who wants to earn some extra rattling money.
food hygiene certificates - through the food and nut. dept., would stand pupils in very good stead for holiday work. would give the food and nut. dept. a genuine use.
bar experience for grecians - give each one a long enough stint working at the club so they would qualify for a reference. all bar work that you see now requires experience (bar jobs=great student jobs!)

[jtaylor]

Those are some cracking ideas - have they been proposed to "the powers that be" at CH?
Also, there must be enough Old Blues with bar contacts to be able to help with that type of holiday job.
With CH having all those empty roads to learn on, driving lessons sound like a good idea.

I know the Ops Director of Merchant Inns, and may be able to help with London bar jobs (haven't asked him, but will if anyone's interested?)

J

[Vonny]

With CH having all those empty roads to learn on, driving lessons sound like a good idea.

I remember going "thirds" with Chris Sims & Dom Maguire and having our first driving lessons (3) at CH - the first thing I remember having to do was drive past the dining hall under the 2 arches - nearly had a fit when I wa stold to do that - bearing in mind it was the first lesson I'd had! Do remember Dom was the only one to stall the car though!

[Hannoir]

So whats being done about this? Or is there still no work experience?

And yes, Hendrik has good ideas...

[Mrs C.]

Still no work experience.....

[Mark1]

yes, I made that comment elsewhere, and got a reply from Richard Ruck

viewtopic.php?t=862

It would that appear this is somewhere in the pipeline!

I suppose it's only when you think seriously about it that you realise all the pitfalls - eg would CH then be obliged to 'vet' any opportunities offered, just in case something did seriously go wrong, and so on. At least you are aware that nothing has been checked before informal arrangements, and that it is up to you to do this. Hendrik mentioned (over a year ago!) the German work experience - the german teacher there actually goes and does check every placement, which is easier in a small town than for an entire country...

I suppose one way round that would be to try to organise placements in Horsham and nearby, especially after exams, but that wouldn't make use of the extensive Old Blue offers of opportunities, especially those in London...

On the issue of 'bar' experience, would the fact that Grecian's Club now can't sell alcohol put a dampener on that?

[jtaylor]

I suppose it's only when you think seriously about it that you realise all the pitfalls - eg would CH then be obliged to 'vet' any opportunities offered, just in case something did seriously go wrong, and so on. At least you are aware that nothing has been checked before informal arrangements, and that it is up to you to do this.

I guess there are pitfalls, but nothing which almost every other school in the country hasn't had to solve - we give work experience placements when we can at RM (http://www.rm.com) where I work, without any major veting etc. We've even paid some of our work experience people when we've found them to be enthusiastic and where they've added value.
It shouldn't be underestimated how much of an overhead on a company it can be to provide valuable work experience - it takes time to plan, provide mentoring etc. BUT can show good returns if the person gains from it too....
I also feel that my staff and I gain from mentoring work experience pupils - it's a different kind of interaction, and they learn from it too....

[Great Plum]

I know that Kuoni used to / does give work experience to some 6th formers - I can give some contact details if anyone wants them...