Dene House pupils receive a taste of working life to help prepare them for apprenticeships

Staff from Dene House Secondary School in Peterlee joined forces with local training provider and employment agency Profound Services to offer Year 10 students the opportunity to get a flavour of working life during an Apprenticeship Taster Day.

All 33 students who expressed an interest in becoming an apprentice after leaving school participated in a day of activities that aimed to help them prepare for an apprenticeship.

Pupils spent the morning at Horden Social Welfare Centre where they took part in fun activities and learnt about the opportunities available to them after leaving school. Information on apprenticeships, qualifications, career pathways and salary expectations were given to students in a fun practical session.

In the afternoon, students were split into groups depending on which apprenticeship sector they expressed an interest in and were transported to the relevant venues.

Pupils who expressed an interest in Profound Services’ new Information Technology Apprenticeships got the chance to dismantle and refurbish computers at a computer refurbishment centre.

Those who wish to pursue a career in Warehousing and Storage after leaving school headed to Profound Group’s warehouse training centre and fork lift driving school in Seaham, where they had the opportunity to put their skills to the test in a number of hands on warehousing activities.

The third apprenticeship workshop was for students to find out more about the Construction industry. Working alongside a real employer, pupils participated in activities around leadership and teamwork within the sector.

Mike Crampton from Dene House Secondary School commented on the day and said: “The taster day was a huge success. It gave the children the opportunity to learn more about their options after leaving school next year and gave them a taste of what it’s like to be an apprentice.”

Jonathan Ward, Learner Engagement Team Lead at Profound Services added: “Apprenticeship Taster Days are really beneficial to secondary school students. It gives them a chance to test the waters and find out if what they thought they were interested in is the right career pathway for them.”

“A lot of school children think that to get a good job you have to go to university and study. This is not the case. An apprenticeship is a job with substantial training and the development of transferable skills. It is a way for young people to earn while they learn, gaining a qualification and a real future.”

Profound Services are looking to partner with more schools in the North East to offer pupils Apprenticeship Taster Days. If you work at a school and are interested in finding out more, contact Profound Services on 0191 587 4570 or email [email protected]. For more information on apprenticeships, visit www.profoundservices.com.