The document summarizes the Work Related Learning program at East Norfolk Sixth Form College. The program provides students opportunities such as work experience, industry visits, mentoring and mock interviews to prepare them for careers. The program partners with local businesses to create learning opportunities in key sectors like manufacturing, life sciences and energy. Students apply for and are selected for opportunities like placements, where they gain experience and feedback. The goal is to mimic real work experiences and connect students to the local job market.

1. Work Related Learningat East Norfolk Sixth Form College

3. The structure of our Work Related Learning
Programme:
In partnership with local business community
and voluntary sector, EN generates work related
learning opportunities;
All opportunities are advertised among our students
indiscriminately, using our dedicated Moodle site;
the adverts follow the model of recruitment offers,
specifying the character of the opportunity (i.e. site-
visit, work experience, mentoring, project work, etc.),
requirements for taking part in it and application
process necessary for taking part in it;
Interested students apply for the chosen WRL
opportunity, using the forms provided, exercising
their application-writing skills and constructing their
support statements that need to address specific
job descriptions and person specification;
We shortlist top candidates;
Shortlisted candidates are interviewed;
The opportunity is offered to successful candidates.
EN prides itself on the innovative approach to our Work Related
Programme. As we are striving to prepare our students for
the reality of the professional life, our Programme mimics it,
simulating real life experiences while introducing our students
to local labour market and key employment sectors.

4. Our WRL programme was developed in line with the New Anglia
Local Enterprise Partnership’s strategy which identifies five high
impact sectors offering the opportunity for rapid growth in jobs
and productivity.
Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
Agri-tech
Energy
ICT and Digital Creative
Life Sciences
Our partners also fall within Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s
key employment sectors.
Our Partners

6. Mock Interviews
Industry Days
Enterprise Education
Work Experience
Mentoring
Curriculum Linked Visits
Workshops
Projects
Pages 1-2
Pages 3-4
Pages 5-6
Pages 9-10
Pages 7-8
Pages 11-12
Pages 13-14
Pages 15-16

8. EN Enterprise Education introduces our students to
the concept of entrepreneurship as a possible and viable
progression route in our local context, developing the
knowledge, skills and values needed to set up and run a
business.
Recently over 70 students took part in:
meetings with local entrepreneurs;
information sessions for students and parents;
training sessions tailored to specific curriculum groups (i.e. ‘Freelancing
in the Creative Industry’ or ‘Introduction to Social Enterprise for Health
& Social Care Students’).
Helen Allinson of Red
Triangle Energy
Students’ feedback included:
“I find it really mind-blowing
that someone as successful
as Helen found time to talk
to us, share her experiences
and knowledge with us
and act like she was just a
part of our group when the
discussion started.”
Ben Handford of Naked
Marketing
Students’ feedback included:
“Ben was a fascinating man
to meet, his knowledge is
amazing. He gave me an
incredibly useful insight,
teaching me very important
skills that I will use in the
years to come.”
Enterprise
Education
1

9. Katie Jarvis of Compass
Drama
Students’ feedback
included: “Hearing a story
of someone who has
gone through the process
of setting up a business
based on her passion
really put my learning into
perspective. Katie is great
and really courageous! ”
‘Making Sense of Self-
Employment’ – information
session run for our students
and their parents in
partnership with Enterprise GY
Introduction to Social Enterprise for Health & Social Care Students
in partnership with Jacqui Starling,
2

11. EN generates meaningful work experience
opportunities across all local employability sectors,
introducing our students to local labour market, probable
employers, recruitment requirements of different industries and
professional culture.
Recently over 130 students took part in:
long-term work placements;
short-term work experiences;
placements in the voluntary sector.
“I found my time at Itron extremely enjoyable. I have used their coding
software IDev and soldered components! It was very helpful and now I know
what I want to do.”
Jack
“My experience of the Louise Hamilton Centre has always been very pleasant
and the staff are very professional and welcoming. The training that I have
received was very informative and would help me build on my skills for the
future.”
Natasha
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Perenco, working with process
engineers and helping them. It has really inspired me! I have now finished my
placement but they said they will welcome me back if I ever want to go there
in future. It was a fantastic opportunity.”
Catherine
“I love the placement at Gardline, and being able to have the experience
working with professionals in a career that I would hopefully get into .
I also am appreciative of the interviews I had to have for the placement as
these helped prepare and know what is expected of me in future interviews
so am glad to of had the opportunity to go through the interview process.
I think the placement has been successful and I have taken so much more
from it than just knowledge of the subject (Geology), it’s a great working
environment and they are great people over at Gardline, and have enjoyed
the placement dearly.
I have enjoyed analysing and interpreting geological data of the sea bed and
have opinions form all different statuses at Gardline, it has expanded my
knowledge and interpretation of such data.”
Megan
W
ork
Experience
4

12. EN Professional Mentoring Scheme pairs professionals
from a variety of backgrounds with students who are
seeking to enhance their progression opportunities.
The Scheme introduces students to their chosen profession,
offering them wide and practical insights into their future career,
supporting and helping to enable them to make informed and suitable
choices. It identifies gaps in students’ knowledge, experience,
skills and attributes needed to be addressed to successfully progress
into the chosen profession.
Recently students were mentored in the following fields:
Finance and Accounting;
Medicine and Research;
Energy and Engineering.
William Notcutt,
Consultant at JPUH
Samantha LeFevre,
ACCA MAAT
Lucy Cotton and Brad Knights,
Geologists at Gardline
M
entoring
5

15. EN ensures that students are exposed to work
environments widening their knowledge of local
employers, career opportunities, recruitment processes and
progression routes. The site visits provide our students with
an excellent opportunity to establish valuable professional
connections.
Recently over 100 students visited local companies in the following
sectors:
Health;
Finance & Accounting
Energy & Engineering;
Publishing & Journalism.
“The mortuary awareness session at James Paget University Hospital
was really informative and very interesting; it gave me a real insight
into what I could possibly want to do as a carer, because it isn’t really
talked about much in college or schools. Every one there was really
friendly and overall it may possibly be a life changing afternoon.”
Tiffany
C
urriculum
Linked
Visits
8

16. To ensure students’ understanding of current trends
in labour market and consequently safeguarding their
competitiveness, EN introduced a series of sessions open
to both students and their parents run in partnership with a
variety of local partners.
Recently over 200 students and parents took part in our
‘Making Sense of…’ sessions run in partnership with:
Norfolk County Council;
Inspire Norfolk;
Kaplan Training;
Lovewell Blake;
People with Energy;
EnterpriseGY
W
orkshops
9

19. Generating short-term projects, EN ensures that
students have the opportunities to experience, explore
and develop expertise within industries that, due to
their character, cannot support other forms of Work Related
Learning.
Creative industry is the prime example of that.
Recently EN students were involved in short-term projects within
creative industry, including design, marketing and media which allowed
them to:
access relevant digital technologies;
bridge the gap between their skills and practice;
develop digital literacies.
Projects
Brad and Michelle working on a website and brand design for a local social
initiative EmploYarmouth.
12

20. To ensure our students have an in-depth understanding
of local industries EN partners with various stakeholders
participating in regional and national initiatives offering
industry days.
EN partnered with OPITO to deliver a week-long menu of site visits
across Oil & Gas sector;
as a part of National Women in Engineering Day, EN organised two
visits: Introduction to Chemical Engineering at Adnams Southwold and
Introduction to Genetic Engineering at Norwich BioScience Institute;
as a part of #notjustforboys initiative EN partnered with Women in
Energy Network to provide a day of industry visits.
Industry
D
ays
13

21. PHOTO

23. M
ock
Interview
s
To assist our students’ towards effectiveness in securing
their futures, EN generates opportunities for them to
practice their interview skills either in the process of applying
for a variety of WRL forms or via specifically organised Mock
Interviews Events run in partnership with local recruitment agencies.
Recently over 50 students were interviewed by local employers and/or
recruiters supporting them with:
Developing interviewing strategies;
Reducing anxiety and dealing with nervousness;
Creating a good first impression;
Communicating skills and competencies clearly;
Answering challenging questions.
16

24. 4 students who have left EN at the end of 2013/14 and
progressed to employment with one of our partners, secured in
result of WRL activities they had been involved in.
WRL in Practice

25. EN’s core business is teaching
and learning but with a strong
focus towards providing students
with what is needed to obtain
sustainable and rewarding
work and become economically
independent.

26. East Norfolk Sixth Form College
Church Lane
Gorleston-on-Sea
Great Yarmouth
Norfolk
NR31 7BQ
T: 01493 662234
www.eastnorfolk.ac.uk
For further information on Progression and
Employability at EN contact:
Sue Cook, Director of Progression and Employability
scook@eastnorfolk.ac.uk
Kasia Beblot, Work Related Learning Co-ordinator
kbeblot@eastnorfolk.ac.uk
EAST NORFOLK
Sixth Form College