With Walsall College closed to the majority of students and Covid-19 resulting in 90% of partnering employers unwilling or unable to provide placements at the height of the pandemic, a creative and innovative solution was needed to ensure that students were not disadvantaged by a lack of exposure to industry experts and work experience opportunities. A bespoke Virtual Work Experience Week initiative was developed and successfully delivered by 157 industry specialists from over 90 companies to almost 2,000 students studying courses from the arts, construction, engineering, sport, hospitality, travel and tourism, business and IT.
Now in its 27th year, the AoC Beacon Awards showcase best practice and innovation in colleges. It is designed to promote the interdependence of colleges, businesses and professional and voluntary organisations. The awards also highlight excellence and helps share best practice across the sector.
Alice Barnard, Chief Executive Officer, Edge Foundation said:
“Edge are proud sponsors of the Award for Excellence in Real World Learning. Our award celebrates colleges which have developed high quality practical teaching and learning approaches that give students experiences that are real, meaningful, challenging, stretching and life changing. Congratulations to this year’s finalists.”
Mark White, Chair of AoC’s Charitable Trust said:
“The AoC Beacon Awards showcase exactly why colleges are so important to every community and why people value them. This award recognises examples of excellent practical teaching and learning. The work of the winning college shows how important colleges are in providing students with the necessary skills for the real world.”
Overview of Winning Project
- With Walsall College closed to the majority of students and Covid-19 resulting in 90% of partnering employers unwilling or unable to provide placements at the height of the pandemic, a creative and innovative solution was needed to ensure that students were not disadvantaged by a lack of exposure to industry experts and work experience opportunities.
- A bespoke Virtual Work Experience Week initiative was developed and successfully delivered by 157 industry specialists from over 90 companies to almost 2,000 students studying courses from the arts, construction, engineering, sport, hospitality, travel and tourism, business and IT.
- Pivotal to the success of the programme were the following key priorities:
- Meaningful, robust engagement with employers that was motivational, insightful and interactive
- Students were able to value their learning through reflection and planning
- Students were able to identify opportunities for progression and received support when implementing next steps activity into their career journeys
- The capture and recording of qualitative and quantitative impact data to inform the initiative’s growth and development
- The programme legacy continues as the initiative is embedded in curriculum moving forward as a supplement to face to face industry placements.