Work based Cases

Adam Sach (Biology with Education Studies)

What an experience! I was one of those students who had very little idea of what I wanted to do when I finished university and wanted to use WBL as a chance to try something that I had never done before.

I was matched up with YMCA England. My placement at YMCA turned out to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. The job was demanding yet incredibly rewarding. The first half of my placement involved me organising a national conference for 120 people and focused on the importance of fatherhood and family. This role included many different skills, from gathering information and designing and distributing an information leaflet, to organising workshops and establishing who was having what for lunch! The second half of my placement was working with the Chester and Ellesmere Port YMCA.

Using drama, I worked with groups of young people, addressing issues such as racism and discrimination. I also helped to set up a new programme that focused on unemployed 16-25 year olds, and ways of building their confidence and interview techniques to increase their employability.

Organisations and companies also endorse Work Based Learning:

• "As a result of the experience with the students, my company recruited two full-time graduates from the University. Excellent!" Ashton Hayes P.C. Going Carbon Neutral Project
• "I believe it is an excellent scheme, which gives students ‘real' experience of working in a particular food industry environment." Lion Foods Ltd
• "[WBL] provided an opportunity to develop our own staff's training skills and improve our ‘on-bench' training." Countess of Chester Hospital, Microbiology Department
• "A beneficial experience for both the student and the area." Cheshire Constabulary
• "The scheme is a great opportunity for project work to be undertaken and used as evidence for future reviewers." Flintshire County Council
• "The student was a very capable and extremely good independent learner. NSFS recommend the WBL process." North Shropshire Furniture Scheme