Year 9 students in North Tyneside get a taste for work based learning
On Wednesday 9 July Palmersville Training together with NTTS (Wallsend) and NYA (North Shields) opened their door to welcome 54 year 9 Students from Norham , Long Benton and Seaton Burn community colleges and Whitley Bay High School, who will embark on the Year 10 Alternate Curriculum Programme in September. This programme gives students in North Tyneside the opportunity to attend work based learning on one day per week during term time and to experience tasters in six vocational areas from a choice of 10; Hospitality, Hair, Beauty, Painting and Decorating, Horticulture, Warehousing, Retail and Customer Service, Joinery, Bricklaying, Motor Vehicle and Cycle Repair . Each half term, students follow a taster in a different vocational area. They follow the NCEF Employability and Skills award with a view to progressing to the year 11 programme in a vocational area of their choice for one day per week, with the opportunity to achieve a National Vocational Qualification.
Dave Rippon (Schools Programme Co-ordinator) was delighted that the day went really well and told us that “ Students had the opportunity to tour all the Learning providers, meet the staff, get a real feel for the wide choice of tasters available to them in year 10 and to experience the excellent facilities we offer”
On the day students were able to select one vocational area for a short taster and they really enjoyed this hands on experience, almost as much as the lunch provided in the brand new learner sitting area at Palmersville Training; a place for them to enjoy a break with friends, watch the music channel or simply relax in the comfortable seating area. The day passed really quickly and everyone was impressed with the students’ enthusiasm and looks forward to welcoming them back in September.
When Shirley Jackson (Training supervisor, Beauty) first set Beauty Learners at Palmersville the challenge of arranging a fundraising day for Breast Cancer Care, she could not have imagined how successful the day would be.”