Work Experience - Success Stories

Enfield Work
Experience

Success Stories

One of the things that makes work experience rewarding are the success stories. Many employers have very good experiences with their students leading to long term employment.

Here are some success stories that we know of - if you've had a good experience and please let us know.

Success Story No 1 - Lisa Fidler

Lisa chose office work for her work experience in January 2003 as part of her GNVQ Business Studies course. Three years later is still working there as part of the team.

“I was a bit nervous on the first day of my work experience but as the two weeks went on I got more confident and at the end of my placement I enjoyed it very much”.

When her school Work Experience Co-ordinator realised how much she had enjoyed working there they contacted Enfield Work Experience to see if Lisa might be offered a job. Lisa also volunteered to come and do more work experience during her school holidays. Six months after her initial work experience Lisa joined Enfield Work Experience as a permanent employee in June 2003.

Her job now involves helping hundreds of other students each year by liaising with other work experience offices outside of Enfield. When asked how work experience had helped her into work Lisa said:

“It gave me the opportunity to gain an insight of what it was like to go out to work, and to work in an office. I got to meet new people and help them with their work which built my confidence”.

“I found it easier to concentrate in the office than at school because the atmosphere was calmer and there were less people around me. At school it is sometimes noisy and there can be a lot of distractions”.

Since joining Enfield Work Experience Lisa has also been attending Enfield Training Services one day a week. She is pictured here receiving her certificate for an NVQ in Key Skills and has also achieved an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration.

“I would recommend employers to offer work experience because it gives them the opportunity to help students, gives the students an idea of work and helps the students gain experience and learn new skills. After their work experience is finished the students can then use the experience and skills to benefit other companies.”

Success Story No 2 - Luke Penn

Nick Bass, Manager of Hazelwood Tennis Club relates their success story:

"I was originally contacted by Winchmore Hill School to see if the Club would take a two week work experience pupil. As we had done this quite extensively it was no problem. The type of student can be very varied but, they all have the same interest in common and that is sport.

The day arrived and a student called Luke turned up. As it turned out he worked very hard in the next two weeks and seemed very suited to the job. I was approached a few months later to see if the Club would take Luke for four days a week, he would attend school for one day. The Club committee thought this would be a good idea and agreed. This lasted for six months until he left school. As we did not want to loose Luke the Club offered him a full time job, which he has now being doing for the last five years. The confidence that comes through doing a job you like and can succeed at shows that the work experience school placements definitely works for student and employer."

Nick Bass
Hazelwood Club Manager

Success Story No 3 - Helen Wilson

This employer relates her experience at taking students:

"Between September and February we have had three excellent work experience students from three different Enfield secondary schools. The students have all been able to work independently and with other team members. They have been able to carry out tasks with one explanation and have also used their own initiative. They have all proved to be an asset to our team. We would have happily employed all three of the students as members of staff."

Helen Wilson, local employer

Success Story No 3