254 students swapped their college classrooms for the world of work. Students gained the opportunity to learn how businesses operate and the breadth of careers they could go on to after their time at Ashton Sixth Form College. In early December, over 288 students also went out on placement.

As part of the vocational courses on offer at Ashton Sixth Form College, students are required to take part in work placements as an important component of their learning. Students who go out on work placements come from a range of courses including Media, Sport, ICT, Business, Applied Science, Health and Social Care, as well as Child Care and Learning Development. A dedicated team of Work Placement Co-ordinators work to find students varied positions across a wide range of sectors.

Ashton Sixth Form College aims to ensure students, not only achieve the qualifications they need to progress in the future, but that they gain real-world practical experience as well. Work placements occur in students’ first and second years giving them multiple occasions to build their experience hours. Students are able to realise a career opportunity they may have not yet thought about and get a head start in determining which areas of work are best suited to them.

Many of the colleges most established placements recur year on year allowing for great relationships to be built with businesses and companies across Manchester and Tameside. Each year there are also new placements created to give students the chance to experience something different.

Not only do work placements provide students with practical skills for life they become a fantastic talking point in future interviews for employment, further study or apprenticeships after college in order to begin the first step on a longstanding career. If university is the next goal, work placements are great to make students stand out on UCAS applications, showing initiative, determination and commitment.

 

If you would like to work with the college to provide work placements for students in the future, please get in touch with our Work Placement Co-ordinators, 01613302330.

 

[Pictured above are students interviewing the TMBC Mayor for the March issue of About Tameside.]