During the last week of Term 2, Year 10 students from Our Lady of Mercy College completed Work Experience placements. Over 80 local businesses and organisations partnered up with the College in providing these opportunities for the students.
The Work Experience program provides students in Year 10 with the opportunity to spend a week in a workplace to learn about working in their area of interest. It is part of the Year 10 Careers Studies. Students initiate contact with potential workplaces and confirm their placements arrangements themselves.
During that week, Our Lady of Mercy College Careers/VET staff visited students at their host workplaces. They spoke with supervisors and mentors, and the feedback regarding the students’ performance was overwhelmingly positive.
Our Year 10 students expressed how valuable the experience has been. Many students commented on how the program has assisted them in understanding the different types of employment and career opportunities available to them. The program also helped some students in understanding that a particular career area was not something that they would like to pursue further.
97% of the students said that they enjoyed the experience. 25% of the students were offered a part-time job as a result of their placement.
Our Lady of Mercy College would like to sincerely thank the businesses and organisations for their generous support in providing placements for our students. We would also like to acknowledge their staff who assisted and mentored the students. Their time and effort has contributed to a meaningful and rich learning experience.
A list of all generous businesses are listed towards the end of this story.
Please enjoy the feedback from our Year 10 students below:
What skills did you learn and use during your placement?
I learnt how to produce and read/use blueprints. I learnt how to calculate the different stopping sight distances (SSD), in order to prove a road is up to the safe standard that Australia has made. I learnt about the different processes of planning before roads can be built, you are required to look up to the standard that not only the Government has put in place but also keeping all other people of interest happy, e.g. the shire, the local residents and businesses, the environmental impact/people who have those concerns. e.c.t. I also did university level math's with the co-owner or manager of the Bunbury station (who was also my supervisor). the reason I know its university level is because we where going over his text book on hydraulics from university. We looked through calculations involving culverts (water ways). just to sum up the study, I did calculations on finding depth of flowing water in a curtain gradient and material, understanding discharge (Volume per second) and preparing culverts for storms that happen every 50 to 100 years.
Ryan Case, WML Consulting Engineers
The skills I've learnt during my placement are communication, initiative, self-management and planning and organising.
Sophia Tomas, BMR Engineering
Learning and using communication between different groups with different roles to complete tasks. Also showing initiative when using multiple aspects of software to complete certain digital tasks.
Ethn McEwen, Bunbury Toyota
I learnt how to communicate and help younger kids with their class work, and I also learnt organisation skills as I helped the teacher organise student files and other work folders and books.
Jessica Napoli, Leschenault Catholic Primary School
Team work, communication, initiative and decision making.
Amelia Ietto, Terry White Chemmart
Communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative, decision making, organisation.
Mackenzee Richter, Ninth Street Veterinary Clinic
How to help children with learning disabilities do their work. how to manage children and make sure they stayed on task. help a kid when they lost their tooth (which was gross).
Annisa Pedrazzoli, St Anne's Primary School
I learnt that communication is very important in the workplace to help people understand what's going on and what everyone is doing. You have to have initiative sometimes if you are by yourself and unsure of something. Teamwork is important as well as planning and organising.
Emily Jansen, Bunbury Wildlife Park
Explain what you enjoyed about your placement.
I enjoyed being able to help the kids and have the opportunity to change my perspective of being a student to a teacher.
Bree Chalk, Leschenault Catholic Primary School
I enjoyed working with the animals and learning new skills and meeting new people in the work industry. They helped me understand how to progress in that particular work industry.
Alyssa Liddelow, Bunbury Wildlife Park
The employees whom i worked with and who trained me were very polite and helpful, and always assisted me with tasks and any questions that i asked. the work was easy to complete, and the environment was very high energy and it was all round a great work placement.
Mikaela Caton, Grand Cinemas Bunbury
What advice would you give a Year 9 student to help them prepare for Work Experience in Year 10?
Do something you enjoy and think outside of the box! Even if you don't necessarily want to pursue this workplace as a career, if you enjoy what you are doing it may change your mind and make you realise a new future pathway and if not you will still have a blast.
Nina Bennett, Harvey Hospital - PCA
Go to a workplace that interests you. If you for example enjoy cars, then maybe consider a mechanic. If you for example enjoy sport, then consider assisting a PE teacher at a school etc. I also recommend going in personally to place your workplace as online can result in you getting turned down as they have no idea who you are.
Mason Bowles, BVA Metal Fabrications
Come into the experience with an open mindset.
Alex Doyle, Melo Velo Bunbury
Make sure to talk and connect with other people in the workplace and ask questions to learn about the business and what its like to work there.
Henry King, South 32 Worsley Alumina
Thank you to the following businesses:
Alcoa Willowdale Mine
Amaroo Primary School
Angalines Beauty Studio
Annie's Angels Play and Development Centre
Ausquip Industries
Aust-Guard Security Services
Australind Dental Centre
Australind Essential Grooming
Baggetta Builders
BMR Engineering
BREC
Brunswick Veterinary Services
Bunbury Toyota
Bunbury Wildlife Park
BVA Metal Fabrications
Chez Belle Beauty Salon
CHOICE Aviation
Coast Country Computers
Coastal IT Support Treendale
Collie Early Education
Country Landscaping
Crank'n Cycles 'n Toys
Crop Cool and Ice Services
Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries
Dianon Electrical
Dolphin Discovery Centre
Eaton Pet Vet
Fairview Primary School
Forrest Wealth Pty Ltd
Fresh Floral Studio
Get Ya Rocks Off Crystals
Goodstart Early Learning Australind
Grace Christian School
Grand Cinemas Bunbury
Harvey Community Play and Learning Centre
Harvey Hospital - PCA
Harvey Pharmacy
Hope Christian College
IVC Computer Services
Jacksons Drawing Supplies Pty Ltd Busselton
Jandco Electrics
JDW Tiling
Kent Lyon Architect
Leschenault Catholic Primary School
Life Plus U
McEvoy Homes and Renovations
Melo Velo Bunbury
Micah Inclusion
Ngalangangpum School
Ninth Street Veterinary Clinic
NV Engineering
Ocean Grown Abalone
Parkfield Primary School
Riverlinks Child Care Centre
Shire of Dardanup
South 32 Worsley Alumina
South West Yamaha
Southern Marine Maintenance & Detailing
St Anne's Primary School
St Brigid’s
St Michaels Catholic Primary School
T & R Contracting
Terry White Chemmart Eaton
Terry White Chemmart Australind
The Café Merchant
Timothy John Hickmott
Treendale Medical Group
Treendale Primary School
Tronox Pigment Bunbury Ltd
Tronox Pigment Bunbury Ltd
Unique Creations Hair & Beauty
V & V Walsh
Valley View
WML Consulting Engineers
Yookson Road Engineering
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