At the end of Term 2, Year 10 students participated in the Work Experience Program. Some of the workplaces and jobs that students were involved with included: Graphic Design, Zoo Keeping, Architecture, Medicine, Nursing, Teaching, Veterinary Science, Retail, Banking, Physiotherapy and Building. All of the students found it to be a very valuable experience which gave them insight into future careers that they can work towards. Here is a selection of comments made by students:
Daniel Robinson...
I completed Work Experience at Manly Waters Private Hospital. After school I am interested in pursuing medicine and so I was able to observe what happens in a hospital. On the Monday I worked with the nurses on the Surgical Ward, where people would be coming in for removal of teeth and other various surgeries. On Tuesday I worked with the nurses on the Medical Ward and was able to see all the different procedures that the doctors and nurses practiced on those who are unwell. Wednesday involved working with the Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist. This was particularly interesting, as I was able to see the OT work with a man who only spoke Italian, and very little English. We made flash cards of the Italian words for hot (caldo) and cold (freddo), so that he could tell which container was hot and which was cold, as he had had a stroke and this was to test his sensory nerves.
On Thursday I worked with a wardsman and observed how the hospital was maintained and kept in order. On the last day, I worked in Oncology and observed people who received chemotherapy. It was very saddening to see that people were ill from their cancer, but also uplifting to see people who had received chemotherapy and were almost cancer-free.
Overall, the week was absolutely fantastic. I was able to learn a lot about things like anesthesia, strokes and cancer, and was shown how to make a bed with hospital corners! The week was very encouraging and reinforced my desire to pursue medicine after school, motivating me to do well in my HSC. The greatest thing I was able to learn, was that nurses are possibly the most important people in hospitals, as they do so much that goes unnoticed.
Bethany Sullivan...
I was interested in learning about Music Therapy so I emailed about sixteen music therapists and ended up with three placements. I spent three days at Fisher Road Special School. On the first day I was with the junior class for children with autism, and on the second day I was with the senior class for students with high support needs. I loved both these days because I got to see the great difference the teachers were making in the students’ lives, and also the huge amount of effort they put in making the programs both fun and useful. On my third day at Fisher Road, I was working with the music therapist. It was lovely to see how much the students enjoyed music therapy, and how it was helping them to gain confidence and communication skills.
During the week I also went to the University of Technology at Lindfield where I observed a music therapy session through a one-way mirror. It was a great opportunity to ask questions about the session and music therapy as a career.
My final day was at the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre at the University of Western Sydney in Penrith. This was a brilliant day where I watched sessions through a one-way mirror. I loved the way music was bringing joy to people, and how their lives were being changed positively. It was also good to see how different music therapists at the centre worked, and how they were able to help each other and share ideas.
Work Experience has been really valuable for me. Now I know that music therapy is a career I’m definitely interested in pursuing.
Joshua Tie...
Work Experience is a great program because we get to see, feel and experience a job or occupation we would like to consider when we leave school. I took a chance to go to a Law Firm called Freehills in the MLC Centre in the CBD. Every morning I had to get up at 7:45 in the morning to get there. Albeit an early start, it was worth it. I enjoyed getting an insight into how legal practices work. I also was lucky enough to go to a Supreme Court hearing which had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Trust me, it was very different to the court cases you see on TV such as the famous “Judge Judy”.
Parts of the Firm I was involved with included Human Resources, Information Services, the Service Centre and Litigation which was my favourite. Each of these parts played a vital role in holding the Firm together.
On the whole, Work Experience is a good way to learn about your future occupation. I encourage those next year to participate in it. I found it useful, fun and educational. It met all my expectations and went beyond what I thought. Overall I give it 10 out of 10.
Simon Swadling...
My work experience was with the Sydney Symphony, and what an amazing experience!
Though I didn't get to play any instruments, I learnt so much, and would do it again anytime! On Monday, there was a whole day rehearsal with the Sydney Symphonia (a group of recent musical graduates, mentored by members of the Sydney Symphony) for the upcoming week of education concerts. On each day from Wednesday to Friday, there were two education concerts in the mornings, held in the Eugene Goossens Hall, in the ABC Ultimo Centre (The Chaser's War On Everything and The New Inventors are also filmed there). I helped ushering groups of about 500 kids in and out of the concerts. In the afternoons I helped in the Sydney Symphony offices.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of hearing the Sydney Symphonia rehearse Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, and on the Thursday afternoon I went to the Opera House to watch the full Symphony rehearse, and then got a tour of the Concert Hall part of the Opera House which was amazing! Then, to finish the week off I was given tickets to see a Sydney Symphony concert titled The Colour of Time, which was an amazing and impressive end to the week!
Each student received a Work Experience Certificate which is a valuable document to add to their portfolio, especially when they apply for jobs in the future. Well done Year 10 for taking the initiative to organize your placements and for being worthy ambassadors for the School.
Mrs de Jong,
Careers Adviser
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