The ‘Experience Work’ pilot is a mentoring scheme bringing together over 20 mentors from different careers that students from The Henley College are interested in pursuing.
The ‘Experience Work’ pilot is a mentoring scheme bringing together over 20 mentors from different careers that Henley College 1st Year students are interested in pursuing. The aim of the scheme is that students buddy up with one of the mentors and have one to two interactions before the end of the summer term in mid-July.
The aim is to give students real-life experience of what jobs/careers are actually like in practice and help them make the right career choice. Mentors welcome the opportunity to share their experience and give practical advice to benefit students. Also, this scheme is unique in bringing together a community of mentors – rather than the usual one off talk from someone in a career.
At the ‘Experience Work’ pilot scheme launch on 7th June, mentors from nursing, pharmacy, digital marketing, and even local author Amanda Jennings covered the following:
o Their job in a nutshell
o An honest view on what they liked and didn’t like
o Plus what students could expect in terms of range of salary and future job in the future
Over 30 students, staff and mentors met for the launch where students got chance to meet their chosen mentors as well as hear about other careers too.
Daniel Bausor, MD of Digital Marketing Company, Famous4 Customer Advocacy said, “We came up with the idea for the ‘Experience Work’ mentoring scheme because when we were at college and looking at what careers to pursue, we got minimal advice. The program is all about overcoming that by bringing together a community of students and mentors for the first time." He added, "The aim of ‘Experience Work’ is to give students hands-on, practical advice on a whole range of careers – and what they are really like in practice so that students can make informed decisions.“
Sales Director from SAP, Richard Masterson commented, “It was great to see students and mentors engaged. We got mentors representing careers from Pharmacy and Nursing to Law and Digital Marketing – as well as local, leading author, Amanda Jennings." He added, "We’d like to broaden the program in the next academic year where there is an opportunity for other mentors to come on board who are willing to coach and inspire young people to make the best career choices.”
Kathryn Caulfield, Head of Student Services said “It was a wonderful evening. To see the students so engaged and animated in their conversations with the mentors was great to see. For them to have the opportunity to be matched with mentors who have the experience of their career goals gives them a unique chance to really find out what it would really be like to be a lawyer, or a doctor or a writer. I am excited to offer this to other students in the next academic year.”
