Summer Work Experience Project Leads to National Award

A trailblazing work experience project for young people in care has led to the Hertfordshire Virtual School scooping a UK Career Development Award for Innovative Employer Engagement Activity.

Hertfordshire Virtual School, which supports the education of pupils in care in mainstream schools, was recognised for its project enabling children in care, or care leavers, to staff Miller’s Tea Room at the Mill Green Museum in Hatfield.

The museum, which showcases an 18th-century restored working water mill, has diligently supported this project for over 15 years, allowing the young people to operate the tea rooms during selected weekdays each summer.

Last summer’s diverse group included young people with special educational needs and students with English as a second language, all of whom were offered further work experience and gained vital skills through the seven-week project.

The award, sponsored by the Department for Education, recognised how this valuable project boosted the young people’s confidence, independence and employability, equipping them with the skills to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Other positive outcomes from this innovative project included:

• All participants are better informed and much more employable, with five young people successfully securing part-time employment using their skills.
• All have been offered further sector-specific work experience opportunities.
• One young person grew in confidence sufficiently to perform his own music live to 500 people.
• A group of employers have learned about trauma and attachment and about working with care-experienced young people and young people with special educational needs.
• Participants gaining a minimum of a Level 1 training qualification in food hygiene, food handling and customer care deliver by Herts Catering Limited.

Cllr Fiona Thomson, Hertfordshire County Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, who visited the tea room on Wednesday said: ‘We’re so proud to win this prestigious award because it demonstrates the success of this project and the positive impact it has on our young people.

‘The project has been running for over 15 years and has equipped so many young people with confidence and practical skills which have helped them in their next steps in life, such as employment and education, including progression to university.’

Cllr Terry Douris, Hertfordshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning said: ‘Huge congratulations to our colleagues in the Hertfordshire Virtual School for achieving national recognition for this innovative project giving young people the chance to flourish.

“This dedicated team provides the expertise, support and passion to help our young people lead healthy and fulfilling lives as they transition into further education or work.”

The Virtual School team worked on this project in partnership with ELSA Next Generation, a not-for-profit organisation who offer workshops and programmes to develop young people’s social and life skills.

As a result of this partnership, volunteers from a number of industries were enlisted on this project and provided with training to equip them for working with care-experienced young people. They could then share their knowledge and expertise to support the young people in recognising the transferable skills they had developed.

The Hertfordshire Virtual School was also short-listed for a LGC Award (Local Government Chronicle Award) for its success with the number of care leavers gaining university places. Last year two Virtual School students gained places at Oxbridge, a first for the school, which also celebrated many other students gaining placements at universities across the country.

For more details about Hertfordshire Virtual School, click on the link here: Hertfordshire Virtual School