Enrichment - Project and Workshadowing Week (PaWS)

Workshadowing

One of the highlights of the college year is the PaWS week held in June. Students have the opportunity to participate in either a wide range of projects, designed for both enjoyment and for academic and personal development, or to spend a week shadowing and working with professionals in their possible future career areas.

Greenhead College operates one of the most extensive work placement schemes in the country. In 2011, nearly 590 students gained first-hand experience of the world of work across the UK and abroad. Students may organise their own placements or we have a wide range of placements that students can apply for. We employ a Placement Manager who is always on the look out for new contacts. Many students’ career paths have been decided on the strength of their work placement experience.

Comments from some of last year’s work placement students:

“The placement was extremely beneficial. It took me out of my comfort zone and enabled me to meet lots of new people and realise the skills I would need to pursue a legal career.”
Liam, BHP Clarksons Solicitors

“I had the most amazing week and it has reinforced my ambition to study medicine at university.”
Sophie, Guys & St Thomas’ Hospital

“My placement has been such a valuable, beneficial, exciting and tiring week. It has reinforced my passion for working with children and set me on the right path to my future career.”
Alastair, Crowlees J &I School

“I found the experience very enjoyable and informative. I was able to go into every department and I found that useful as it gave me a better understanding of how the company works.”
Nitish, David Browns Gear Systems

“My placement was essential in broadening my knowledge of a working laboratory and strengthening the skills that I need to develop in order to gain a place on a veterinary course.”
Hugh, Nationwide Laboratories

“The week I spent at KPMG has really inspired me to continue to follow a career path in finance. I loved the whole feel of the daily routine and the interesting aspects of visiting other businesses.”
Caroline, KPMG

“The experience was very valuable as it confirmed that I could consider a career in the NHS.”
Hedy, Dewsbury Hospital

“I thoroughly enjoyed working at Sagars as I experienced the wide range of different tasks and services that are provided by the firm. I was allowed to start a task and follow it through to the end, so I felt as if I had achieved something. This week gave me a good insight into accountancy as a career.”
Naveed, Sagars

	Amy Hill at Reeds Rains Estate Agents		Jason McCartney MP with students Lily Platt & Nicole Campbell
	Becky Seiler at Horbury Language School		Sophie Canham at Guys & St Thomas' Hospital

Projects

In June 2011, 380 students were involved in over 40 different projects. Projects included workshops led by external experts in radio and television, engineering, self defence and management courses led by the RAF and the Royal Navy; projects that gave students an opportunity to gain a recognised (non-academic) qualification in sports coaching, sailing or information technology and projects that included trips to London and Paris.

Comments from some of last year’s project students:

“After taking part in the project I have gained more self confidence when working in a group; I feel more confident in putting my ideas across and allowing people to listen to them.”
Amy, Adventure & Leadership

“I benefitted from all my roles both on and off camera as it developed my communication, confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.”
Ginni, Calderdale TV

“I loved the experience and I would love to do it again. The overall sense of achievement and enjoyment was far more than I expected and the number of skills I found in myself will help for future experiences.”
Nathaniel, Cycling Coast to Coast

“The project was very beneficial to me as it gave me an insight into what an engineering degree can involve and also made me consider this as one of my options after college.”
Andrew, Engineering Workshop

“The project has made me want to continue learning BSL in the future as it is a fun and interesting course as well as being beneficial.”
Natalie, Deaf Awareness & Signing

“This project will definitely help me in the future. It has given me confidence to out my ideas forward and taught me how to make quick decisions and lead a team efficiently. It has also made me lots of new friends.”
Ali, Leadership & Management Skills

“The diverse and varied nature of the Holocaust studies meant the week included looking at the terrible events through a variety of different lenses, learning not only historical interpretations, but how the implications of the Holocaust have been developed by philosophers, linguists, sociologists, political theorists and psychologists and those associated with a great range of other disciplines.”
Callum, Munich, The Holocaust & The Nazis

“I think the project has helped me hugely as I now have experience of the sort of things a journalist has to do in their career.”
Blaine, Newspaper Project

“The best part of the project was the visit to the Monkey Sanctuary which enabled me to observe and record data the way Psychologists do.”
Muhammad, Psychology Project

“I have been able to acquire a greater understanding of English history, learn more in depth knowledge about architecture and gain information about studying history as a degree in a fun and enjoyable atmosphere.”
Monique, Romans, Saxons & Vikings

	Cycling Coast to Coast		Munich,The Holocaust & The Nazis Greenhead Students with Arek Hersh, survivor from the Auchwitz Concentration Camp
	Deaf awareness and signing		Law Mock Trial