Learning from experience

Katie Hunt, Alumni and Community Manager

Throughout the year, Year 10 students have an opportunity to participate in Carey’s work experience program. This valuable program provides students with a first-hand insight into a chosen profession to see what a career is truly about before planning to embark on their own. Work experience also gives students the opportunity to connect with the world of work in a meaningful way. It guides pathways, builds resilience and develops important transferrable skills.

Bringing work experience back to Carey after a 15-year break has been a proud moment for the Careers team – it has been a tremendous amount of work but absolutely worth the effort. Students have overwhelmingly voted with their feet with approximately 80% of students have elected to undertake a work experience placement.

In partnership with the Community Engagement team, the Careers office has started to build a strong database of community partners who support the work experience program, including many Carey alumni and current parents. Many of the students have chosen to complete their work experience with a Carey alum who has volunteered their time, expertise, and professional knowledge to host a student in their workplace. Most of us will remember our own work experience from high school and overcoming the nerves involved in stepping outside of the familiar school environment.

Choosing to be placed with an alumwith whom you have a common bondgoes a long way in breaking downthose first-day-on-the-job nerves.

With nerves settled, both studentand employer are engaged in amutually beneficial situation. It helpsall involved to expand networks, gainnew perspectives and boost socialskills. Being in a workplace also helpsstudents to gain independence andincrease their self-awareness. Not onlythat, when students have a betterunderstanding of their potentialcareer path, they are more inclinedto study the subjects associated withtheir career goals, giving them themotivation to continue studying.

Nick Thorn (2001): ‘I did work experience at a design agency when I was in Year 10, and loved everything about it ... So when I could offer it back, I was excited for the experience.’

Year 10 student Lachlan completed work experience with Nick Thorn (2001) at his design firm.

Nick Thorn (2001), Co-Founder and Head of Digital Atollon, an independent Australian branding, digital and communications design company, hosted Year 10 studentLachlan for two weeks at his design lab based in Collingwood. When the opportunity arose for Nick to host aCarey student, he immediately put his hand up.

‘I did work experience at a design agency when I was in Year 10, and loved everything about it. It completely changed the trajectory of where I wanted to go,’ Nick says. ‘So when I could offer it back, I was excited for the experience.’

Nick also shared that he appreciated the new thoughts Lachlan bought to the office and the chance to hear from a young person full of fresh ideas.

For the week Lachlan spent at Nick’s firm, he set about designing a logo fora client and completed research into some new sectors Nick’s company is thinking of entering.

Hannah spent her week-long placement with alum Jordana Warmbrand (1989). Jordana heads up innovation at Fonterra, a global dairy company that manages brands like Bega andMainland. Jordana fondly remembers her work experience in Year 10 at Carey, which she says helped her understand the workforce and directed her towards a career in marketing. After completing her work experience, Jordana consulted her careers counsellor, reflecting on the areas she enjoyed during her placement and what it might mean for her career before she then decided to study marketing at university. Jordana is now tasked with coming up with new dairy products that come from the farm and end up on our supermarket shelves.

Jordana Warmbrand (1989) offered work experience at Fonterra to Year 10 student Hannah.

Hannah found working at Fonterra interesting as she spent her time immersed in the innovation process, meeting the retail marketing team and analysing survey results for a potential new product.

‘I’m interested in going into marketing after Year 12,’ Hannah says. ‘And there‘s so many different jobs at Fonterra, so it has been good to see all the different roles that make up a company.’

Like Nick, Jordana agrees that offering work experience to students is a great way to give back, but, more importantly, is a vital experience students can gain so much from.

Feedback from work experience hostshas been overwhelmingly positive withmany saying Carey students are anasset to their business. One student sofar has even been offered a part-timeposition after completing their workexperience placement.

The Careers and Community Engagement team at Carey will continue to develop the partnership of alumni and current parents to support the program moving forward.If you are interested in participating in the work experience program by volunteering to host a work experience placement you can contact SophieBryant – Careers Practitioner atsophie.bryant@carey.com.au to register your interest. The third and final placement of work experience for 2022 will take place the week commencing 29 August.