Students from across Northern Ireland recently participated in NI Water’s inaugural Hybrid Work Experience Programme – the first in a new series developed in partnership with the leading social mobility charity, Speakers for Schools. The programme offered 26 students aged 16-19 the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in the world of science.
Participants from across Northern Ireland attended two virtual days packed full of interactive workshops and sessions, led by NI Water scientists, followed by an in-person day at NI Water’s headquarters in Belfast, complete with lab tours and hands on activities. The hybrid approach allowed students unable to travel to Belfast each day, due to distance or the costs involved, the opportunity to learn all about the different career paths and opportunities in science that are on offer at NI Water.
The multi-award winning employer will host more hybrid work experience programmes in 2025, focussing on careers in Finance and Engineering. This will ensure even more students across the country have the opportunity to gain industry insights and develop essential skills.
NI Water’s Head of HR Operations Helen Devlin explained: “NI Water is thrilled to launch this new Hybrid Work Experience Programme in partnership with Speakers for Schools. We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to explore and develop their career interests, so our programmes are designed to provide students with real-world exposure to the diverse career paths on offer at our award-winning organisation, and a unique insight into the water industry and life at NI Water.
“Our Entry Level recruitment campaign will be launching early 2025, with unrivalled opportunities for apprentices, higher level apprentices and graduates on offer. We hope that these work experience programmes will inspire students to consider a career in the water industry and open their minds to the alternative career path options open to them.
“Details of the next two work experience sessions on Engineering and Finance coming up in 2025 can be found on https://www.speakersforschools.org/, so watch out for those in the new year.”
NI Water’s hybrid work experience programme is delivered in partnership with Speakers for Schools, a UK-based charity committed to increasing social mobility by providing young people with access to career development opportunities. Speakers for Schools is a charity founded in 2010 by ITV’s Political Editor Robert Peston and supported by the Law Family Charitable Foundation. Its mission is to help level the playing field for young people of all backgrounds, increasing access to exciting work experience and other development opportunities, linking students to hundreds of the UK’s leading employers.
Jenni Marshall, Speakers for Schools Employer Engagement Manager NI, said: “Speakers for Schools are thrilled to partner with NI Water to help empower students in Northern Ireland with access to valuable work experience opportunities. By offering multi-day work experiences, companies like NI Water contribute significantly to bridging skills gaps and preparing the next generation for the workforce by informing and inspiring our young people.
“As the UK’s leading social mobility charity, we’re on a mission to help students nationwide to reach their potential by providing work experience placements and inspirational talks across multiple sectors. Having supported NI employers to provide valuable experiences to over 2400 students in the last academic year, we are excited to impact even more young people this year.”
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