Year 10 Work Experience: Reflections on health, education and research
This week Year 10 students experienced the world of work on a variety of different work experience placements. We had a total of 135 placements in Sydney and interstate across the five days. Girls spent the week in financial services, veterinary hospitals, at design studios, architecture firms and fashion houses. Here are a few reflections and highlights from our students.
Brittanie Hsu: Cognitive research at the Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University
Work experience at the ‘ARC Centre of Cognition and its Disorders’ has been a very rewarding and worthwhile experience. Each day consisted of attending seminars on the different aspects of cognitive science, collaborating with other students on a research project, learning about cognitive disorders through an online lecture program, informative workshops on career paths in the research field and tours of the research labs.
Highlights included visits to the different labs and having hands-on experience with the technologies used at the centre to collect research data. I was able to test out ultrasound and eye-tracking devices which collect data on children’s development of speech and was able to use the magnetoencephalography machine which enables tracking of neural activity in the brain. My week at the centre has been extremely valuable in providing me with an insight into the work of cognitive researchers and has certainly made me consider a future career in the research field.
Hannah Cuddy: Social Work and Health Care at Royal North Shore Hospital and Manly Community Centre
I was very fortunate to have experienced such a large spectrum of social work and health within the community in my week of work experience. I loved being able to observe my supervisor in action with clients and patients at a range of different facilities and settings. It was lovely to see the amount of appreciation these individuals had for my supervisor.
I helped at the Manly Community Centre, which provides food and clothing for the homeless. The people who worked at the centre were such an excited and lovely group of individuals who provide such thoughtful gestures and services for these people who need more help. It was a really satisfying experience. Overall this week has been extremely enjoyable and interesting. It has definitely provided me with a large insight into the everyday procedures and activities that are fulfilled within this specific field of work.
Caitlin Williams: Education at 91ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ School and Social Justice work at Australia for United National High Commissioner for Refugees, Sydney
This week I was lucky to secure a placement at both 91ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Junior School and Australia for UNHCR. My week started off with a day in the Junior School where I shadowed Ms Burkett in Year 3 for the day. I loved working in the Junior School as I learned the most important step to being a teacher is always to be open to help students and have smile on your face. I was actively involved in the class, getting to the know the girls and the content they were learning. It also gave me a new look into teaching as a career as I found out what it was like to be a teacher, not a student! I look forward to going back to visit the Junior School and seeing students again as they were so welcoming and made my work experience placement very enjoyable.
On Tuesday, I started my placement at UNHCR. When I arrived I was quickly welcomed, given a desk and introduced to my supervisor Linda, who is in the Community Fundraising team. I was given tasks on an upcoming project - UNHCR is looking to reach out to schools, to fundraise and spread awareness. My task was to research schools that were already giving money for UNHCR and then investigate different ways to fundraise such as fun runs, read-a-thons, benefit concerts or bake sales. I am currently developing a plan for a benefit concert that I hope to put in place at 91ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. This experience thus far has given me a realistic look into the work place and local careers in charities.