Virtual Work Experience
Springpod Opportunities
Year 10 Springpod VWEX
We hold a Springpod schools license, which means we have 3 off the shelf Virtual work experience opportunities available for Y10 students to access in allocated school time. The Year 10 students complete their VWEX in our THRIVE morning sessions. The current 2022 Year 10 students have voted to decide which industries interest them the most. They are currently studying Psychology, Business or Fashion as their virtual work experience options.
Springpod does also run some free VWEX in half-terms and holidays, open to all years. Springpod are offering Virtual Work Experience Programmes and Insight Days that are free for students and can be completed at times to suit. Young people will receive a certificate from the employer at the end of the programme or use in CVs, Personal Statements and future interviews. The sessions all feature live interaction, allowing students to ask any burning questions directly to the experts. Tasks will be set during the programme which will be marked upon completion, helping students to gain career knowledge and experience.
Listed below are a number of VWEX opportunities, sorted by career, which cover a variety of pathways. These can be accessed via the links. The opportunities run from various times throughout the year, so please ensure to check the deadlines for entry.
- Engineering
- Banking
- Accountancy
- Teaching
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Law
- Politics
- Veterinary
- Graphics Design
- Technology
- Denistry
- TV & Film
- Business Managment
- Psychology
- Architecture
- Software Development
- Graphic Design
- Social Media Marketing
- Allied Health Professional
Other Virtual Work Experience Opportunities
The links below show some other options available for VWEX. These opportunities can be completed in your own time to broaden your outlook and skills:
Architecture – Halliday Fraser Munro - Design or Technology programmes using SketchUp and Revit (free downloads available)
Digital Technologies – iDEA - Develop your talents and gain all-important knowledge and information about the digital world with iDEA. You can win career-enhancing badges, unlock new opportunities and, ultimately, gain industry-recognised awards that will help you to stand out from the crowd.
Financial Services - Why not extend your Virtual Work Experience journey by learning about financial services through our online film which outlines how a bank works and the different role available?
Dentistry - New advice on gaining experience to support an application to dental school during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dentistry Virtual Work Experience with Sheffield University Dental School, students can learn about different roles in dental practices, and an introduction into tooth anatomy and disease. Please note, students do not receive a certificate of completion, unless paying an upgrade fee, but students can evidence their work experience through clear and concise reflections on what they have learnt.
Medicine – Brighton & Sussex Medical School - This course provides a virtual work experience for those looking to apply to Medical School. You will be introduced to the NHS before exploring the roles and skill sets of six different medical specialists. Along the way, you will also consider some of the challenges and wider issues that doctors face.
Medicine – Royal College of General Practitioners - 'Observe GP' is an alternative to work experience for aspiring medics, aged 16 and over, who are living in the UK. It is a free interactive video platform providing insights into the role of a GP and the wider Primary Care team.
Medicine - The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has partnered with Medic Mentor, the UK’s largest medical family, to provide free live virtual work experience to any student in the UK wanting to become a doctor, dentist or vet. As a student, you will be able to ask any of the doctors questions about the cases you see. It will be as if you are really there, but from the comfort of your own home and without putting you at risk during the COVID pandemic.
Virtual NHS work experience for allied health careers such as:
- Nursing
- Midwifery
- Paramedicine
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Dietetics
- Radiography
- Prosthetics and orthotics
- Speech and language therapy
- Osteopathy
- Pharmacy and now includes Podiatry too!
Veterinary with the University of Nottingham - Get an insight into the reality of life as a vet so that you can make an informed decision about embarking of a career in the veterinary profession. Virtual work experience programme to do in your own time, provided by Future First in collaboration with the University of Nottingham.
The Lawyer Portal - Traditionally, work experience for law students has taken place within an actual law firm or barristers chambers. However, some law firms have paved the way for a new kind of virtual work experience for law students to allow them to see what life at a law firm might be like from the comfort of their own homes.
Law - White and Case - This virtual programme allows students to gain first-hand insight into life as a White & Case lawyer and experience the realities of cross-border law.
Speakers 4 Schools offer a range of areas for the focused student. Please be aware of the various closing dates and it is competitive! Students need to register to look at the various opportunities on offer.
For a full list of placements - sign in here to search and apply.
Virtual Work Experience has mainly been developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore there has been limited feedback given on the quality of the sessions. Many of these experiences are open for students from 12 to 18 years of age, with reputable companies such as Barclays, Spotify and Royal College of Practitioners. Below is a link to an article for Parents and Carers about Virtual Work Experience for their children:
To find out more about VWEX read The Parent's Guide to Website - Virtual Work Experience - why it might help your child to stand out
University interviews and VWEX may ask to carry out a virtual interview after application. For some Virtual interview skills Information click the below link for some guidance for your child.