Nine students from West Coast Sixth Form (WCSF) are celebrating after successfully securing a place on the Dream Placement programme. Dream Placement is a 6 month leadership development programme, led by the Centre for Leadership Performance, for all 16-18 year olds across Cumbria, which for some young people will result in a week’s Dream Placement.
West Coast Sixth Form, a collaboration between The Whitehaven Academy (TWA) and Workington Academy (WA), aims to drive ambition and encourage high performance for all sixth form students. Four TWA students and five WA students now look forward to their week-long Dream Placement, which takes place in February Half Term.
Nigel Youngman, Headteacher at TWA, commented: “Congratulations to Maddie, Lauren, Jorja, Tilly and Kayden for securing places on the Dream Placement programme. We are absolutely delighted to have so many students secure places on this prestigious work experience initiative.
“The selection process gave our ambitious and highly capable students a flavour of the rigours of recruitment ahead of them. To have kind, hard working and motivated students rewarded is wonderful. The students are rightly grateful for the opportunity to learn from leading practitioners in their respective fields. As a headteacher, it is genuinely exciting to think about what these students can achieve.”
Maddie said: “I have found the Dream Placement experience very helpful in building my confidence and giving me opportunities to network with local employers. The Dream Placement staff have been extremely supportive and provided lots of guidance throughout the process, which was well organised, and this enabled me to fully understand each step.
“At the selection event I was interviewed by two employers, who were enthusiastic and encouraging, this helped me to feel at ease and provided a positive interview experience. I am really excited about my placement at Paragon Vets and am looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.”
Jorja agreed: “I was so pleased to hear that I had a place with Josh McAllister MP on the Dream Placement programme. From studying politics as part of the Creative Curriculum to now doing Politics at A Level, I have developed a passionate interest in politics. This placement gives me and Kayden the chance to really explore politics in action”.
Mark Bedford, Headteacher at WA, added: “I am so proud of the number of West Coast Sixth Form students who have secured a place this year. This opportunity will allow our students to develop new skills and deepen their knowledge, supporting their future pathway. Well done to Adam, Ellie, Jessica and Sam”.
Adam reflected: “I was lucky enough to be offered my dream placement at LEL Nuclear, who are a hands-on engineering company. I feel this will be extremely beneficial for me as I am interested in going down the engineering route for my future. Although I am open minded about which specific engineering route, LEL Nuclear do specialise in mechanical engineering, which is a discipline I find extremely interesting. I believe this will be a great opportunity for me to gain experience for my future career”.
Sam concluded: “Personally, I wanted to have the Dream Placement so I could experience the workplace before going onto higher education, so once I finish studying, I will be more adept and ready to go into full time work.
“The joint placement with Florence Arts Centre and Rosehill Theatre will not only aid me with this personal goal but links to my dream career path of being a Museum Curator. Both have key elements of a museum working environment and these businesses work deeply with the community as a hub for engagement. Furthermore, they display pieces that the public can come and see, which require maintenance and acquisition to be shown. I am really excited to have this opportunity!”
Dream Placement is a unique collaboration between educators, businesses and young people that offers essential leadership development opportunities. Alongside this programme, seven WCSF students have also been shortlisted for the Oxbridge Access programme, and one student has secured funding for the Young Entrepreneur programme.
Congratulations to all the students involved; we can’t wait to hear about their exciting experiences during the Dream Placement week!
