Our second year of running a work experience programme for our Year 12 students has once again proved very successful. Led by Mrs Palmer in the Careers Department, this unique programme was devised following the COVID-19 pandemic. Post Covid, it has been very difficult for students to source work placements, especially those students with no personal connections and we aim to make work experience fair and meaningful for all our students.
We hope to give students a valuable experience, in the sectors that matter most for the future economy of Northern Ireland and/ or another area of employment that they are interested in exploring. These placements help teach our young people the essential employability skills required in the modern workforce, as they move through their schooling and examinations, before progressing into their working lives.
We send students out beyond the classroom so that they can develop industry-specific skills as well as basic employability skills. These skills include working as part of a team, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, creativity, independence, and resilience. These skills are also being enhanced within the hallowed halls of Wallace High, through our Enterprise Education programme, organised by Mrs Knight-Geddis. This collaborative joined-up thinking and planning for our student’s futures is a hallmark of the Wallace Way.
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Work Experience Companies & Organisations
We would like to thank the many generous companies and organisations listed below who provided our students with this excellent opportunity:
| Anahilt Primary School | Datactics | Icon Creative | Moypark | R+R Engineering |
| Almac | Decora Blinds | Invest NI | O’Reilly Stewart | RSM Consulting |
| Avalon Chiropractic | Des Ewing Resdential | Johnston Controls | Oasis Travel | Salto Gymnastics Centre |
| Babcock International | Democratic Unionist Party | Johnston Gilpin and Co. | Oxford Economics | Sew Ready |
| Ballymacash Primary School | Democratic Unionist Party | JP Corry | Parkview Special School | Smiley Monroe |
| Balmoral Hotel | Donaldson McConnell | Killowen Primary School | Ply Design | Strangford Capital |
| Beaufort Interiors | Downshire Primary School | Knox Clayton | Pond Park Care Home | Titanic Tattoo and Piercing |
| Belfast City Airport | Drumglass High School | Leckey Design | Pond Park Nursery School | Total Mobile |
| Belfast Telegraph | Education Authority | Lisburn Golf Club | Pond Park Primary School | Translink |
| CA Services | Fire:NI | Lisburn Physio | PRM | Ulster College of Music |
| CBRE | Graham | Locale | Pure Mental | Ulster Rugby |
| Cirdan | Hamilton Architects | Mac Plant Hire | PwC | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Concept | Haslem Hotel | McCleary and Company | Queens’ University Belfast | Unicorn Hygienics |
| Conexpro | Hays Travel | McIvor Farrell | Vanilla Black Catering | |
| Crema | HMRC | Meadowbridge Primary School | Vision Express | |
| CWS Design | Home Instead | Medicare – Warnocks | Wallace Prep | |
| Daera | H&J Martin | Moira Primary School |
It is particularly pleasing to hear back from our generous employers and the positive impact that our Year 12 students had during their work experience. Here are some of the quotes from students and employers about their experiences:
Quotes from our Pupils:
“We were given a hypothetical problem of delivering tests to customers. In this we had to come up with a solution using agile and scrum techniques and we had to present our resolution. We also experienced the way in which modern software developers work together and collaborate on ideas and got to see how flexible the job of a software developer can be. A great experience!”
Jack Hutchinson: Cirdan
“I enjoyed looking at house plans and seeing the different steps you must go through when drawing plans before sending them off to get checked for planning permission. It was also good learning how to create sketches and 3D versions of the plans to show clients what their ideas will look like in real life. This was a good opportunity to develop my creativity skills, teamwork and resilience.”
Isabella Kelly: Des Ewing Architects
“It was interesting to see the many elements of a business that are needed to keep a company thriving and how each of these components link together. Every member of staff and every job matters to keep the business operational!”
Lucy McCluskey: Conexpro
“This has cemented my interest in programming and software development, and I will now begin looking for Degree Apprenticeships to progress onto after I have completed my A Levels.”
Kaleb Steele: Cirdan
Quotes from Employers:
“I would like to comment that Joel and Noah were a pleasure to have at Babock. Their attitude and interest were a credit to them both.”
Jonathan Morgan: Babcock International
“Eva Stewart was a pleasure to have in our P.1 classroom this week. She had a natural rapport with the children, was extremely helpful in the classroom and communicated excellently with all other adults. She showed excellent promise as a teacher in the future.”
Judith Allen: P.1 Teacher, Ballymacash Primary School
“Throughout the work experience, Evie actively engaged in tasks, asked insightful questions, and showed a strong aptitude for problem solving. Evie’s attention to detail and quality of work were truly impressive. Evie also demonstrated excellent communication skills, both in person and through written correspondence.”
Doug Beattie: Ulster Unionist Party MLA
Last modified: December 8, 2023
