Students from The Deaf Academy have been enjoying a taste of the world of work thanks to the support of local businesses.
A range of placements were arranged for the young people, as well as career-related talks and a tour of Exeter College. Staff from Devon Air Ambulance visited the campus to deliver a talk to students, Careers South West helped with personalised support and there were opportunities to discover and develop personal skills.
The students also explored Marsh Barton Industrial Estate in Exeter, where they were welcomed to the Mercedes dealership, whilst back in Exmouth they enjoyed a tour of the RNLI lifeboat station.
The Deaf Academy Assistant Principal, Mark Stocks, said: “We’re very grateful for all the support we receive from businesses and organisations during our work experience week. This kind of experience is so important to our students and it’s great to see such an inclusive approach.”
Ocean Exmouth hosted 16-year-old student Mylo who was undertaking his first work experience placement. Mylo joined the customer services team, working closely with team member Adam. His role involved booking in customers for bowling and taking orders for food and drinks. He also dealt with customers via email, making and cancelling bookings, restocking snacks and drinks, and took on some cleaning duties.
Mylo said: “I really enjoyed my experience. The staff were really nice and it was great that some of them could use British Sign Language, which helped with the work that I was doing.”
Former student Sammi Bragg, who is now a veterinary assistant, returned to the Academy to tell students about her role, and she even got to demonstrate her skills on Caesar, a dog belonging to a member of staff.
