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Meeting the resident ram at Doncaster College's Rural Development Centre are Northridge and Stonehill students on the b&e Lifeskills course. From left Bradley Martin, Luke Fretwell, Devon Bailey and (front) Lea Ward.

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Special School Students Gain 'Lifeskills' From Working Down On The Farm

Students from two Doncaster special schools were given their first experience of working in agricultural or horticultural roles, when they visited Doncaster College's Rural Development Centre recently.

The party of 16 students from Northridge and Stonehill schools, aged from 14-16, were down on the farm at the High Melton campus as part of their Lifeskills course - a work experience programme delivered by Business & Education South Yorkshire (b&e).

b&e developed the Lifeskills programme in response to a need to provide young people with the opportunity to get a real life experience of the world of work by sampling a number of different career opportunities.

The group were shown how the farm uses sustainable methods to prepare the soil in the polytunnels and were also introduced to two herds of rare breed sheep due for lambing. Students were also shown vegetable production methods, which includes growing thousands of parsnips and other crops to supply Doncaster College's staff and student restaurants.The students fed the animals and learnt how to build a shelter at the college's nearby Forest School.

The Lifeskills programme has also included visits to Warburtons and Coca Cola factories and during special sessions in school, the students have studied health and safety procedures and taken part in teamworking challenges. Sheffield-based training provider The Source has shown the students how to present themselves positively in interviews, and entrepreneur Clive Hutton of CH Power Tools in Doncaster helped them to learn business skills by working together to create new products from recycled materials. They have also learnt about crime investigation methods with the help of science interpretation service Think Forensic.

The next stage in the scheme is for the young people to spend time in 'real jobs' as they undertake supervised work placements with a range of South Yorkshire employers including Morrisons, Doncaster Library Service, Re-furnish Doncaster and CH Power Tools.

Sue Plant, Head of Secondary at Northridge School said: "This is the second year that b&e has delivered its Lifeskills programme for us and once again it is proving to be a fantastic experience for our students. It has given them the chance to learn outside the classroom and has really helped to build their self esteem and think about their future choices."

John Moulson, Employability Manager for the Lifeskills programme for b&e said: "Lifeskills has been enormously successful and has given these young people the opportunity to work with business people. We have seen huge improvements in their confidence and abilities as the programme has progressed and I am sure it will have a lasting impact on their ongoing personal development."

The programme will culminate later this month with a presentation ceremony and celebration day at the Northern Racing College, during which the students will receive Edexcel Entry Level Workskills Qualification certificates which they have achieved during the course.

For more information on the Lifeskills Programme or how your business could get involved, please contact b&e on 01709 336700 or email john.moulson@be-sy.co.uk

Editors Notes

Business & Education South Yorkshire is the lead organisation in this area responsible for creating and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and schools. This involves organising a number of enterprise events throughout the year, as well as planning placements for over 17,000 work experience students. On an annual basis, B&E works with 8,000 local businesses, schools and colleges in the South Yorkshire area.