Given the uncertainty about when students will return to school, and how social-distancing requirements will play out over coming months, Worktree is suspending all face-to-face Career WorkOut sessions between now and July.  “It’s hugely disappointing to be losing the WorkOut sessions,” said Ian Tett, Headteacher of Oakgrove School, “since they’ve become such a normal part of our careers education delivery in recent years.  But I can’t see things getting back to normal this term.”

As well as developing pre-recorded ‘Career Snapshot’ videos, Worktree has been experimenting with small scale Career WorkOut Online sessions at MK YMCA.  Over five sessions, eight YMCA residents have met nine guests from the world of work in zoom conversations.  Using one room and one large screen at the YMCA, with guests ‘zooming’ in from their own devices at home, residents and guests have reported positively on their experiences.

But setting this up for schools is more challenging, given the larger numbers of younger people and increased safeguarding risks, and it will require further experimentation – probably technical development too – to ensure everybody’s safety in such sessions.

Worktree is doing all it can to innovate its way through these challenging times.  As ever, our main asset is our ‘trunk’ of 2,000+ MK volunteers.  We welcome any reflections and/or suggestions that will help us to plan a sustainable future for quality encounters between employer/employees and young people .  tom.bulman@worktree.org.