Wolsey Workplace Encounters
Innovative Careers Programme for Secondary Students
Reimagining Work Experience—Opening Doors to Local Futures
Designed for students aged 11–15 (Years 7–10), before or at the point of choosing their GCSE options
Our Wolsey Workplace Encounters programme opens doors for young people—literally. We partner with local organisations to provide hands-on, behind-the-scenes access to real workplaces across Ipswich.
By connecting students with professionals in industries right on their doorstep, the programme helps them discover local career pathways, build aspiration, and understand the real-world relevance of what they learn in school.
🎯 Aligned to Gatsby Benchmarks
Our encounters support schools in meeting key Gatsby Benchmarks:
- Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
- Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees
- Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces
How It Works
- Approx. 2.5-hour sessions in real workplaces
- 15–20 students per visit for meaningful interaction
- Students opt in based on subject interests and curiosity
What We Aim to Do:
💡 Empower Young People
- Build confidence, aspiration, and real-world skills
- Equip students to make informed decisions about their futures
- Raise awareness of diverse local careers and pathways
🌍 Strengthen Communities
- Foster pride in place and stronger community connections
- Support social mobility by creating meaningful opportunities
- Help retain young talent in the region
🏫 Support Schools & Employers
- Provide professional development and employer links for educators
- Offer low-cost recruitment opportunities for local businesses
- Create long-term partnerships between schools, students, and employers
“It’s been a great experience of working first-hand in marketing. This will help my learning in lessons because you’re doing it—and learning more during it. I can imagine myself in this role now. Before, it was just a fancy hotel to me—now, I know I could work here.”
— GCSE Business student, Ipswich Academy
(Digital Marketing Encounter @ The Salthouse Harbour Hotel)
“I enjoyed learning about the factors that go into deciding sentences for crimes. I can see how the skills I learn in History lessons help to weigh up evidence on both sides. I’m now interested in going into corporate law.”
— GCSE History student, Westbourne Academy
(Introduction to Law Encounter @ Suffolk Magistrates’ Court)
“It gave me new experiences of jobs I was previously unfamiliar with. I think I potentially have the skills to work somewhere like this. My horizons have been broadened. I kind of know how to drive a train now!”
— Year 9 student, Chantry Academy
(Working in Transportation and Logistics Encounter @ Freightliner Group Ltd.)
Why This Model Works
“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.”
Many young people have limited awareness of the careers available to them—especially in their own communities. As industries rapidly evolve through digital transformation and new technologies, early and intentional career exposure is more important than ever.
Our Approach
🔧 Real Experiences, Real Places
- Workplace visits with hands-on activities across a range of sectors
- Delivered in partnership with Ipswich Central BID—scalable to other towns and cities
- Led by former teachers, careers educators, and industry professionals
🕒 Early, Purposeful Engagement
- Designed for students aged 11–15 (Years 7–10), before or at the point of choosing their GCSE options
- Builds confidence and broadens horizons
- Helps students make informed, aspirational decisions about their next steps
🔍 Why It Matters
Wolsey Workplace Encounters is a student-led, locally rooted alternative to traditional work experience. It’s designed to give students early, meaningful exposure to the world of work—when it matters most.
By bridging the gap between classrooms and careers, we help students make informed, aspirational decisions about their futures.
Who’s Opened Their Doors
These organisations have hosted Wolsey Workplace Encounters, giving students a valuable window into local careers:
🏗️ Construction, Property & Design
- Barnes Construction
- Galliard Homes
⚙️ Transport, Maritime & Engineering
- ABP Port of Ipswich
- Freightliner Group Ltd.
- Spirit Yachts
- Ipswich Maritime Trust
🧠 STEM, Innovation & Digital
- BT Adastral Park
- Motion Mapping
- Alarming Ladder Studios
🎨 Creative, Heritage & Cultural Industries
- Brighten the Corners
- Call Me Ted
- Colchester and Ipswich Museum
- Dance East
- Eastern Angles
- Magic Floor Productions
- Pot Punk
- Sailing Barge Victor
- Spill Festival
- Stoke Bridge Workshop
- The New Wolsey Theatre
- Uwu Studio
💼 Business, Marketing & Placemaking
- Ipswich Central
- All About Ipswich
🏨 Hospitality, Lifestyle & Retail
- Chefs’ Whites
- Novotel
- Salthouse Harbour Hotel
- Renaissance Hair and Beauty
- Robert Gatward Jewellers
⚖️ Law, Public Services & Finance
- Suffolk Magistrates Court
- Birketts LLP
- Ellisons
- NatWest
- UK Parliament
📩 Get Involved
Are you a school, educator, or employer interested in reimagining work experience for your students or community?
Let’s open doors—together.
