The wondrous world of WOW
By Ian Chan
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
Renaissance College is a school that follows 4 key bedrock principles. One of them is the principle of connecting learning experiences through the pursuit of action, outreach, fieldwork, and authentic learning experiences. This is a fundamental philosophy in the school that can be attributed to the EMB@RC program, a program that encompasses Year 7 to Year 11 and provides students with a variety of different activities to engage in real-world issues or real-world experiences. One of the many experiences that are encompassed by the EMB@RC program is the World of Work, a two-week-long journey where Year 11 students have to work full-time as an intern of a company of their choice.
However, what does the World of Work, more commonly known as the WOW program, entail? And what is the purpose of giving Year 11 students this experience?
To further dissect and understand the purpose of the WOW program, we must first understand the reasons for which it exists. We interviewed the Head of the World of Work program, Ms. Wilma Shen, for her opinions on the purpose of the WOW program.
Shen stated: “Our goal for this programme is to let our students know that there is a world of possibilities out there for them to discover and explore, and to understand the concept of having a job, a career, and actively develop skills for future enterprise and employability.”
To further our investigation, we interviewed an employer who has participated in the WOW program. Tim Tan has been working at Krystal Institute for the past two years. He was questioned on what sort of work he had given to the interns.
Tan stated that he gave the students work that would build on skills that they were already comfortable with, but applied it in new directions to further strengthen their skills.
He explained: “We made sure to give the students work that would be slightly outside of their comfort zone. For example, we trained the previous students to use a software called Krita to draw visual art. We knew that the students had an artistic background, but not with the software that we were recommending.”
Did the students feel as though they had gained knowledge over these two short weeks of WOW? The majority of students interviewed felt that they had gained from the program.
Some examples of the benefits include, insight into future job placements, improvements in interpersonal skills, and insight into how a work environment functions. Some students also stated that the experience had allowed them to realize that some career paths are simply not for them. To quote one of the many responses: “It helped me realise this wasn't something I wanted to do in the future.”
However, not all feedback was positive. A majority stated that they felt that their work was either “not what they were expecting” or “repetitive”. One said: “The work they gave to us was very repetitive and it was just a bunch of documents for us to copy and paste, it was quite boring.”
Most student surveyed stated that they had enjoyed working with the people in the internship and that working with the people in the internship environment made them feel “accomplished”. One commented: “I enjoyed being able to help the children, and it felt the best when they understood what I was trying to explain to them.”
Overall, the World of Work program allows students to peer into the vast possibilities for potential jobs. It functions as a vital part of the RCHK Year 11 curriculum as it prepares the students for their future. This sentiment is shared by the students, the employers, and the coordinator of the WOW program.
Shen underscored the value of the experience: “We really would like the WOW to be an eye-opening experience for our students as you have experienced yourself that learning things inside the classroom is one thing and going out there to do it in real life is another. Students should really take initiatives to actively search for placements that match what they want to study or link to their intended future career. I know for some students it is an intimidating experience but through this you learn so much more not only about the real world of work but also about yourself, what you are good at and what you can still develop further.”