Monday 20 April 2015
Major education content provider and NCFE Partner, Tribal Group, and Game Based Learning developers, Totem Learning, have partnered to release Experience Works; an innovative gaming solution for helping learners gain valuable workplace readiness skills.
In Experience Works, learners enter a rich graphic interface of a business park environment and choose from a range of industries (with more to come in future) to apply for a work experience placement, including:
- Health and Beauty
- Hospitality
- Fitness and Sports
- Engineering
The units are broken down into manageable challenges, which can be used in the classroom as part of a structured lesson, or individually as part of non-tutor contact hours. The learner will be taken through job applications, interview role play, health and safety, managing information, and practical application using games and reflection.
The game is ideal for students taking part in NCFE Study Programmes as it provides a fantastic opportunity to alleviate the anxiety some students feel about entering the world of work by allowing them a ‘practice run’. Or two or three, in fact according to Richard Smith, CEO of Totem Learning, “On average, learners tend to play our games 4 times until they perfect a particular skill”, thus allowing them to make mistakes in the virtual world so that they can make the right impression in the real world to get their careers off to a flying start.
The idea for the game came about in response to rising concerns from industry regarding students’ lack of employability skills, such as business and customer awareness and self-management. FE Colleges and Schools are now placing much more emphasis on forging links with industry and work experience is recognised as an invaluable part of students’ learning and development.
Despite good intentions however, the supply of organisations offering good placements does not meet the demand, so Experience Works can help to provide some of that experience in a media format that appeals to young people.
Find out more about NCFE Study Programmes.