[00:00:00] Nadiyah Rajabally: Hi everyone, I'm Nadiyah from hundo, and we're here with another interview. And today we've got the wonderful Steve from South Staffordshire College. Steve, do you want to introduce yourself? 

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[00:00:18] Stephen Wileman: Yeah, thank you, Nadiyah. Um, I, um, everyone, I'm, my name's Steve Wileman. I'm head of digital learning at South Staffordshire College. And I work closely with the amazing work experience team, or WEX for short.

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And I'm delighted here to be representing South Staffordshire College. And here at South Staffs College, we believe that work experience serves as a crucial vehicle for providing young individuals with the opportunity for developing their skills and understanding of the working world. And as educators, I think it's vital for us to understand the significance of work experience.

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It's myriad of benefits for our students, both personally and professionally. So, handing over to Nadiyah, let's delve into the main questions. 

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[00:01:00] Nadiyah Rajabally: Well, it's wonderful having you here, Stephen. Thank you so much for taking time out to work with us and do this interview. So, work experience is seen as a vehicle for providing young people the opportunity to obviously develop the skills and knowledge of the world of work.

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From an educator's perspective, can you explain why work experience is so important for young people to do, especially when it comes to benefits of like personal and professional development? 

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[00:01:22] Stephen Wileman: Yeah, sure. Um, at South Stafford College, we believe the work experience is invaluable for young individuals, and it offers them real first hand experiences in a real workplace environment.

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They can have the opportunity to immerse themselves in day to day operations of a business or collaborate with employers on live projects. It allows them to gain the practical insights that really we can't replicate in a classroom setting. And also, I think work experience plays a huge role in their personal development.

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It helps our learners build personal confidence, independence, and a real self belief and purpose by interacting with industry professionals. And these real world experiences really do help them to shape their characters and prepare them for the challenges that they're going to face in their future careers.

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I think something else to consider is their career exploration as well. It allows our students to explore different areas and different roles within a business, and it helps them to further identify their career pathways and potentially shape their future education at the college on further courses. I think the first hand exposure is invaluable in making informed decisions about their future career aspirations.

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Additionally, I think work experience provides them with some great networking opportunities as well. I mean, students have a chance to build a network of professional contacts who can offer them guidance and advice on future employment opportunities. And I think these connections can often prove to be invaluable as they start on their career paths.

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And we at the College draw on our partnerships and our employer engagements to really support our learners in that pathway. I think it's also successful work experience can also open doors to further opportunities such as some of our apprenticeship courses following on to paid employment and also progression from our courses onto higher education courses.

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And having these professional and positive references from employers really show students they can pursue their chosen careers and pathways and gain skills off our courses that we run at the college, and these experiences can significantly enhance their prospects for the future. In addition, I think the personal and career development and work experience facilitates technical skills development and students can acquire industry specific knowledge.

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And technical skills that are relevant to their chosen field and making them more competitive in the jobs market they're going to go into. Work experience also enhances students employability skills. It prepares them for the demands of the job market. It hones their communication and teamwork skills.

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Provides them with good problem solving skills and adaptability skills. It makes them more rounded individuals ready to take on the challenges of the workforce. And as mentioned, there's lots of different benefits, including learning by doing and getting a job to a job in a real, uh, job setting. I think it helps the learners feel more confident about themselves as well.

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They can try out different jobs in a company to figure out what they really want in the future, and it can lead to job opportunities if the employers see them and can see what they've achieved in their workplace. After all, the learners are developing employability skills and the technical skills and knowledge for their specific industry, and it boosts their CVs, making it look better for them when they apply for jobs.

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So in summary, I think work experience is not just a box for ticking, it's a vital component to college life that adds some value to our students CVs and portfolios. And it really equips them with the practical skills, industry insights, and professional connections that go well beyond the classroom and pave the way for their future successes.

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[00:05:09] Nadiyah Rajabally: No, definitely. And I don't think people realise how important work experience is and how much you can gain from it. And I remember when I was doing my work experience, I went to my local dentist and then you get all these skills where like you build them and it gets your confidence and your personal building.

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And you feel like you've learned so much. And I feel like it helps you also in education. So when you go back to school, like making friends, um, Joining clubs and all that and I feel like it does really help you and even like the benefits that you've mentioned above Was really good because it's like there's so much value you get out of it and it's And it's shocking that 64 percent of students in the UK are unable to even access work experience, which is crazy.

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And as many employers, as we know, are struggling to hire young people because they don't have the right talent and experience. So could you share some insights into why it's been challenging for schools to find and offer work experience for students? opportunities and also what South Staff has done to tackle this issue.

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[00:06:04] Stephen Wileman: Yeah, I think in recent years we've seen a significant change in the ways employers operate and many of them have embraced remote working as a standard practice. And I think this shift presented a challenge at first, but South Staffordshire College rose sourced employers who are offering live projects that the learners could engage with.

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And that's whether they're face to face or increasingly remotely. And we've ensured that these projects still involve regular communication between the learners and employers, as well as project managers. And throughout the project's duration as well, we need to ensure this communication is adhered to.

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And this ensures that our learners are actively developing their employability skills, even in the remote setting that more and more employers are moving to. Many of our learners are also working on developing places like the metaverse learning environments with employers, especially with people like hundo, who we're working closely with on those metaverse learning environments.

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And we're seeing that students as co creators of learning content and these metaverse areas is something that we'd never have anticipated without the guidance and support from hundo. And I think this is a real win win for everyone, not just for college, but for hundo, but also from the learners as well.

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I think it's worth noting that while there are fewer employers in the digital industry within the Staffordshire area compared to larger cities, we've taken really proactive steps to support our learners and ensure they have access to digital hardware. that allow them to complete this work experience and task remotely.

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And when these opportunities arise further afield, we're providing them with assistance with travel arrangements, ensuring that the learners have means to attend these valuable opportunities, as well as giving them digital assets, uh, to communicate, uh, remotely. And I think South Staffs College especially remains committed to empowering our learners with practical work experiences and opportunities, regardless and inclusive of the evolving landscape of employer practices.

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And we're adapting and innovating our working experiences to ensure that our learners have every opportunity to thrive in their chosen fields. 

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[00:08:24] Nadiyah Rajabally: No, definitely. And I know that you guys have done a lot of work with us, and we've helped a lot of students. And I know that a lot of your, a few of your students have obviously done our virtual work experience and have enjoyed it through different ways, different programs that they're doing with you guys.

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And it is, it's like, I wish I had the metaverse and had like virtual classrooms and virtual work experience when I was back in school. It was so fun and cool, because I know that a lot of people struggle with work experience. Especially I feel like since COVID happened, a lot of young people feel quite shy and they've lost their confidence.

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And just like, even like sometimes when we have some students, they never turn on their camera or they don't want to talk when we do like meetings and stuff. And I feel like this new way of working and having these opportunities just helped. 

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[00:09:06] Stephen Wileman: I think it is. And working with hundo again, creating digital avatars and allowing the learners create their avatars has been a great forward thinking approach that hundo has introduced to the college.

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Uh, and using these, these avatars really takes down the barriers for the learners and they can immerse themselves in the metaverse spaces and interact with different learners, different resources. And I think there's something that hundo has opened the eyes to at South Staffordshire College, and we've really embraced that.

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[00:09:35] Nadiyah Rajabally: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I love looking at the galleries that the students have made and how cool to see the art piece and stuff. And I do think it's like taking that barrier away and just makes people have confidence to be who they are and want to be, especially with the avatar. That's something I really love about hundo.

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I mean, all the team at hundo have their own avatar. So we use that quite a lot. Um, in what ways do you believe employers and governments can support schools like yours and colleges in providing meaningful work experience and opportunities? 

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[00:10:03] Stephen Wileman: I think for meaningful work experience opportunities, our learners, it's important that we receive a lot of support from the governments.

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I think firstly, one of the ways that the governments can assist is by providing financial support to employers. I mean, this can help reduce the burden of resources needed for hosting and supervising our learners on placements. Often an employer will find it to be a barrier. And the government intervention in this regard could make a significant difference and generate buy in from the employers and could ultimately lead to longer term employment opportunities for our learners.

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I think As well, we've got a look at it from the employer involvement, and employers can contribute to meaningful work experiences by ensuring that learners are exposed to numerous aspects of their organisation. The first area might not be what the learner and what the employer needs. Taking them around in the different departments is great to get that different perspective.

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And it's crucial that our learners engage in a variety of tasks, which will aid them in identifying their chosen specialism, really, in departments and in work experience. And this well rounded experience is key to helping them make the informed decisions about their future career developments. One of the other things he's looking at challenging the learners as well.

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It's important that our learners are challenged on the work placement and step outside of a comfort zone. But, uh, you know, I think it's essential, uh, cause you're going to get that in industry when you move into these chosen career paths and by building that confidence this way, it's a fundamental part of preparing for future employment.

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By providing these opportunities that push our learners and expand their boundaries, like they're doing in the classrooms, employers can significantly contribute to the growth and the readiness of their workforce in the future. And I think through this financial support from the government, a commitment from the employees to provide comprehensive and challenging experiences, we can offer our learners invaluable insights into the working world.

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And these experiences not only help them in choosing their career paths, but also equip them with the confidence and skills necessary for their success in their future endeavours. 

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[00:12:16] Nadiyah Rajabally: No, definitely. Those points are really important. I feel, yeah, the government can do a lot more, especially where they spend their money.

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I feel like they can definitely help more with that. Cause it's just crazy when you look at the stats and when you hear all the things that are going on, um, especially when it comes to career advice and guidance. And how many young people have said they haven't got, they, they can't find work experience and employees are having the same issues.

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They haven't got the right skills for the people that they want. And then when you leave uni, you've got this debt and then you can't find a work cause you need like three to five years of experience. And it's like, we haven't got the time to do it. And then employees don't want to help because then there's too much paperwork for work experience.

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There's like all these barriers which could be taken out and made so much simpler. That's one of the reasons why obviously hundo wanted to do virtual workers, just to help eliminate those barriers and be like, We can help educators on one side and the young people get the work experience that they need and then help them be more employable when it comes to looking for jobs and help employers on the other side where they don't need to do all the crazy paperwork and all that and just get Um, and I think it's really important for young people to have an easy access to get to help young people at the same time, but also help them with the right skills that they need for employment.

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So yeah, it is a lot. And then what you've mentioned above, it's like really important. So anyone that's listening, hopefully these tips can help. So if you can see more changes, because at the end of the day, it's about the young people and it's about their futures and their careers. And I feel like people forget that there.

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They're the target that we need to help, especially because they're so young, and it's a big transition. 

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[00:13:50] Stephen Wileman: Huge transition, yeah. 

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[00:13:53] Nadiyah Rajabally: So, as we said, um, hundo is currently launching five new virtual work experience programs in June, and I know that we're working with your students and your team to help get that running.

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Um, what are your thoughts on the potential of hundo's virtual work experience program as a solution to traditional work experience challenges? 

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[00:14:10] Stephen Wileman: Well, firstly, I want to say thank you to hundo and everyone at south staff as well, because, uh, you know, you've really supported us with these virtual work experience programs. And I think they really address the traditional challenges we face with work experience.

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And we know that first hand at the college. Hundreds of learners through this virtual work experience with your support, and this has helped us really to overcome the geographical barriers that some of the learners have faced. I mean, the virtual programs provided by hundo are a real game changer in that respect, especially for our learners interested in the digital industry, where, as I mentioned earlier, local opportunities may be scarce.

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These programs are allowing our students to engage in work experience remotely, and they are breaking down those geographical barriers that previously limited their options. I think another great thing is that our learners all have direct access to, to, to industry experts. And one of the standout features of the hundo programs is the direct line of communication the learners have with industry experts and members of the team at hundo who are industry experts.

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I think through the regular team meetings that they are having and the ongoing communication and chats and interactions in teams, the students can seek support in a medium that they're comfortable with. They can get the Advice from the industry experts and members of the hundo team and the guidance they need on the work experience projects to ensure they're having a rich learning experience for all.

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We've also seen our learners skills development increases, sorry. We've also seen our learners skills development increase significantly, and despite the virtual setting, our learners continue to develop both technical and employability skills the same as they would do if they , they gained it in an external work experience.

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This ensures that our quality of our learning and our skills development remains really high. Um, there's a couple of other things. One of the key features of the hundo Work Experience Program and our digital week activities that we have throughout the year is the students get to the chance to build a digital CV.

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And as our learners complete these tasks on the, uh, hundo platform, they build a comprehensive, up to date digital CV and a metaverse avatar, which is allowing them to immerse themselves in the metaverse with an appropriate avatar that they feel comfortable with. And this really showcases the broad digital skills they've developed, making them more attractive for future employers.

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I think with hundo, they've also, uh, really widened the networking opportunities of our learners. The platform serves as a gateway for learners to research, uh, and network with a vast array of successful peers, uh, local and national, and even global employers that hundo put out there across the various sectors.

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They're allowing them to really expand their horizons and their potential career paths. The beauty of the hundo platform is it really engages our learners and provides a real user friendly experience for them. It's really visually appear appealing for our users, and it caters for all abilities and all the levels at our, uh, of our learners.

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What I really like is the badge system, which really rewards the learners instantly for their efforts, keeping them engaged and motivated throughout the program of the work experience program. And I think to sum it up, hundo's virtual work experience provides a really robust solution to many of the traditional challenge that have been facing us in work experience and finding it.

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Uh. They're providing our learners with flexibility, direct industry contact. digital and communication skills development, definitely networking opportunities and a real user friendly experience of it together. It creates a comprehensive and modern approach to work experience at South Staffordshire College.

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So thank you, hundo, for that. 

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[00:18:12] Nadiyah Rajabally: Now, that was lovely just hearing. I feel like that's the first time I've directly spoken to a school that's obviously used our platform because I'm obviously, um, the marketing side, so I don't get to do that. So it's just like, it's just amazing just to hear all the stuff, how it's helped the students, helped you as educators.

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It just makes us feel, yeah, just happy that we're managed to help you guys and so many students as well. So obviously Game Virtual Workspace and just hearing like how they're networking, how they find, they love obviously the platform itself, all the avatars and helping their confidence and building their skills.

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Not even just Not obviously with the works group, but also in education as well and in their lessons and their teachers have seen a difference Which is just great to hear and it's just nice to know like they're enjoying it as well Because I feel like a lot of young people feel like they come to school.

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They have to do their five lessons Sometimes they don't like all the subjects and just have to do it and then go home but it's nice to see that they're actually enjoying it and using the facilities and all of that. It is. And 

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[00:19:09] Stephen Wileman: I think that again, one of the key points as well to mention to the people who are watching this is that the different levels of our learners from entry level up to level five, we've got learners on the hundo platform doing work experience, and they're all engaging with it in their different ways of a different levels.

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But they're finding it a well rewarding activity and we're finding that students are coming back again and again to go onto the platform and to look and work out what additional work experience they can follow and gain more badges. That's been a great thing we've seen again from entry level all the way up to level five.

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Learners are coming in time and time again to gain more badges based on the programs of study that you offer at hundo. 

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[00:19:53] Nadiyah Rajabally: Yeah, definitely. And I'm looking forward to all the new, um, virtual workshop program that we're launching. So we've got green skills happening in June. Um, there's one on AI, one on entrepreneurship, one on being a digital creator, and one about just.

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basic work skills that you need to learn. So I'm looking forward to having your students work on that and I'm sure they'll enjoy all of those. I know the team are working very hard behind the scenes to get those programs going. And so Steve, is there any advice or benefits you'd give fellow educators who are watching this right now, any teachers, head teachers, or even parents, students who are trying to provide work experience or looking for career guidance in their schools but aren't sure where to start?

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[00:20:35] Stephen Wileman: Yeah, I think for other educators looking to implement work experience programs and career guidance effectively in their organisations. I think firstly, I would say reach out to hundo because I think even having that conversation can really make a difference to make you identify different ways to engage with work experience and provide support in developing the work experience programs.

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hundo have really got it covered. Um, I think also you need to ensure that things like you're engaging, as I said, with employers. Uh, one key piece of advice is to actively engage with both local and remote employers and at South Staffs College, we've found that the virtual or the remote opportunities can offer high quality work experiences through live projects that we've been doing with hundo and other partners and full external placements.

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So don't limit yourself to searching in your immediate area. The digital world has opened up a working wealth of possibilities. They're away from just your doorstep. It can be, you know, you can access this work experience globally now. I mean, another thing to consider is developing a collaborative approach.

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Another important strategy we've found at the college is to collaborate. With other companies such as hundo, local education providers, other schools and colleges, and share these best practices at events and tackle the common problems and challenges together. I think it can help lead to more successful industry placements, sourcing, and also a stronger support network for our work experience programs, which ultimately gets into the hands of the learners with their practical work experiences.

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And getting the employers to involve them in the curriculum. We often at the college invite employers out to our campuses to directly engage in with our curriculum team. So this is really beneficial. They can help identify and address skills gaps that they have. And ensure that our educational offerings often align with their current industry needs.

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And this often changes. So courses we're delivering can be changed to adapt to suit to the industry needs. And this is where work experience is a great win win. And this partnership can really enhance the relevance and the impact of our curriculum. And it benefits the college by delivering programs that are beneficial both to our students and to our employers.

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And finally, I think by expanding your network and collaborating with, with peers, peers at hundo or peers as in, uh, you know, your, your, your industry peers or even just hundo partners and integrating employer insights into your curriculum is really important. And I think like South Staffordshire College, you could create a robust work experience and careers guidance framework and helping to prepare students for the demands of the emerging and changing workforce and ensuring that they have the right skills and experience they need to succeed.

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[00:23:25] Nadiyah Rajabally: Yeah, no, definitely. And I feel like you guys working so close to me, I think it's been it's going to come up to a year since we've been working together. So yeah, I feel like we work so close to you and you've helped us so much, obviously giving us like Um, feedback on the platforms, feedback on our programs, and just having that relationship with you guys.

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I feel like we've done so much, especially like with our events, with our CareerCon, and everything, that we've built such a close relationship. And it's great to see everything working now, and seeing your students on our platform, using it, getting their badges. 

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[00:23:58] Stephen Wileman: I mean, I think really, you know, stand out to you guys at hundo.

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I think, you know, we're really privileged to have been in at this early stage. I think hundo has got a lot of opportunities coming forward and already we're seeing our learners benefiting from that. And that's why we want to continue the engagement with yourselves, but also sing the praises to other, uh, you know, uh, organisations are looking at work experience because really, this is a game changer and what you're offering this is a starting point for it.

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And I think, you know, in the next 5 10 years, we're going to hear a lot more about hundo and the fantastic work experiences that they're going to be offering, not just to our organisation, but to others further afield as well. 

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[00:24:40] Nadiyah Rajabally: Thank you, Steve. No, yeah. Shout out to Piers, because I think he is your, yeah, you guys, he works very closely with you guys.

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Piers 

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[00:24:47] Stephen Wileman: and Amelia are absolutely amazing. They have been so supportive of the work experience programs at the college, and we couldn't have done it without their, their involvement, their engagement, and, and, and asking the general questions that, you know, people, you know, could be afraid to ask. Are we doing this right?

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Are we doing this wrong? And getting the feedback from our learners has been invaluable to all parties, Because it's allowed us to probably, I think we've got nearly 500 learners now signed up through some of your platforms and engaging throughout our digital weeks. 

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[00:25:19] Nadiyah Rajabally: Yeah, no, definitely. And I'm, I have seen the amazing what Amelia is doing for these new, um, five new virtual works and I can't wait for these students to see and all the other students that are going to join us.

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For anyone that's listening, educators, parents, like sign up to our wait list and get like, sign up and join us and let your students and your young people and your children be part, your teenagers be part of this new transition. Cause like Steve said, this is a new turning point, whether you're working with hundo or someone else, or just even looking for virtual.

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work experience for other employees that are listening. You can join us and partner with us and we can help you help young people get the right skills for your organisation as well. And I feel like, yes, I'm so glad that I got to get you on Steve and have this interview with you. I feel like I've learned so much from an educator point of view and also learning so much about how our platform are helping young people and helping you as teachers.

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[00:26:10] Stephen Wileman: That's the main thing. That's the main thing. The platform for the learners has been the main thing. It's been great. 

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[00:26:16] Nadiyah Rajabally: It's been amazing and I look forward to having you and more working closely more with you and your students And seeing what more we can do and definitely get i'm looking forward to interviewing the students as well getting them on board And see their getting a student's perspective.

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Is there anything you'd like to say?

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[00:26:31] Stephen Wileman: I think really, you know, I can't sing hundo's praises enough. And for people who were just dropping into the realms of of remote work experiences and the programs you offered, please reach out to hundo or reach out to myself. If you're interested in learning more about South Staffordshire College and how the opportunities we offer and how hundo supported that.

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Visit our website or contact our WEX team or work experience team. We're always eager to connect with other organisations and share our best practice. And we're really passionate about the WEX digital learning innovation that we're we're pulling forward with hundo here. If you're looking at stay, you know, getting more information, stay up to date, look at our latest programs, look at some of the things we're promoting, follow us on our social media channels.

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But it really has been a pleasure for me to discuss the exciting WEX developments at the college, at South Staffordshire College. And I think we believe in empowering our students with the skills and experience they need to thrive in the digital world. So don't hesitate and reach out to us because this and what hundo are doing is a game changer.

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[00:27:41] Nadiyah Rajabally: Thank you so much for your time, Steve. And it's been wonderful interviewing you. I know we tried to get this in and I'm glad it happened. And I can't wait to see, to have more of your students on board and to join our virtual experience in our new programs in June. And I look forward to working with you.

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And everyone that's listening, I hope you take board and learn something new. Like um, Steve said contact them if you need any help and also contact hundo at hundo.xyz and follow us on our socials. If you want to learn more like I said you can sign up um to get on our wait list or you can also contact us and we can show you a demo of our platform and you can learn more on how you can get your students and teenagers on board.

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So looking forward and employers, any employers that are listening, You can partner with us. Also, you can contact us through our employer form. So yeah, thank you so much, Steve. It's been lovely speaking to you. And I look forward to seeing your students and working more closely with you. I hope you enjoyed our interview.

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[00:28:34] Stephen Wileman: Thank you very much. 

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[00:28:36] Nadiyah Rajabally: Thank you.