Aiming at One’s Future

Two students and Head of HF explain about Grenaa Gymnasium’s work experience programme

A while ago the final year HF students at Grenaa Gymnasium left their usual routines of books and study in order to have a taste of what might become their future line of work. They went for a three day long work experience of their own choice.
Two of them where Kathrine Vahle Sørensen and Rikke Nymark who went for work experience in a bank and at sea training school.

– I have always imagined that I would aim for something to do with economy, so I sent an application to the local Djurslands Bank and I was happy to be accepted, Kathrine says. She explains that during the three days she gained insight into how the bank advises young costumers with regard to budget and insurance, and how for example newly arrived Ukranians or companies where special regulations apply are being serviced.

– The staff at the bank were very nice and I had a good experience, so a career in banking is definitely an option. I like repetitive work with routines because one’s improvement is easy to recognize.

Sailing is an adventure

Rikke explains that her work experience was as an ordinary seaman at the sea training school in Marstal on the small island Ærø. – This door opened to me because one of my friends is a student there. As an ordinary seaman your rank is the lowest at a ship, and you do tasks, like making fast the ship and cleaning the deck. Later on you can educate further to become an able seaman and a navigator.

– Once you’re a fully-flegded sailor you will work on board containerships or ferries. I’d like to join the training ship Danmark later this year. They offer programmes of half-a-year’s length where you go sailing with other young people, Rikke says. She continues: – Sailing is like an adventure. Life at sea is beautiful and you can go where ever you want. I also like that you depend on nature and that you need to be focused on making things work. You can’t plan for everything and you need to cooperate and fit into a team. If that doesn’t work, you won’t go far.

A firm focus on futher education

Head of HF at Grenaa Gymnasium, Majurran Veethividangang explains that the three day long work experience that the students themselves organize individually is the last of a series of projects and exchanges aiming to help them clarify which career opportunities they would like to pursue. Previous projects includes a children’s literature unit in cooperation with one of the local primary schools, a science project in cooperation with the local renovation company and visits at professional colleges.

– It is quite unique that our HF students are offered so many job-oriented units, but this is possible because we are a small school. This is very satisfying, not at least for our students, he says.