'There are no lessons planned for school today' - a phrase that would fill many students with a sense of euphoria, and their parents with a sense of confusion.
But these more flexible days add a unique – and highly valuable – twist at two Liverpool schools. Imagine that instead of your usual school day timetable, you’re plunged into an immersive experience where you have to use your knowledge to solve a series of scenarios posed by some of Liverpool’s biggest employers.
That’s exactly what happened at Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School recently. Pharmaceutical giant Astrazeneca conducted a 'Contagion Day', where students across both schools worked together on a series of challenges to tackle the very real-world problem of a pandemic response.
From creating the blueprint of contagion zones and explaining medical responses, to designing public service announcements and marketing campaigns for vaccines, the day encouraged a multi-disciplinary approach across both schools.
This is just one of the many ‘employer drop-down days’ that Year 10 and Year 11 students at both Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School have undertaken during their time studying at the schools.
It also perfectly encapsulates the ethos that both schools adhere to: ‘preparing students for the world of work and the jobs of tomorrow’.
Who are Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School?
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School offer young people aged 14-19 a secondary education designed to give them the practical skills and real-world experience that they will need in their future careers.
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC educates future healthcare professionals, scientists and engineers, while The Studio focuses on specialising in all things digital, including computing, media and animation.
The prominent schools - both under the Northern Schools Trust (NST) umbrella - are located in Liverpool’s independent creative and digital district, the Baltic Triangle.
What is an employer drop-down day?
An employer drop-down day is something entirely unique to Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School - and something they’re very proud of being able to offer to students.
A major UK employer - more often than not with headquarters in Liverpool or the North West - is invited to attend the school, and propose a series of challenges and scenarios related to the field that they specialise in.
This aims to allow students to work on employer-driven projects solving real-world problems, as well as developing skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and communication.
Each day is designed so that the overall theme or challenge posed by the employer partner appeals to both the life sciences and engineering focus of Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, or the digital and creative direction of The Studio School.
And while the industry represented by the employer may naturally lend itself more to one school’s focus than the others, the activities allow a range of approaches and challenges that can be fulfilled by both schools – and show how these skills are woven together in the world of work.
Previous employers who have also joined the schools for the special occasion have been VUE Cinemas, The University of Liverpool, and Ford, with many others slated to appear in the coming months.
How does the day work?
The format of the days is as follows:
There's a masterclass introduction hosted by the employer partner to introduce the day
Full-day challenges are set by the employer partner
Students then work in small groups to develop a solution, depending on which educational pathway they’re on
At the end of the day, students present solutions back to the employer partner, who discuss and give useful feedback and advice
The aim of the day is to help students gain a deeper understanding of the employer partners and the problems they are working on, as well as give them an insight into what it would be like to work in a particular industry.
It also offers the chance for a collaborative partnership between the school and the employers. Not only can students learn more about career opportunities and benefit from their knowledge and expertise, but employers can find out what the next generation can bring to their business.
For more information, you can visit the Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School websites.
To find out when the next open event is taking place, visit the events page.
