Two pupils at Harborne Academy in Birmingham praise Words for Work
Isabel, aged 14
I thought Words for Work would be extra help for English. It’s not that, basically it helps us to learn about working together and respecting each other. Everything is good. At the beginning we didn’t talk to each other and now we do and I like that. You get to work with different people and learn about different things, real things for life. Usually in lessons we sit down and write and the teacher talks. Here it’s more us talking about what we’re doing and communicating. I’m learning how to communicate with everyone and to think, like of the best thing to do. I am more confident at communicating now. It was weird and difficult to start with. I was nervous when I met the volunteers but they are cool, the way they help us and talk to us. I’m learning from them.
I know how to communicate with people and using the right words, the good way to say things and being confident when I get a job. Words for Work should be done in schools. It’s important, especially in school where there are loads of kids like me. It would be good to have a school where everyone communicates better – in our group we are getting on better now from doing Words for Work.
Norman, aged 14
Words for Work is interesting as we’re getting info and learning to work as a team. Working as a team is the best bit. People want to muck about but we’re getting better at working in a team now. When I get a job I’ll have experience of what to do, that will help me. When I go in class kids are not listening, mucking about but here everyone’s listening and discussing. I’ve learnt about body language, how to communicate with people I don’t know, how to discuss things. With the volunteers I was nervous at first but they’re nice. They’ve told us stuff about work and that’s interesting. School is not going to help me get a job. Words for Work can help me. Communication is important cos you can talk to people. I’m ok but I’ll be more confident at the end of WFW. Words for Work should be taught in schools cos people will know what they should do and that’s good.
