My first experience of work

Jamie is a student at Oaklands College, studying IT.

Jamie spent time on a work placement with Youth Connexions, across several weeks, and looked at ways to improve the channelmogo and mogozout websites. Here Jamie describes his experience.

On 25th January I started a supported work experience placement at the Youth Connexions offices in Hertford. I was going to help the Interactive Media team helping them with the Channelmogo and the Mogozout sites, both websites made for young people.

The place was amazing, a huge office stood before me with lots of people sitting at computer desks. I met a lot of people on my first day, most of whose names I can't remember. I was going to be using an Apple Mac, something I've never used before but luckily help was on hand in the form of a sensory learning tutor at the college Steve Nelson - he taught me everything I'd need to know about the screen reader that is built into a Mac, called Voiceover.  Oh, I didn't say, yes I'm blind which gave Ela Nisbet - a transition worker who works at the college - a bit of a headache about a huge black cloud that hung over the placement - transport issues. But luckily in conjunction with Steph Weller and the taxi company, this cloud soon went….I loved my first day meeting so many people and of course having my own office.

Ela Nesbit, shown on the left, is Jamie's Outreach Transition Worker at Oaklands College, and Fiona Macdonald is Youth Connexions' web administrator.

I would just say that this opportunity has given me an insight into the real word of work. The skills you gain in college can help you gain employment - just look at me I'm living proof of that, and what employment means to so many people like me. I feel that I have made a difference in terms of highlighting the fact the website and the content I have contributed to the website will help other blind people like me hopefully in generations to come.

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