In 2024, Dundee Science Centre launched our brand new work experience programme. We were able to secure funding to allow attendees from all 8 secondary schools in Dundee to complete their work experience with us. This allowed us to deliver this programme to 60 S3 children over the academic year! Quite exactingly, we will be continuing this project into 2025 to allow a new cohort of students to complete their work experience at Dundee Science Centre.
The activities that the students will be doing are extremely varied, giving experience in multiple different areas and departments – with the new work experience programme designed to not only give students an insight into how a visitor attraction operates, but also to be flexible.
As we don’t have a set curriculum of what we have to deliver, this gives us the ability to chop and change sessions if other things are going on in the centre; depending on if there is an event, irregular maintenance, or even if a specific task needs to be completed (such as monthly stock counts in the gift shop) we can change what the attendees are doing week to week – adding the option of incorporating additional experiences and potentially extra capacity for tasks if required.
Dates
Dundee Science Centre will be accommodating students from all 8 secondary school in Dundee, the first two groups completed their work experience placements in March. ‘
- Craigie High School (& Harris Academy): Tuesday 12th March – Thursday 14th March
- Braeview Academy: Tuesday 19th March – Thursday 21st March
After the first intake, we will then have work experience students with us regularly from April through September:
- Harris Academy: Tuesday 23rd April – Thursday 25th April
- Grove Academy: Tuesday 7th May – Thursday 9th May
- St. Paul’s Academy: Tuesday 21st May – Thursday 23rd May
- St. John’s Academy: Tuesday 4th June – Thursday 6th June
- Baldragon Academy: Tuesday 3rd September – Thursday 5th September
- Morgan Academy: Tuesday 17th September – Thursday 19th September
Sessions
| Session: | Description: |
| Welcome, introduction, & health & safety | Welcome session introducing the programme, as well as getting to know the students. This session will be used to deliver building health & safety, set expectations, and discuss the workshops that will be delivered over the 3 days. |
| Exhibition floor exploration | A visit to the exhibition floor and exploration of exhibits. Delivered as a normal school visit, this session will help pupils familiarise aspects of the DSC that can be used in further sessions. |
| Science communication & science capital training | This session will equip the students with the necessary skills to communicate science on the exhibition floor. |
| Barista training | Barista training with Billy from Coffee Conscience. Pupils to receive full training and given certificate at end. |
| Facilities – exhibition troubleshooting | Session that goes through the audit required to keep exhibits up and running. Students will make their way around the centre checking each exhibit, and ensuring they are working correctly. |
| Operations – Exhibition floor | Public exhibition experience with science communicators. To include exhibition floor start-up procedures, public engagement & operational checks/tasks, and reset procedures. |
| Digital marketing | Marketing and promotion workshop centred around digital marketing, using Instagram/Tik Tok – pupils to create videos of the exhibitions to advertise DSC. Pupils will then create these in real life and present them to the rest of the group. |
| Gift shop, reception, café | A session that provides experience in the two commercial outlets as well as front of house. Time will be spent in the gift shop, learning about merchandising and retail operations, the café, learning about operations, stocking, and food safety checks, and reception, to gain insight into the first port of call at a visitor attraction. |
| Operations – School Visit | Using skills learnt from previous sessions throughout the week, the students will assist with a school visit to the centre – putting their knowledge of the exhibitions and skills from science communication/training, they will deliver an engaging visit for a regular exhibition only school visit. |
Uniform/ID
Work experience pupils are not required to wear uniform. However, they will all be given a card with their photo made for them alongside a green DSC lanyard – this is to differentiate them from staff. Attendees should wear comfortable shoes/trainers, as well as plain coloured clothes (with no obvious or large brand).
When in areas such as the café, the students will be expected to adhere to stricter guidelines due to Foodsafe and hygiene guidelines.
Express your interest here!
Due to the large amount of requests we receive for placements throughout the year, we are only able to accommodate work experience at specific dates – which are pre-agreed with the 8 secondary schools within Dundee. Furthermore, places are limited, as we are only able to accept 5 students per round of work experience. Thus we unfortunately are unable to accommodate all requests – we apologise for any disappointment this may cause.
To register your interest in joining the Dundee Science Centre as part of your work experience programme, please fill out the following form.
We will confirm receipt of any form submitted, which will be sent to the work experience lead for the secondary school the student is currently attending. If we require any further information we may contact you to discuss further. The work experience lead will collate all requests and confirm placements on behalf of the Dundee Science Centre.
If you require further information about our work experience programme, or have any other questions, please contact us at learning@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk or 01382 868608.