In December, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) Supported Learning students took a trip to Greenwich to participate in a work experience programme for Special Educational Needs learners at the National Maritime Museum.
The students’ role was to help enhance the visitors’ experience at the museum, particularly in the “Sea Things” exhibition. The exhibition lets visitors explore objects, such as a pocket watch worn on the Titanic or an Ancient Egyptian ship model, one of the oldest artefacts in the museum’s collection. Students learned to gather, remember and communicate facts about various displays and they helped visitors to discover objects’ stories.
Gagandeep Nangpal, RuTC Supported Learning student, said, “The work experience at the National Maritime Museum allowed me to learn about many different job roles in the museum and I enjoyed talking to the visitors to improve my customer service skills.”
Mistu Butler, RuTC Supported Learning teacher, said, “Museums are an excellent place for our Supported Learning students to gain valuable life experiences as well as transferable skills, such as team work and communication. Working for an afternoon for the customer service team at the National Maritime Museum built the students’ confidence and allowed them to understand how different customer skills are needed in different organisations.”
Issued for & on behalf of RuTC
