PHARMACEUTICAL firm Almac has taken a unique approach to student work placements with an all-day assessment and workshop programme facilitated by education consultancy Eye4Education.
Almost 70 year 13 and 14 chemistry students from the Craigavon area took part in the inaugural Almac Challenge which will select up to 24 pupils for placement positions in the local company for Spring 2016.
Hosted by Portadown College, the challenge involved aptitude testing, group assessments with tasks, individual interviews and the creation of mock applications for a lab assistant role.
The pupils from Lismore Comprehensive, Lurgan College, Portadown College and St Ronan’s College were guided by 10 business advisers from Almac and overseen by three facilitators from Eye4Education.
Explaining the reason for the initiative, Niamh Kinsella, Almac recruitment specialist, said: “Like many companies across Northern Ireland, we receive hundreds of requests for work placements throughout the year.
“We recognise the value of this experience both for the pupils and for industries looking for future employees, but also recognise that it is impossible to facilitate every request.”