A data-informed communication and networking session for secondary students preparing for work placements and early employment
The situation
Students preparing for co-op placements and early employment often receive strong technical and sector-specific training. However, practical communication skills, such as speaking with supervisors, asking effective questions, handling misunderstandings and building professional relationships, are often assumed rather than taught directly.
The opportunity was to give students simple tools they could use in real situations, while creating an environment where they could participate honestly and without pressure.
My role
I designed and delivered a two-hour interactive workshop on communication, trust and professional networking for students in a Specialist High Skills Major program.
I built the session around practical workplace situations and used live polling, anonymous responses, peer discussion and short exercises to understand what students already knew, where they felt less confident and what support they found most useful.
My work included:
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Designing the workshop framework and learning activities
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Facilitating live polling and anonymous participation
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Teaching practical approaches to trust, networking and follow-up
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Guiding students through workplace communication scenarios
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Helping students develop questions for supervisors and placements
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Collecting and analyzing post-session feedback
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Turning the results into a data-informed white paper with recommendations for future programming
What the workshop found
Students already understood that trust is built through reliability, listening and following through on commitments. They also viewed networking primarily as relationship-building rather than self-promotion.
The larger gap was confidence in situations involving social or authority risk, including:
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Starting conversations with unfamiliar people
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Speaking with supervisors or employers
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Handling conflict in group settings
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Asking for help
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Giving and receiving feedback
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Communicating professionally by text or email
When given structure, students generated thoughtful workplace questions, including what would be expected of them, how they could contribute and what success would look like during a placement.
The strategic approach
I focused on practice rather than abstract advice.
The workshop was built around three questions students could apply in everyday communication:
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What does this situation need right now?
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What would make this easier or safer for the other person?
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What follow-up keeps this moving?
Students used live polls, scenarios, peer discussion and sample follow-up messages to apply the ideas immediately. Anonymous participation through Mentimeter also gave quieter students a lower-risk way to contribute.
This approach helped make networking feel more practical and less intimidating. It also showed that students did not need more theory about professionalism. They needed usable language and repeated opportunities to practise.
The impact
Ten students completed the post-session survey.
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All 10 said they would recommend the workshop to other students
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Average self-reported confidence after the session was 4.1 out of 5
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Students identified trust-building, adapting communication and follow-up messages as some of the most helpful parts of the session
The findings reflect immediate student feedback rather than long-term outcomes, but they show that students considered the workshop relevant, practical and easy to apply.
The workshop also produced useful insight for future programming. Students wanted more practice with interviews, first impressions, speaking with adults, workplace expectations, conflict and feedback.
Most importantly, the session demonstrated that communication confidence can be strengthened when students receive simple frameworks, realistic examples and a safe place to practise.
Quotes
“The follow-up messages were the most helpful thing. I didn’t realize networking could be that simple.”
— Student participant
“Experiential sessions like this help students practise the skills they’ll need in co-op placements and early jobs.”
— SHSM program lead