Pictured above: (l-r) Dave Lewis, Progressive Educational Tools, Shane Osborne, Jess Facer, Kati Simpson, Sharron Cranmer, assistant head at Ashlawn School, Alice Stewardson, Kya Greatrex, Will Meadowcroft and Ade Gallagher, Progressive Educational Tools

Students at Ashlawn School and Science College in Rugby are one step ahead of the game.

In the same week that the Government announced plans to offer 100,000 young people work experience placements, over 160 of the school's year 11 students took the opportunity to learn essential skills that will benefit them in the world of work.

This was part of the Wider Key Skills Course managed by Coventry-based training and digital delivery organisation Progressive Educational Tools (PET).

Students who complete the intensive, ten-day programme - which involves creating and marketing a new sports brand as well as developing interview techniques and presentation skills - gain the equivalent of two and-a-quarter grade B GCSEs.

Sharron Cranmer, the assistant head at Ashlawn School, said she was pleased to see the pupils' efforts rewarded. 

She said: "We are quite skills focused within the school and have been working on key skills with our students for the last three years.

"The students work really hard developing these skills so what we really wanted to do was to find a way in which they could be recognised for such work.

"We did a lot of investigation into Wider Key Skills and the name of Progressive Educational Tools kept cropping up

"We have been really pleased with how the course has gone. The students have had a really good time and I know they feel like they have benefited and learned a lot of new skills that will aid them in the wider world.

"But what is most important is that they are rewarded with qualifications that will ultimately make all the difference when it comes to applying for a place at college or whatever they hope to go onto after school.

"These students now have a good opportunity to build on the skills they have learned here and use them to their advantage and that is something we would definitely consider doing again."

This is just one of a number of courses that PET manages for schools and organisations throughout the country - as well as creating award-winning digital applications for a world-wide audience.

Dave Lewis, national programme manager at PET, said he was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm the students displayed.

He said: "Whenever we work with large numbers of students like this it gives us the chance to bring all the skills our teams have together and create a real competition culture between the groups.

"The overall impact this has on the learners, the school and the programme is phenomenal.

"The youngsters at Ashlawn were fantastic and you can tell they got a lot out of it as well as enjoying the experience.

"That is one of the great things about this type of programme, it gives students a different platform to learn from and this, as well as the relationship they build up with the trainers, really helps to get the best out of them.

"Now they are better equipped with the relevant skills and qualifications employers and college recruiters will be looking for in what is obviously a very competitive market at the moment."