DEADLINES, interviews and word counts - education reporter Haydn Lewis dropped in at Joseph Rowntree School to give budding young journalists a taste of the future as part of the school's Year 9 Enterprise Day.

THE sound of frantic fingers on keyboards and arguments over story lengths ringing in my ears, I could have been back at the office.

But the row of fresh-faced 13 and 14-year-olds in front of me instead of seasoned hacks told a different story.

Head teacher Hugh Porter primed the youngsters at the beginning of the day assembly for an Enterprise Day that would test their skills and initiative and help them get a better idea of what employers are looking for.

The students had an impressive line-up of 18 businesses to choose from, with everything from animal management with Askham Bryan College to neurophysiology at York Hospital and serving tea and scones with Bettys Caf.

My two groups of willing volunteers were stationed in the school library with English teacher Paul Offord and took on the task of writing, designing and putting together a two-page newspaper named the Rowntree Reporter before close of play at 3.15pm.

Each youngster got the chance to be with one business in the morning and then change over to a second one for the afternoon session.

Max Harland, 14, spent the morning with BT engineers and the afternoon editing the paper.

He said: "When you are younger maybe you don't know what you want to do yet, but you still have a chance rather than take it to a later stage and not having longer to decide.

"Today has been different and better and gives you an insider view of how the jobs are done and rather than getting somebody who doesn't do the job like a teacher telling you about it."

Rebecca King, 14, said: "I want to work for a magazine or a newspaper later on, and this has given me a good idea of what it might be like."

:: 'The day was about giving experience of world of work'

THE Enterprise Day at Joseph Rowntree School also involved representatives from The Institute Of Civil Engineers who built a giant tetrahedron with their young charges.

Members of the British Horse Racing Education and Standards Trust also helped inform the youngsters about the life of a jockey.

Steffen Armstrong, 13, said: "I did electrical engineering with BT in the morning - it wasn't the greatest to start off with, but it built up and became really interesting.

"I wouldn't mind doing something with electronics.

"My dream would be doing something with music - may be going on to music college."

Chris Orr, 14, said: "The whole day has been good really. I have discovered what it's like to be a journalist and that's a lot better than I thought."

Chloe Shipley, 14, said: "This morning I was learning what it was like to be a jockey. I have really enjoyed subbing the paper as well."

Work-Related Learning Co-ordinator Merrill Chilman, who organised the day, said: "The day was all about giving the students a bit of experience about what the world of work is like rather than them hearing it from their teachers.

"In most cases they have been a bit reticent at first.

"But they became more confident as the day went on, asking questions and really getting in to it."

The Rowntree Reporter was finished half an hour ahead of deadline at 2.45pm and barring a few minor clashes over artistic differences, the students were completely professional.

Paul Offord said: "I think days like this can only be a good thing. It's something a bit different that you know will stand out in their memories as one of the things they did at school.

"Even if they only did two activities during the day they got to see a whole range of different companies and organisations around the school all day."

Updated: 09:04 Wednesday, July 20, 2005