4BC’s Luke Bradnam on the power of work experience

Whilst filling in for Laurel, Gary and Mark on Brisbane’s 4BC, Luke Bradnam has given a big shout out to work experience kids in radio.

Tim Bergh did work experience at Hot Tomato many years ago and is now producing the summer brekkie show with Luke.

Luke believes work experience is becoming something of a ‘lost art,’ telling listeners this morning “A lot of people don’t go out now and offer their services to industries for free, and gain work experience.”

“I’ve been in radio for a long time now. 26 years. In that 26 years, I’ve only had two kids come in and do work experience.”

“When I was at Hot Tomato, back in 2008 on the Gold Coast, we had this young kid come in – he must have been about fifteen years of age – and you could just tell when he entered the radio station that he was really enthusiastic.”

“He’d come in, sit in on our show. We’d talk to him. Then he’d go out with the Street Team. He was supposed to be there for five days, but at the end of the five days, he went to station management and said ‘I’ve had so much fun. Can I come back and work for free every Wednesday after school?’ To the station’s credit, they said ‘Yes you can.’”

“Now, I’ve come in here, to 4BC, a week and a half ago, and met the team … and guess who my producer is? Tim the work experience kid, who – fifteen years later – has been around the nation working in radio, and is now running the show here for Laurel, Gary and Mark,”

“I think it’s absolutely fantastic.”

Luke gave credit to Tim for giving up his time to work free of charge.

“If you’ve got kids, it’s OK for them to go and work for free for a little while.”

“It could have a profound effect on their life.”