WORK EXPERIENCE EXPLAINED
Work experience is one of the most important ways in which young people can gain an insight into the world of work. It is even more important today than it has ever been with the changes in working practices and the introduction of new technologies.
Your child will be making decisions about their future during years 10 and 11. Work experience will be one of the ways of getting the information required for them to make the important decisions in deciding their future career or job.
What are the aims of the scheme?
Ø To gain experience of work by being part of the workforce and learning about the expectations of employers and the demands of a working environment. It could mean working in their old primary school, an office, a factory or a shop.
Ø To perhaps check out career thinking in a particular vocational area to discover whether it is the correct choice for them.
Ø To develop skills in the work place which may ease the transition into work.
Ø To recognise the links between the skills they have developed in school and their use in the world of work.
Ø To develop an increased maturity and an improvement in self-confidence and the ability to work in a team.
Ø To help them understand economic issues and understand health and safety at work.
How is it organised?
Work experience placements are covered by an Education Act, which allows pupils in their last year of compulsory education (from the first day of the summer term of year 10) to participate in schemes of work experience where arrangements have been made by the LEA.
Features
Ø It lasts for one week.
Ø Pupils arrange their own placement or the school will endeavour to match pupils with a placement based on interests expressed by the pupil.
Ø All placements are checked on insurance and health and safety grounds before the pupil is given final permission to undertake their placement.
Ø Parents are informed of placements and parental permission is required.
Ø Pupils are prepared for their placement in PSE lessons. The school will allow a pre-placement visit if requested by the firm or placement.
Ø During the placement the school will monitor a pupil’s progress through a visit(s) to the work place by a member of staff and through the completion of a work experience diary.
Ø Pupils are debriefed after the placement so they can review what they have learned and record it for their Progress File. They can also share their experiences with others in order to gain a broader picture of the world of work.
Ø Employers provide an assessment on the pupil’s performance, which is given to the pupil, again to be put in their Progress File.
How can parents help?
Ø Encourage your child to look forward to work experience as an adventure.
Ø If your child is anxious reassure him/her and if necessary talk to the careers teacher.
Ø Even if the placement/job is not the first choice, remind your child that he/she will learn skills that will be useful in the future.
Ø Make sure your child knows what to expect.
Selecting a work experience placement
To get the most out of their work experience placement it is important that your child has given some thought to the working environment that they would like to work in.In order to do this, your child should answer some key questions:
Ø What are my interests?
Working with people (young/old), with animals, with computers, being creative/practical.
Ø What kind of workplace would I like?
Small/large organisation, clean, opportunity to do a variety of tasks, office based, shop floor, warehouse, shop, hospital, outdoors.
Ø What skills do I already have?
Neat and tidy worker, relates well to others, can complete tasks, conscientiously.
Having made a list of possible answers to the questions above, your child should discuss with you areas of work, which could be useful to consider for work experience.
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