Work Experience at Stowupland High School

Year 11 Work Experience in context

WORK EXPERIENCE “Work experience may be defined as a placement on an employer’s premises in which a student carries out a particular task or duty, or a range of tasks and duties, more or less as an employee, but with the emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience”  

DfES (Feb 2002)

Work Experience is not….

• cheap labour•a skive from school•a holiday for your teacher

•a path to a sure job

WORK EXPERIENCE – a chance…….

• To meet new people.• To find out more about

industry and commerce.• To experience travelling

to work.• To exercise more self-

discipline and responsibility.

• To improve your self-confidence.

• To improve your social skills.

• To learn the importance of punctuality.

Why go on work experience?

• To understand the pros and cons of working.

• To get more information about jobs.

• You might be offered a job.

• To see what working would be like.

• To learn new skills and work with people of different age groups.

• To do something different.

Why work experience?

• Effective work-based and work-related learning can help you to become:

• successful learners,• confident individuals,• responsible citizens,• effective contributors to society

and work.

• Work experience is often the first opportunity for you to operate in an adult working environment.

• A potentially powerful experience that can improve awareness of different surroundings, behaviours, practices, cultures and attitudes.

• A chance for employers to help young people understand employability and core skills.

• Work experience is a major part of most secondary schools’ enterprise in education programmes.

• It is a statutory entitlement for all young people at Key Stage 4.

• It offers students the opportunity to develop a range of skills and knowledge they might not otherwise have a chance to explore.

• It enhances your understanding of the world of work.

Effective work experience

• A partnership approach – involving the student, parent/guardian, school and employer.

• Placements are well planned and prepared.

• Clear objectives are defined for the student and supported by parents/guardians.

• There is an effective debrief and self-evaluation to reflect on the experience.

Effective career guidance

• A meaningful work experience can help influence career direction.

• Matching students to relevant work experience placements add value for entry to HE and FE courses.

• YOU should be viewing work experience as a learning experience – not a holiday!

• Journal (1).doc