Experiences of Work

Support

1. as they plan their work experience
2. as they search for a placement
3. during their placement
4. after their placement

Support as they plan their work experience

Preparation is the key to getting a really suitable placement. It takes time to research what employers are offering. Some placements are very popular, for example hospitals, football clubs, modelling agencies, TV/radio studios. Your child will stand a better change if you have contacts in these fields and make an early approach.

You can support by :

• Talking to your child about the purpose of work experience and how they can use it to further their knowledge about themselves and the world of work.
• Looking with your child at the Case Studies section of this website for inspiration.
• Asking to see the Work Experience Certificate Log Book/Log Book Plus (not all schools use this resource). This encourages pupils to take responsibility for planning their work experience placement, deciding personal targets, helps them collecting evidence to show their achievements and reviewing what they have learnt.
• Encouraging them to consider carefully the range of placements available – they could use a placement to confirm a career idea they already have or they could use it to try something different – push their boundaries!
• Making sure they are taking action and not leaving arrangements until the last moment.
• Suggesting they use the Jobs4u database (see Useful Links) for inspiration if they are struggling to decide what to do.

There is more detailed information about the process of organising a work experience placement in the Work Experience Coordinators´/Practitioners´ Guide.

Support as they search for a placement

Although young people are expected to organise their own placement they do get plenty of support from their school to help them achieve this.

You can support by:

• Being available to discuss the placement opportunities with your child.
• Offering to check letters of application/CVs for spelling and grammar before they are sent to employers.
• Pretending to be the employer on the end of the telephone so your child can practice what they are going to say.
• Not taking over the process. A big part of the learning is in the planning and preparation.

Please note:
It is not necessarily a good idea to offer to take your own child to work with you as their placement. Many of the learning points involving planning, decision making, developing independence and confidence building can remain underdeveloped. However your company could offer to become a placement – see Work Experience Employers´ Guide.

Support during their placement

For many young people work experience can be very daunting. They are used to familiar surroundings and people and they have their routine – work experience will take these away.

You can support by:

• Appreciating the pressure they will be under and talking through their concerns before the placement begins.
• Encouraging your child to consider what they might need for the placement early on. Consider clothing, travel arrangements, food and daily expenses.
• Encouraging them to be enthusiastic and willing to learn. It is good for them to ask lots of questions.
• Talking to them about their work experience when they arrive home.
• Helping them to recognise what they are gaining from the experience.
• Discussing the negative experiences but helping them put it in perspective.
• Encouraging them to complete their Work Experience Log Book/diary.

Support after their placement

There will be a lot to learn from a work experience placement – even if they didn´t enjoy it. It´s important for these learning points to be noted and considered.

You can support by:

• Talking to your child about their placement. Get them to describe what they liked or disliked, what surprised them, what disappointed them, what different jobs they experienced or observed.
• Noticing and commenting on improved skills or behaviour.
• Encouraging the completion of their Log Book or diary.