Work experience
"Work experience has as key role in preparing young people for the adult world. It is an opportunity to bring home to them the attributes, skills and knowledge they need to succeed throughout their working lives." Time well spent: Embedding employability in work experience, CBI (2007)
Work experience is offered to all students in Years 10 and 11 in England, and some 95% of students undertake work experience placements in the run up to their GCSEs.
Whether a student wishes to continue with formal education after their GCSEs or is planning to start working/training instead, work experience provides a great opportunity to understand the links between the skills they can acquire at school/college and the competencies needed at work.
However, there is room for improvement: surveys by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have repeatedly shown that many employers are dissatisifed with the level of employability skills among school leavers (see the overview on enterprise and employability skills in this section). In the 2006 CBI Employment Trends Survey, for example, over 50% of employers reported that they were not satisfied with the generic employability skills of school leavers, and almost a third had the same issue with graduates. This clearly indicates that employability skills need to be one of the core focuses of work experience placements.
Work experience is not the only method by which employers can improve the skills of young people, however. The other pages in this section give other ideas on how this can be achieved.
What is a work experience placement?
Students have the opportunity to spend time in an adult working environment as if they are an employee, with an emphasis on learning about the world of work. Most students do not get paid for their time doing work experience, as it is considered to be part of their education.
As well as the traditional two-week work experience offer, other forms of work experience have developed in recent years. For example, Careers Academy UK has developed an internship model, which takes place in the summer between the two years of a course. Employers provide a six-week paid work placement, based on a standard working-hour week in a real operating environment and aiming to use the skills and knowledge the student has learned in school or college. Internships are neither the traditional 'work experience' offered to 15 and 16 year-olds, nor are they mini-versions of undergraduate schemes. Still adolescents rather than graduates, Career Academy students may have had less opportunity to develop workplace skills and are likely to need more support and training. Yet - with a year's business study under their belt - they can make a real contribution to the organisation, especially as the six weeks progress. Host companies also report that working with Career Academy interns enhances staff development or approaches to employee diversity. See the case studies from Cadbury and Stockport Council for examples of the internship programme in action.
How long is the work experience?
The duration varies according to the student, the course and the school/college, but the majority of students will go out on work experience for one or two weeks in a school year. Some will work in a particular workplace for perhaps one day a week on a regular basis instead.
What do employers need to do before/when students arrive at work?
- Plan in advance the work that students will do. While employers will not want to waste the opportunity for an extra pair of hands, it is unfair to leave students with little or boring/unimaginative work when they are eager to learn and work hard.
- Give them early support so that they know what their tasks are.
- Provide a mentor for the student, for advice and support.
- Treat students like employees once they are fully briefed on their tasks.
Insurance, sickness, and health and safety issues
Students on work experience will generally be covered by the liability insurance of the employer at no additional cost - providing the insurance company has been notified in advance about the work experience.
Benefits for employers
- Students can offer fresh new ideas or develop projects that the employer needs but has no time for. They are also increasingly computer literate - often far more than the workforces of many businesses - and could therefore offer help and advice on technological matters.
- Students can provide a short-term, cost-effective and flexible solution to an employer's recruitment needs.
- Students are looking to develop the skills that they will need for work, and as such are usually enthusiastic and hard working.
- There is an opportunity to look for potential recruits to the business.
- Employees at the business have the opportunity to prepare and supervise work placements, which can help to improve their interpersonal skills and motivation in their own jobs. This in turn can improve staff retention.
- The employer's profile can be raised among students and the local community.
- Students will become knowledgeable of the employer's industry.
- Students may approach employers for work in the future.
- Employers can develop recruitment channels through links with schools and colleges.
Benefits for students
- Students can experience the realities of working life.
- They can learn more about their career options and the career paths in which they might be interested.
- They can develop their personal and social skills, including communication and team building.