During Year 10, all students spend two weeks gaining experience of the workplace. If a student has not already had a part-time job, work experience may be the first time they visit a workplace and learn about employer expectations and the world of work.

Students are encouraged to find their own placement, which is highly successful, with 99% of students attending and completing the programme.

Work experience placements assist students in their transition from school to work and aim to:

• Provide students with an opportunity to relate school studies with a workplace
• Give students an insight into the diversity of employees in the workplace
• Prepare students for the demands and expectations of the working world
• Help students make informed career decisions by assessing their aptitudes and interests, and exploring potential careers
• Improve students’ maturity, confidence and self-reliance
• Provide students with appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes concerning both paid and unpaid work

A work experience employer will expect students to:

• Be punctual (demonstrating self-management and planning)
• Be well-presented (demonstrating self-management)
• Listen and pay attention (demonstrating communication skills)
• Participate in particular activities, possibly as part of a team (demonstrating initiative, communication and teamwork)
• Enjoy the activity and learn

Students should learn from work experience:

• What activities did they enjoy?
• What activities are they good at? What did they find easy?
• What activities did they enjoy? Why?

Students might also learn from work experience:

• Strengths that they have? What are they?
• Employer expectations?
• If they would like to work in the industry or job they experienced or for that employer? Why?
• What training might be needed?
• What other job or industry would they like to investigate?

Click on the links below for useful documents when planning work experience.