Work Experience presents our students with an exciting opportunity to gain a valuable insight into the world of work. As well as offering them some useful hands-on experience they are also able to develop their communication, team working, organisation and time management skills within a new environment. This is also particularly useful before going in to Year 13 when pupils are considering their post sixth form options.
Relevant work experience is increasingly viewed as an essential part of any good application for higher education and the world of work. Students who plan to go into medicine, dentistry, teaching or veterinary science have already been advised to secure some form of regular work experience because of the importance given to this in university applications and interviews. The enrichment programme is full of extra-curricular activities such as sport clubs, volunteering, reading buddies and a first aid course, which is all very important.
Rainford Sixth Form Work Experience
During the summer term, all Year 12 students are required to attend a two-week work experience placement. All college students are required to find their own placements; this ensures that they have a worthwhile and meaningful experience.
It is best if students complete their work experience in the field that they wish to pursue their future career. However, this is not essential. BTEC students need to ensure that their placements are meaningful to their chosen vocational subject.
Work experience provide students with a taster of the world of work; through interviews, applications, time keeping, health and safety and much more.
The objectives of work experience are:
- To allow students to understand how commerce and industry operate
- To help students to see the relevance of school subjects to the world of work
- To help students gain greater self-confidence and maturity
- To enable students to find placements that are related to the career / university course they are considering and hopefully, increasing their motivation
- To allow them to prepare for their personal statement for their UCAS form for university applications / CV for the workplace.
The process of organising the placements normally starts in January with an assembly. The early time frame is to give students enough time to contact potential employers. College students will attend their placement during the last week of the summer term.
All students need to ask their employer to complete the own placement form and return it to their Form Tutor. Without this you will not be able to attend the placement.
Preparation for Work Placement
- Decide on the type of work you would like to do.
- Be related to an idea for a future career or just an area of work that you would like to experience. All work experience can be equally valuable providing it will give you a good opportunity to develop your Employability Skills.
- Look for a placement by asking your parents or carers, relations and friends, if they know anyone doing the type of work that you are interested in.
- You can also ask your tutor and staff at college, look at advertisements in newspapers and magazines, enquire at customer service desks, and look at shop fronts and businesses in your home area and on the way to college, research in libraries and on the internet.
Discuss your ideas with your parents or carers and tutor.
- You should not arrange a placement where you will be working closely with a parent or relative or where you already have a part time or holiday job. It is important that Work Experience is a ‘new challenge’ in terms of people and environment.
Consider the geographical location.
- You need to consider where you live, what transport links are available and how long will the travel times be from your home to your placement.
Contact the company or organisation and ask if they are prepared to accept you for Work Placement.
- This can be done by telephone, personal visit or letter. Make sure that you know the dates of your placement and advise the company of these. Think about why you would like to do work experience within that organisation and remember to be enthusiastic in your communication. A copy of your CV should be taken when making a visit or enclosed with your letter when applying to the company.
- Once you have confirmed a placement, you should complete an Own Placement Form which you can collect from Mrs Rice (Student Services).
- Send or take it to the company or organisation. The form must be completed and signed by the employer to confirm that they agree to you doing work experience within their organisation.
- The Company must have Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance otherwise; you will not be able to go there for Work Placement.
- The policy number and expiry date will need to be recorded on the Own Placement Form.
- The completed form should be handed to your Form Tutor before the deadline date given.
- Your placement will then be checked for suitability.
Where to look for a placement
If you would like to try and arrange your own placement there are a number of organisations that can help: