Personal Information & Consent
Tel: 01234 762890
Work Experience
We believe that a week of work experience is a very valuable part of each student’s Key Stage 5 curriculum. We therefore include it as a compulsory part of our career’s education programme. This year it is within the college calendar for Year 12 during the week commencing Monday 3rd -7th July.
We believe that undertaking work experience during their sixth forms studies puts students in a better place to begin preparation for progression onto University or higher/degree level apprenticeships, whilst providing them with an insight into a career sector of interest.
Why?
· Provides students with an insight into different sectors and careers.
· Allows students to ‘try out’ an area of potential interest.
· Give students the opportunity to use and apply their skills and knowledge in a professional environment.
· Builds confidence and self-esteem by showing them what they can achieve outside college.
· Many employers are happy to offer a reference, which students can use applying for jobs, either while they are still at college or later on.
How it works
· Work experience takes place every day and during normal office hours (not college hours, unless stipulated by the employer)
· We do not cover transport cost to and from work placement so please check first how you will commute to work.
· Students will arrange their own placement which will then be checked by our partners Form the Future. The deadline for informing us of placement details is 27th February 2022
· We encourage all students to arrange their own placement if possible because it allows them to work in a field that they may be interested in entering after they leave college and also gives them a flavour of what it is like to find a job.
Student feedback
· ‘I have overcome the barrier of my previous inability to talk to a large group of people’
· ‘Before taking part in work experience, I was not very confident with working with new people and working in a new working environment, but after doing work experience I would be more confident with this in the future’
· ‘Helped me gain confidence, skills and knowledge’
· ‘Helped me to decide on the University course I want to do’
· ‘Learning c++ programming language and developing my programming techniques’
· ‘Communication skills have definitely improved, thanks to working as part of a team’
· ‘Communicating with a range of people of varying importance in the company (associate to partner)’
· ‘Seeing diversity in the workplace’
· ‘Confirmed that this is what I want my future career to be’
· ‘Obtained more confidence when working around those in a professional environment’
Timeline
In the past, we have found that the most effective placements are those which are arranged by students themselves. This could be through parents, friends or relatives or by contacting companies of interest directly. Although it may seem early to be making arrangements, we hope all students will begin the process early in the academic year. We have a booklet on the website with lots of information about how this can be achieved and we are always happy speak to students or parents!
The information book has everything the student may need to support them in finding, securing and attending the placement. The student will complete a feedback form that is automatically sent to them after the placement to help them evaluate their experience in a positive and meaningful way. UNIFROG also send an automatic link to the employer, for feedback from their perspective on the student and what they have achieved during the placement.
During the year students can also undertake online work experience in the form of short courses, webinars or interactive employer engagement talks. Students need to make sure these are either in their own time or if they are during college time they must fill out a Leave of Absence form (from reception) and also fill out the UNIFROG work experience placement form (information in the WEX booklet below). These online experiences can give amazing insight into job sectors and careers to support a students understanding and thinking about the right next step for them.
To do online work experience, some websites we recommend are
Speakers for Schools – https://www.speakersforschools.org/vwex/
Youth Employment – https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/careers-advice-help/explore-work-experience/
If you do have any further questions or want more information please contact Mrs Rexworthy who coordinates the work experience for Y12 via email at workexperience@wootton.beds.sch.uk.