Work Experience

Introduction

Work experience for many students can be their first taste of work.  Each year around 8,000 students participate in work experience in either Year 10 or Year 11 (14 - 16 years old).  Most of these students go out for a two week placement and this offers young people an opportunity to develop employability skills required in the workplace.

Working to a different timetable and with a different group of adults is a refreshing opportunity for a young person.  For some it can be a welcome change from academic studies they may struggle with, yet find that they excel in a 'hands-on' situation.  For others it is an opportunity to view a future career and investigate pathways to persue. 

LEBC supports work experience through the recruitment of companies offering placements.  It also actively works on a project placing students who are excluded from school, onto a work placement.  LEBC conducts the employer visit for the health, safety and welfare of the student and offers guidance to employers about the placement process.  Also the placements are checked for child protection, data protection and learning outcomes are monitored.  Some schools contract with LEBC to source their placements and some schools with WEXA (Work Experience Alliance) which is part of the 13-19 Vocational Education Support Agency (VESA) and a partner organisation of LEBC.

Volunteering

Many companies are required to offer placements and size is not an issue!  A company volunteering to take a young person on a work experience placement also provides development opportunites for the comapny and its staff, such as:

• Developing the management and supervisory skills of current staff
• Better relationships between staff and employing young people
• Contributing to your local community
• Raising the profile of your company

Offering a placement gives a company an opportunity to recruit young people and interact with current education.

The Employer Information Pack - to view please click here.

Schools

LEBC supports schools offering work experience and provides guidance on ensuring a quality programme is offered to students.

To contact please click here.