Work Experience or Experience of Work?

There appear to be those that consider pre sixteen work experience to be both an ineffective and cumbersome exercise.  A fact I believe fuelled by an inability to understand the critical value of the process.

An article in TES written by a Deputy Head in Swansea derides work experience and even goes so far as to belittle so called “menial jobs”. If this is the view of senior management within schools then there is no surprise that work experience is apparently on the decline.

The Telegraph referred to a recent OFSTED report that criticised the impartiality of CEIAG nationwide. The following points were made regarding work experience;

“Inspectors also raised serious doubts over the value of work experience placements.

In almost a third of schools, the watchdog reported problems finding suitable placements, meaning some children were sent to companies “they were not interested in”.

One student told inspectors: “I wanted to do hairdressing but ended up in an office photocopying.”

It appears to me that OFSTED are missing the point. Placing a student in a company that interests them is by no means a pre-requisite to success. These are young people that in most cases have never been to work before. Work experience is in fact a once in a lifetime opportunity for a young teenager to have employers open their doors and invite them to gain a firsthand insight into the world of work.

Students can for the first time realise the real impact of tardiness, the value of personal hygiene and presentation and the importance of clear communication that exists in every workplace, as well as the ability to problem solve, negotiate and build up positive working relationships. These fundamental skills are generic to any workplace. Starting to develop them in real working environments is often the first step on a long road to professional maturity. It is rare that you will meet someone that cannot remember their work experience and isn’t able to recount some tale of significance to them.

Work experience is also a great opportunity for career exploration. Students that attend placements that they may not have considered or even known of previously often have very enriching experiences.

For a placement to be a success a student does not have to fall in love with their job. Successes are gained through reflection which then leads to learning.

How do you get value from work experience? By giving it value. A school that doesn’t demonstrate commitment to the process undermines all the hard work that undoubtedly goes into making it happen.

All you need for a successful programme is good preparation, support and reflection. Don’t get me wrong I am the first person to accept that the quality of placements must be constantly improved. This can only be done through good communication with employers and comes back to adequate preparation for both parties – the students and the employees.