RAISING ASPIRATIONS Work Experience Programme 13 th – 17 th July 2015

Why Work Experience? Provides students with an insight into different sectors and careers. Gives them the opportunity to use and apply their skills and knowledge in a professional environment. Aids the development of ‘employability skills’ -sometimes called ‘soft skills’ – that are required not only in the workplace, but in life. These include communication, working with others and problem solving. Builds confidence and self-esteem by showing students what they can achieve outside school. Allows students to ‘try out’ an area of potential interest.

Provides knowledge of the local job market and starts students on the road to building a network of business contacts. An opportunity to impress local business people – in a few years’ time there may be the opportunity to go back to the same manager seeking employment! Valuable experience to add to a CV or Personal Statement. Many employers are happy to offer a reference, which students can use when applying for jobs, either while they are still at school or later on. Why Work Experience?

What Do Employers Expect From Students? Be ready to work, work safely and within company rules. Good time keeping – be punctual. Follow instructions and ask if you are unsure of anything. Ask questions, it shows you are interested! Discuss any concerns as they arise with your supervisor or with me.

What Do We Expect From Students? Remember that you are an ambassador for The Priory School, out in the local community where people know who you are and who we are. Be smartly dressed, punctual, polite and well behaved. Work hard and make an effort to contribute, asking questions where you need to – you are there to learn and to experience! Complete your Work Experience Diary on Friday 17 th July and hand it in to your employer to check, sign and return to us. The following week, write a thank you or letter to your employer.

Work Experience This Year: In Brief All Year 10 students go out on work experience for one week at the end of the academic year. However, I have made some changes to the programme this year, including the deadline dates which have all been brought forward to allow for better planning and delivery. We work in partnership with Youth Connexions to organise the programme and there is a dedicated member of their staff allocated to The Priory School. Work experience takes place every day and during normal office hours (not school hours, unless stipulated by the employer). Although Friday is the final day of term, Year 10 students do have to complete their placement.

Work Experience: How It Works Students can arrange their own Private Placement or choose one from the list that have been booked in partnership with Youth Connexions. We encourage students to arrange a Private Placement if possible because it allows them to work in a field that they may be interested in entering after they leave school. If the placement is something the student is interested in purely for Work Experience Week, that is still a positive move towards considering future plans. If they decide the work is not for them, that is again positive, as they can rule it out and move forward with different plans. Placements can be organised through your own work, a professional contact, a family member or a friend.

How to Arrange a Private Placement Research options, select a potential employer and approach them directly. I can also approach an employer or help more generally with private placements – please come to see me if you are struggling. Employers need to comply with certain criteria in order to be ‘passed’ as a suitable provider, but most do have the necessary Health & Safety measures already in place, as well as Employers Liability Insurance (ELI) and Public Liability Insurance (PLI). Youth Connexions check all employers for these standards. Once the placement has been agreed, a Private Placement Form must be sent to the employer. This can be sent by the student or by me. I then book the student onto our system and we take the placement forward from there, in partnership with Youth Connexions.

Link2+ Placements Organised by Youth Connexions Students who cannot or do not wish to organise a Private Placement can choose one that has been organised by Youth Connexions via their online system, Link2+. Youth Connexions are part of Hertfordshire County Council. They work with the majority of schools in Hertfordshire to deliver work related activities, including work experience. Youth Connexions contact local employers to secure suitable placements. They ensure employer premises are safe for a young person to work in, and agree all details for the placement with the employer. They also work with the employer to produce a job description.

The Link2+ System Link2+ is a booking system that allows students to see the job descriptions of companies offering work experience placements. There is a link to ‘Traveline’ on every job description, enabling them to check the journey to a specific employer. I have organised for the system to go live this week, but the list of placements won’t be fully available until the end of March, so keep checking!

The Link2+ System Students are given an individual PIN to use to log in to the Link2+ system. Link2+ gives students a real online application experience – a common recruiting tool for many companies. Link2+ can be viewed from any internet connection, so parents/carers can view jobs and discuss options before final choices are made. Students can select up to three preferences for their work experience placement. The deadline for submitting preferences is Thursday 30 th April.

Once employer preferences have been submitted, there is a wait while placements are allocated and finalised. I will inform students when they can view their allocated placement. Most employers will expect to meet the student prior to them starting the placement. We ask students to telephone employers to arrange this, and encourage them to attend the meeting so that when they start the placement, they have met their employer and had the opportunity to ask any questions. Individual PINs and the Student Guide to using Link2+ are available for you to take home this evening.

Link2+ System: FAQ’s Link2+ is not an open website. All user access is controlled by individual user name and PIN number. Only school staff and Youth Connexions can see student details. Employers are not able to view any student details – no names, only an indication of numbers. The school contacts the employer about 4 weeks before the work experience date to inform them of the student name and starts the interview booking process.

Please contact me anytime to ask questions or discuss work experience. My office is near Food Tech, next to Mr Findon’s!