Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July 2014

Preparation for university and employment is an integral part of our sixth form programme. While qualifications remain essential, with very few exceptions, they are no longer the only consideration. Employability or work-readiness is becoming more and more important to universities and employers and relevant work experience is increasingly viewed as an essential part of any good application for higher education and the world of work. For candidates equally good on paper applying for courses or jobs, it could well be the work experience which tips the balance in favour of one candidate over the other. This is the case more than ever nowadays given the greater competition for places in higher education and for the job market. Work experience will help you stand out from the crowd.

The main objectives of work experience in Year 12 To help you gain a realistic insight into working environments. To help you understand how commerce and industry operate. To help you see the relevance of your subjects to the world of work. To help you gain greater self-confidence and maturity.

If you are still unsure of the career path you want to follow, work experience in any field is still very valuable as it helps you develop transferable skills. It is important to make your work experience as worthwhile as possible. You should consider the type of work you would like to do and how it relates to your future plans and aspirations. While on work experience you will be able to talk with and observe skilled and qualified people who can give you a better idea of what the job involves.

Do not underestimate how long it will take to sort out the right placement. Be prepared to write many, many letters or s! Send chaser s/letters – if you haven’t heard in a few weeks, try again. If you are not successful, then move on to another employer. They may have received many applications for work experience already but you can’t afford to hang around waiting for something which might prove unsuccessful.

To give you an idea of where you can go on work experience, have a look at the Employers Database. Log on to the VLE and then select Subjects > Work Experience. You can narrow your search using a number of different options - you can search by ‘Town’, ‘Job Title’ or ‘Classification’ by clicking on the drop down box in the appropriate column and selecting the one you want.

WORK EXPERIENCE MATTERS!

WHAT NOW? Powerpoint ed to all Start thinking Draft an and letter Talk to your tutor Get going!

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