1. The anatomy of successful work placement.
Hayley Dalton
Head of Vocational Design
Pearson UK
July 2018 1

2. The literature
UK school leavers have had too few interactions with employers as part of their compulsory education phase.
Work experience is just one of several types of employer engagement available, using the full range of activities is seen as best practice.
One size does not fit all, some types of interaction work better depending on age and stage.
Not all work experience should be about vocational skills acquisition; Developing personal effectiveness and careers guidance can be seen as an important outcome depending on a learner’s stage.
Work placement at key stage 4 has declined considerably in the last ten years
The Anatomy of Successful Work Placement

3. Work placement in context
Learner
Institutional resource and limitations
Curriculum requirements and qualifications
Staff skill set and motivation
Local economics and labour market
Characteristics of the occupation and employer motivation
National policies
The Anatomy of Successful Work Placement

4. Understanding the purpose of work placement: A starting point
Age/stage
Key purpose or drivers for the LEARNER
Pedagogical/Sector Imperatives (e.g.)
Short/med term outcomes
Lower Secondary (Level 2)
Social mobility, careers guidance
Employability skills, personal effectiveness
Selection of upper secondary course, avoidance of NEET
Level 1 & Below
Social mobility, personal development, remediation
Social skills,
personal effectiveness
Sustained motivation,
credentialisation of learning, avoidance of NEET
Upper Secondary and Entry to Labour market (Level 2 & 3)
Social mobility, educational attainment
Sector skills, employability skills,
licence to practise
Motivation for further study/training, HE placement,
Job acquisition
The Anatomy of Successful Work Placement

5. Questions for awarding organisations
How do we balance meaningful skills acquisition and person effectiveness in developing work placement opportunities in curriculum?
What types of activities support valid employer engagement and how can qualifications support this?
What are the indicators of successful placement?
How is effective work placement best judged and by whom?
If not ‘assessed’ how is work placement best recognised by qualifications (if at all)?
The Anatomy of Successful Work Placement