To take DS on holiday during work experience week

I accept we've got different opinions on this and both are valid. I just don't think it's quite the disaster you're making it out to be. This week is not going to make a difference to his life either way. Everything he can learn this week he can, and will, learn in another week. It doesn't matter.

You might be right, but it is reading as a bit of both.
Of course the idea of a holiday is appealing, who wouldn't want to go away for a wee break and pretend it's for their child's benefit?

I disagree. I think it's both. If her son had work experience that she thought was somehow worthy then she wouldn't be considering it.

In the OP's defence, I think she's just got her eye on a cheap holiday rather than sneering at everyone who works in retail/service industry. I think it's more about holiday prices than work experience.

There's no reason it needs to be this specific week under the school work experience scheme.

There is also no good reason why he shouldn't.

You're right though that I don't understand working in food preparation/service as I haven't ever done it. The OP's son has though, in a National Trust cafe. Perhaps I ought get some work experience? Do you know what it's like to work in every single industry? Perhaps you should get some work experience as well! We could setup a Mumsnet work experience program.

At no point have I even suggested that you 'get some work experience' or that 'I know what it's like to work in every single industry', but I do happen to have some experience in the food prep/service, so I offered that experience. I also have experience in other areas, due to work, but I haven't offered that because we are not speaking about that area. If we were speaking about the area you work in then I hope you would offer that! Working in a coffee shop/cafe (so open to the public) is a slightly different set up than a canteen (so school, work etc, not open to the general public in the same way), despite there obviously being common themes. Even if it is quite similar, that isn't reason to go on holiday instead imho!

Well that's how it makes me feel. You're so dismissive of those options you'd rather he went on holiday. Everyone else is doing work experience. The school even provide a backup option for those who can't find anything. But you've decided your child is special and should be able to opt out just becuase they've already worked in a shop and a cafe. You're looking down your nose at those options.

It’s not just the actual week though is it. It’s learning how to find a placement, how to be resilient and not give up. There’s brilliant stats around the importance of Wexp (in 2023, a quarter of graduate jobs at the top graduate recruiters went to students who had done Wexp at the firm : https://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/2023/graduate_market/GMReport23.pdf). Practising the skill of finding and arranging a placement prepares them for the competition at the next stage, when it really does matter.

same is true of apprenticeships. Lots of our students are offered apprenticeships off the back of their Wexp.

so yes, it might make no difference, you taking him on holiday instead. But you’ll never know what he may have missed out on.

And? He can do them again.

That's how jobs work. Try things in different settings.

Unless this boy is the luckiest kid in the world and walks straight into his dream job at 18/21 and stays there until retirement, he's going to experience doing a job he doesn't want to. We all have! There's no reason it needs to be this specific week under the school work experience scheme.

You're right though that I don't understand working in food preparation/service as I haven't ever done it. The OP's son has though, in a National Trust cafe. Perhaps I ought get some work experience? Do you know what it's like to work in every single industry? Perhaps you should get some work experience as well! We could setup a Mumsnet work experience program.

Totally disagree with this. It's not really about being able to write your Y10 work experience placement on your CV; it's about learning soft skills and experiencing the real world of work, regardless of how entry level it is. It also might help him get a job whilst studying such as bar or retail work, which probably over time would be something impressive on a CV alongside a good degree.

The complaint of many employers today is that many young people want all the perks with none of the hard yards. And here we have people seriously arguing that working in a food service outlet or a shop is a waste of time for a 15 year old. This thread is an eye opener.

Also word of warning @Flufty191 I’ve just remembered at our school the kids who didn’t set up or agree to a work experience placement had to attend school all week, sitting in on lessons from the year below (supposedly “revising”). It was termtime not a holiday.

That doesn't rule out doing them 'again', albeit in a different location.
Work often involves doing things over and over too.

The OP's update shows her son has volunteered for his DoE in a cafe and in a charity shop so he has already done those things.

Not always. I did voluntary work in a charity shop as an adult and they kept me in the back the whole time steaming clothes.

OP, take him on holiday. If you want to do the placement in the summer then fine, but the fact that he’s already doing voluntary work is great.

Many work experience weeks are useless because the work environment realistically doesn’t allow the pupil to actually do any work.

UCAS sure as shit won’t give a toss about someone ‘working’ for a week like 3 years ago.

Enjoy the holiday!

It hasn't got to be sorted for another half term so I'd probably hold off doing anything @flufty191

Is there anything where you or DH work?

Is there anywhere walking distance to where you and DH work?

What are the public transport links from either home or either of your places of work?

Do either your or your DH’s workplaces offer work experience? Any friends who commute to the larger town?

I’d find the idea of booking a holiday to be something I probably couldn’t/wouldn’t do but if he’s already volunteering and he’s been offered a placement in the summer holidays then from that POV it’s fine.

I sometimes have work experience in. At 18+ they’re useful (I.e self-motivated students home from uni), at 16 it’s (sorry!) more work for me than anything else. Plus the paperwork for schools is extremely annoying. I actually think catering or retail you’d get more out of at 16 than the office-based ‘career’ work experience they want from me. At least that type of work experience is likely to immediately pay off if they want a summer or part time job. I really don’t feel they get to learn anything useful in a week in the office with us at 16.

Just to say that my son's school and lots of others locally do not do work experience. Lots of companies cannot have under 18s on the premises due to insurance.

In their old primary school they do get the feeder school secondary children but they rarely have an interest in teaching/education it is chosen because it is familiar and they can walk to it. They end up being babysat as they cannot be alone with any children so a TA has to stick to them. It is a complete waste of time.

Well, others might disagree, but there is definitely value in doing a stint in something that you might not really want to do - nobody knows how their life is going to pan out and many have to work in jobs, or do other things, they might not want to. This teaches how to cope. Also he will be getting more experience working with different people, following different instructions, taking pride in a job well done (even if you don't really want to do that job). You reply sounds a little like you don't really understand some of the demands of working in a food preparation/service establishment!

Edit- the poster directly above me, @TodayForTomorrow has helpfully individually listed these, and having worked in a coffee shop/canteen I agree with her list!

Customer services
Suppliers
Ordering
Budgeting
Inventory
Health and safety compliance
Working effectively as a team
Communication
Picking up new skills quickly
Following instructions
Efficient processes to work at speed

It's not just about doing (more) work experience at the time requested by the school, but also that he doesn't get to opt out and go on holiday because he isn't getting to do exactly what he likes as work experience.

If any child is likely to do a levels or go to university, then work experience is an utter waste of time.
A week in a shop when you are 15 years old isn't going to be taken into consideration by the time you are job hunting at 21 or 22 years old!

And I'm not sure much will be learnt either that can't be learnt from a part time job during teenage/student years

Perhaps if you are going straight from year 12 to work it may be a little more relevant

Would it? What specific great benefit is there in working in the school canteen for a week, over and above the work he has already done and continues to do? I'm sure the OP would appreciate the specifics to inform her decision.

Agree that it's pandering. He does seem to have a poor work ethic in that the work experience needs to suit him perfectly rather than adapting to the situation or going out of his way to seek an alternative. OPs holiday idea is reinforcing this idea that he doesn't have to do things he doesn't fancy or that are inconvenient (e.g the bigger town).

Don't kids have to arrange their own work experience anymore? I was very very lucky and got to go to a QCs chambers, it was the cousin of someone my grandad had done some work for. Had to get two buses , a train, a tube and a walk. For a very working class kid from a rough area it was incredible. It also gave me courage in my own academic ability because I could follow what he was telling me, find the info in the document bundles he needed etc, largely understood what was being discussed in meetings. It also meant when my careers advisor told me I wouldn't like Durham and wouldn't fit in (implying I wasn't posh enough), I went anyway and had a cracking time. I realised during my studies there were other areas of the CJ system I was more interested in, rather than solicitor/barrister, but I still work in the field more than 2 decades later.
It sounds like he's limiting himself to things that are local.

Sounds like with his volunteering he has more experience of work than the majority of his cohort.