Y10 work experience! Where to start?

Doesn't really matter too much, its just an experience of the world of work. I'd avoid any job where they won't be able to get involved. For example, I had a student who got work experience with a lawyer but because all the files were confidential she couldn't do any work apart from make cups of tea! She was pretty bored after a few days but did get to see the courts.
Working in a music shop sounds a good option.

Crikey? Round her the schools organise everything.

One popular option is for kids to do something that will lead to an offer of a Saturday job, rather than something that will help their career. ie working in Tescos or Asda, Boots or another local shop.

ds1 (yr10) is currently sometimes so sullen and unco-operative and lazy, that I think I will be encouraging him to do work experience somewhere that he is extremely unlikely to ever want to pursue when it comes to real work! As I don't think he's ready for the real world, and will not make a good impression.

This was my thread last year

DS had a brilliant time. I recently spoke to the old owner. He said that they hadn't taken work placements for a while because there were too many who just weren't interested when they got there. But this year they triend again and they were really pleased with all the applicants. they were all a credit to their parents.

I would go with what he is interested in, but get in early as lots of places limit the number of students they take through the year.

At the DCs primary school they often have ex-pupils back to do work experience -maybe your DS could go back to his old school and work with the teacher who is responsible for the music side of things?

Also consider local charities.

The only other experience I've heard of is when my god-daughter was trying to find something -she ended up going to an animal rescue centre.

it is there in order to give students a taste of what it is like in the working world and what they will expect rather than a specific career. The experience can be used in personal statements/application forms etc in terms of skills and experience gained rather than the actual job they did.

In a previous school it actually had a very positive effect on my students as they only had low aspirations and after spending a week in an hairdressers/nursery etc they decided that child care and beauty etc was not for them and they decided to buckle down at school so they could go to college and aim for higher

let him go to somewhere that he has any interest in (even if it means a journey to get there) so he can see the realities of work etc

I know! (Think they missed a trick, actually. They should have teamed up - introduced Rowan to a kick-ass pair of Jimmy Choos. Make a change from the sandals.)

Lordy! Shadowing Tamara Mellon and the Archbishop of Canterbury!

Any work experience is work experience. It doesn't really need to be particularly relevent to where they want to be in the future. Lots of areas indeed aren't able to have kids experiencing them.

Move fast as all the kids do it at about the same time and its a scum!

Must push DS to get on with it!

No. It will not be used in evidence against him!

DS did his at the local garage, even though he has no aptitude or interest in mechanics or car maintenance. But it was easy to get to, friendly and taught him a lesson about the world of work, time keeping and fitting in with a team.

(In contrast, his two cousins shadowed Tamara Mellon (Jimmy Choo) and the Archbishop of Canterbury respectively. They are not now shoe designers or indeed, ordained.)

We were told in July that dd will be doing 2 weeks work experience in March and needed it in place by October half term.
Don't worry about contacts and old boys network...I told dd it was up to her to sort it out. She applied for a number of placements in stores, was accepted by 6 and chose her favourite. She is also doing a week with her singing/piano teacher as that will be fun.
It's very much to give them a flavour of the working world ie getting there on time, interacting with adults. The girls were told that if you applied to be at a vet's , there would be a lot of watching, as you would not be allowed to do anything eg perform major surgery .

dd has chosen somewhere where they have a training programme in place for them, and so she will actually be learning something.

Year 10?

Good grief, what on earth do they expect anyone to achieve in year 10? All they will be doing is getting in the way.

If he really does want to teach music, can he shadow a music teacher?
That's what DD1 intends to do for hers - unless the work experience is scrapped which we keep hearing threats about.

As for it really needing to be related to what they want to do, it can only be if they have a good idea. Seems to important for Medicine, Veterinary etc. but how many DCs 'really' know at 14?

A friends DD, was convinced she wanted to be a Vet since she was small. Did the relevant work experience in year 10 and hated it. now does not hae a clue what to do.

Don't panic ! Work experience is 5 days of his life and no one expects him to even know what he wants to do at his age. The idea is to open the kids eyes to the working world and to be treated like an adult for a week. If he likes music, working in a shop will be great - skills he will learn there will be transferable to any job (professional attitude, time keeping, enthusiasm) and he may even get some part time work from it. What he does is not nearly as important as his attitude towards it, so it's best to do something he will enjoy. Do look into apprenticships for the future though as some of them so recruit very early.

Watching with interest.

We have zero useful contacts.

I'm often reading on MN and hearing in real life about Tom/Dick/Harry/Jane going to work at Goldman Sachs, or the British Museum, or trailing round after Mr X the eminent heart surgeon. One girl I know got to work on the local newspaper - quite coincidentally the Editor is her uncle.

It seems to me that a large volume of the kids end up helping out in the local schools. Dd had 3 work experience kids in her Year 4 class the other week.