Year 10 work experience

It comes under 5 and 6 on the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Providing meaningful encounters with employers and workplaces is valuable experience. Why are GCSEs important? - it's because they're a recognised currency for future educational and vocational opportunities.

I am sure the experience is beneficial but is it worth to spend so much time and effort to enrol? The uptake of this program at my DC's school is very low. My feeling is better foucs on GCSE preparation at this time frame?

I know they have a youth-thing at other IWM sites, not sure if it's spread to Duxford yet.

the problem is age seemingly (under 16s are a no)
I wonder if that's because of previous poor experiences. From an H&S side of things there are ways round it, but it is more involved risk assessing for a child - and there will be no help from the school for this. But my own experience is that the younger placements are the least rewarding to the employer because it's vanishingly rare to get a child that shows any interest in being there. From the parent's point of view you'd have to all out to sell the child's enthusiasm to break through that.

Something to try is to take a drive around the industrial estates in the local area and note down the businesses you see. For every Big Employer there will be a dozen local smaller businesses supplying them - from nuts and fasteners, to workwear, to small engineering firms, etc. At 15 any employer is an opportunity to understand how businesses work and see the sort of jobs people do.

Funnily enough it was very high up my list - not 'near' us, but only a 30 min drive...

Let me have a think. I'm more familiar with the area north of Cambridge.

Have you tried IWM at Duxford?

I wouldn't have framed it as dismissively as "It's only work experience".

Sorry I'm autistic I didn't mean it's not important. I shouldn't have said only.

I can see both sides. DS has written to at least 20 local companies and got 2 ‘sorry, no’ responses and completely ignored by 18, despite finding out a contact name, tailoring the letter etc. We’ve managed to wangle a placement with his uncle.
On the other hand we take on one Wex student at work at a time (vet surgery) and all the local schools want the same week. It’s a total ballache from a paperwork point of view and having to supervise them when there is nothing useful they can contribute. Some of them have been great and had a genuine interest and some of them have been awful. We’d rather concentrate on the animal care, nursing and vet students who also need placements, or post16 students with an actual realistic chance of pursuing a career.

Thank you @DogInATent. We're on the Suffolk side of Cambridge. I've just heard back from Cambridgeshire County Council who say they no longer offer this service and have signposted me to https://formthefuture.org.uk

I'll take a look at it with DS. I've lived in the area since birth, so know most of the big employers - the problem is age seemingly (under 16s are a no) and so we might must have to find anything for a week which qualifies.

I would of course be delighted to hear any suggestions you might have :-)

Yes.
Which part of the county are you in? - I know some people at the CPCA and I know a couple of EAs in Cambridgeshire or on the Cambs/Norfolk border. I also know enough about the area to maybe have some ideas about employers to contact, if you have an idea the type of work experience they want. Feel free to answer by PM.

It's a massive ballache for businesses.

We used to offer 4 or 5 placements a year but then we got inundated with literally hundreds of phonecalls per year when word got round that we offered it.

Now we offer none - it takes up too much time.

We've still had over 50 requests voicemails in the last month despite telling schools and careers we can no longer offer. I don't even a time to call all these kids so they are being left with no response.

Schools need to change their model.

There are 2800 year 11's in our small town.

Literally loads of desk research and sending emails/calling. He'll need to see it a bit like job in itself. Engineering could be anything from National Grid to a local air-conditioning company.

The school said that? figures. It's a lot easier for the employer to provide a placement for a child if there's a relative or family friend they can shadow or work alongside. The Buddy System is by far the easiest way to meet the H&S requirements, and that's made easier when it's someone that they already know and knows them.

It's only work experience.
It doesn't have to be related to their career. Plenty of time for that in college.

I wouldn't have framed it as dismissively as "It's only work experience". But the purpose is to provide meaningful experience or contact with a workplace and the world of work in general. It doesn't have to specific to the career path their interested in, and WE placements are a great way of exploring things you might not have considered.

@Seainasive

Lots of research on LinkedIn and websites to find the name and ideally the email address of the CEO.

Really? The CEO? It's Y10 work experience!!

We were told not to ask family contacts as it isn't real experience if they know someone there.

It's only work experience.

It doesn't have to be related to their career. Plenty of time for that in college.

Luckily DD's is but most of her friends are working in cafes.

Everyone who I asked said they had to be 16 apart from this one.

It's hard to find that first work experience thing because so many companies at wary of the implications for having an under 16 on the premises and lots of smaller companies do not fulfil the criteria that schools require (particular policies and insurance)
I'm a small practice and often get asked if I will do work experience for kids and I can't take them (I do take uni students) due to this.
My eldest went to a local mid sized computer support company - he likes computer science but wasn't his kind of thing but gave him a taste of a job and narrowed down that he didn't want to do that.
I wrote to loads of companies I work with to try a bit of nepotism and DS wrote to loads of companies he found online - we got about 3 replies total from a very wide net cast, very low hit rate. Which I think was eye opening to DS that getting a job isn't easy especially in what you want to do.

What extra curriculars does he do? Can you put a message out asking the swim / rugby / scout parents whether they take work experience students on in their day role.

Its hard when school don't seem to want to help... I'm quite surprised, but they I guess I shouldn't be, as I've sorted out all the volunteering for DS's DofE too...

To be fair to schools, they're pulled all over the place chasing different objectives, targets, and initiatives. Despite the introduction of the Gatsby framework, careers guidance and work experience is woefully under resourced and underfunded.

One of my reasons for getting involved and volunteering as a EA was as a result of being on the other end. Working for an employer that was taken for granted by the local schools when it came to WE. To the point that I started saying No. I don't think schools (or parents) realise that there's 2 weeks of work by the employer preparing for 2 weeks of work experience. So when year after year you get disinterested timewasters (or worse) dumped on you at the last minute you can quickly lose the will to engage. I'm hoping I can do something towards changing this.

Hi @DogInATent

Am I right in thinking that the Enterprise Advisors mentioned on this page are doing a similar role to yourself?

https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/what-we-deliver/skills/careers-education/

Have tried phoning but the # isn't working and have tried submitting the form to contact them, but that's doesn't appear to be working either. Just want to know if I've got the right people before trying other methods of contact.

Thanks

Thanks DogInATent,

I've never heard of a Volunteer Enterprise Adviser, I'll contact the council in our area now to see if they employ any...

Most of my husband's x-work colleagues work in one area of business, which simply isn't suitable for youngsters and I don't have contacts as I've been self employed for decades. Its hard when school don't seem to want to help... I'm quite surprised, but they I guess I shouldn't be, as I've sorted out all the volunteering for DS's DofE too...

Could you try other volunteering opportunities? Charities often need admin support which is good experience even if it's not a sector he's interested in.

Most factories will have some sort of engineering function, not just those that are obviously Engineering.

At that age, most placements come through family and friends. But if you're struggling (and lots of families do with this) ask the school if they have an Enterprise Adviser, or if you can be put in touch with careers support at County level. FWIW I'm a volunteer Enterprise Adviser and feel very under-used, which is a common theme with other EAs I've spoken to.

DD is doing hers at a nuclear power station. She sent an email to their outreach team asking if they might take people on in the visitors centre but they've put her in the main building with the engineers. She is beyond excited. But we had no contacts and she just used the information available online.

Her friends are doing theirs at local museums and a theatre.

We have some great structured year 10 work experience available in our county but the application day was way after her school wanted it set up and confirmed. Look at the council, research centres, Aviva do a good one, Wildlife Trusts.

We're just embarking on the challenge of Year 10 work experience. Our DS wants (ideally) something in science, but would be happy to take anything tbh.

I've been looking on various company websites and those that do take students all have stated they don't take them under 16.

My husband & I are both self employed so virtually no 'industry' contacts, which doesn't help...

The school hasn't provided any list of companies to approach and having asked other parents, those who've managed to secure placements have done so with family/friends...

Any points much appreciated.