To think sending (academic Yr 10 pupils out on a weeks work experience is a waste of time).

[smokepole]

I can understand the point of work experience, for some pupils but surely the more academic pupils would be better off having the week in the classroom. My DDs 2 grammar form teacher agreed with me, along with all the difficulty in finding work placements and insurance implications. It surely can be of limited benefit for students who will mostly go in to higher education. I believe schools should be able to decide which students, would benefit from work experience . The schools should also be able to decide to opt out of the scheme, if they think there 15 year old pupils would benefit more in a classroom environment.

On the other hand for non academic pupils, it can be a pleasant change.
This was the case for pupils from DDs 1 secondary school, who in many cases actually enjoyed their week in industry. It is also more relevant to those students as most will not go in to higher education and therefore, helps them gain relevant experience early.

[Billygoats]

Oh dear OP.

I think the thing that bothered me about work experience was I had already been working for two years at the point mine came around. I had to work doing all the shit jobs all week from 9-5 for free doig far more than i did at school so then when I got to work in an evening on the two nights I worked I was knackered. As a family we needed the money I earnt to buy my own lunch/revision books at school.

[AmberLav]

I had a week's lab work, and it confirmed to me that I never wanted to work in a lab, so I choose my university applications accordingly.

And how would you define "academic"?

[ouryve]

I loved my work experience, in a hospital. It was interesting and physically bloody hard work (as a swotty 15 year old, it's not like I was used to being on my feet from 9-5). I learnt an awful lot, too and it was absolutely relevant to what I wanted to do at university (medicine).

[BristolRover]

my highly academic intern with a first class degree from an RG university would have been far better prepared for the world of work / more easily employable had she got herself a 2.1 but done some bloody work experience. All good grades and no employment skills makes for a frustrating member of staff

[Ragwort]

The placement sent her home at 2.30 pm everyday as they had no more filling to be done and could see how bored she was - they more likely sent her home because she had an attitude problem and didn't show any initiative.

I have been involved with w/e students for years and some are just beyond belief - in fact a student asked me for some work experience this week (shop work) we discussed it and I then went to help a customer - another customer dropped a couple of small items on the floor and the student just stood there - no initiative to offer to help .

I believe w/e is essential for all young people - at the very least they should learn to show up on time .

I've mentioned this before on Mumsnet but years ago I had one particular student who was exceptionally useless (and I was the only one in our organisation who would take w/e students as they were just such hard work) - when we had the de-brief chat at the end she told me she hoped to be a barrister or surgeon - she couldn't even staple two pieces of paper together .

[TheWordFactory]

It seems rather young to me. My year 10 DC are 14. I'm not sure what they could get out of W/E so young. And many areas they'd be interested in, wouldn't allow such young people around (quite rightly).

I think year 11 might be better, especially for those students whp want to work in skills-based jobs that will require them to start a vocational course at 16. I thik it would be nice for them to know what it's all about before commiting themselves to a course.

[IHeartKingThistle]

Year 11 is way too busy. If schools tried to do it after exams none of them would do it. Very few anyway.

[TheWordFactory]

fair point iheart...

I dunno, neither of my DC's schools have done it in year 10. And I don't feel my DC have missed out IYSWIM.

That said, they both want to carry on to university so it's a lot less pressing for them to decide or try stuff.

I think they might do a week in year 12, when they might be a bit more focussed on career.

[TucsonGirl]

Everyone should have some experience of work at as young an age as possible. It's ridiculous that we have 21 year olds (or even older if they do Masters) with absolutely no experience of work whatsoever. Is it any wonder employers aren't to keen to employ them?

[Nanny0gg]

My DS's (semi-rural) school made them sort out their own work experience - which made it of even greater value.
They had to contact prospective employers and arrange interviews. And they weren't allowed to go to Mummy's or Daddy's or close relative's workplace either, so connections couldn't help.

Excellent experience.

[Nanny0gg]

It's ridiculous that we have 21 year olds (or even older if they do Masters) with absolutely no experience of work whatsoever. Is it any wonder employers aren't to keen to employ them?

In an ideal world they should also have work experience outside their chosen field. It would have done a vast number of teachers that I worked with an awful lot of good to have had office experience first.

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

I don't think any of are agreeing with the OP that DCs of all abilities shouldn't do works experience. The problem is making it faintly useful, when it's so so hard to get any off time table time at all.

Lots of people are quoting their own good experiences, which is all very well, but it doesn't guarantee those firms are taking 14-15y today. More and more aren't.

Read the posts from employers on this thread "15y are annoying, they can't do anything and have to be baby sat"

If that's employers attitude to the future of our young people, what the hell are schools and DCs, however good their careers staff and motivated their pupils, supposed to do.

[Weathergames]

I had an ex friend who told me all the time what a high IQ she had.

She had 4 kids with 4 different guys the first when she was 17 the youngest when the eldest was 17.

Lived off benefits her entire life - the IQ was a bit irrelevant really.

[HillyHolbrook]

I'm academically able, I had all A's at GCSE and did 4 A-Levels, three A's and a B and have a first degree. Not stealth boasting, openly boasting, I'm well proud of me

I found work experience more valuable than being in the classroom. You can't just rely on being clever in life, one of the most intelligent men I know was top of his class his whole life and did a masters degree in architecture. He's now a post man. I used to want to be a hairdresser when I was 14, did it for work exp. and totally changed my mind after that fortnight. I didn't enjoy it, and it was better that I tried it instead of wasting my time doing it in college. It's silly not to do work experience.

I have so many friends who's first job was their graduate job. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into. The 9-5 killed them because they weren't used to it at all. My best friend has never worked. She married right out of uni and had a honeymoon baby. God knows how she'll get on if her husband ever leaves her or loses his job. She has no clue on real life sometimes, and it's made her snobby about what she'd be willing to do. She'd rather starve than clean toilets or work in a call centre.

I vote more work experience, personally. Not less. Besides, if these kids are oh-so-clever they won't mind missing a week or two of school will they?

[Ragwort]

Elephants - not all employers feel like that. As I commented earlier, I have provided placements for w/e students in over 30 years of my working life - and I have had a number of different jobs in different areas. I persevere with offering w/e as I think it is so valuable, even though it can be soul destroying at time dealing with unmotivated teenagers - and yes, I now have an unmotivated teenager of my own .

[TillyTellTale]

smokepole
Another thread about education? Did the last one go well?

It surely can be of limited benefit for students who will mostly go in to higher education.

Complete and utter bollocks, and I hope the teachers who agreed with you were either politely nodding, or are not advising any teenager on UCAS applications.

[MmeMorrible]

OP are you Will from the Inbetweeners?

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

Ragworth, I'm really pleased some people are willing to help (and I know a DFs DD had much less trouble with farms and vets, even if the result was to convince her to be a research scientist instead).

But when your local library, doesn't know who at the council to ask and local independant shops can't find a use for, a very willing, pair of hands it's very frustrating.

What's even more frustrating is that they take so long to say, no. DDs first choice of placement (admittedly a long shot on HS, insurance and child protection), didn't even have the good manners to answer either a letter or an Email.

[Holdthepage]

My DD was very academic & like you OP I couldn't see the point of 2 weeks work experience in a shop. I was completely wrong, she loved it & they liked her so much they offered her a Saturday job. In the holidays she got more hours & the money she earned came in very handy for her.

The experience was invaluable when she applied to University & also later when she was applying for jobs.

[fluffymouse]

Yabu as even the academic children need to think about career options. There are many very demanding vocational courses at university (medicine, vet science etc) which both require work experience to ensure that those embarking on the course actually want the career. Work experience is vital!

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

I think in practice, many WE placements do turn out to be a bit of a waste of time. But I think the principle is a good one -regardless of how academic a child seems to be.

My dd's WE wasn't especially anything she wanted to do, but she did learn from it, made a good contact for CV refs for part-time work now she's in the 6th form (which is good, the first time you want to do waitressing on a Saturday afternoon, as otherwise you only have your school teachers, in many cases!).

She's on her first day WE in sixth form today as it happens - will await news with bated breath, but I think this one may turn out a lot more relevant and useful, and perhaps sixth form is a better time for it in many ways.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Not that I think a fortnight helping file stuff can or should be justified or rationalised by the idea that it might help you get a Saturday job serving cake, that is - just that is one thing that's been a minor benefit!

[trevortrevorslattery]

YABU. I had a "lightbulb" moment on my WE aged 15 when I realised I was far more relaxed and confident in myself all that week - when I wasn't with the group I hung round with at school. It made me change my group of friends and lined me up for a much happier 6th form.

And YY to all the comments about patronising etc etc

[Vintagejazz]

I think in theory WE is a great idea, but in practice it doesn't always work that well.
A lot of workplaces are reluctant to take on schoolkids and have them hanging around the place for a week getting under their feet.
As a result, an awful lot of students just end up grabbing any random placement they can get, often in a relative or family friend's workplace which is usually a million miles away from what they want to do.
I think the whole thing needs to be structured a bit better with more co-operation and engagement between schools and potential work experience organisations.

[Vintagejazz]

But I agree that the OP is being patronising.
Academic students need to make realistic career choices as well, you know. And it is often the academic pupils who enrol in the prestigious courses that require high grades but discover, when they enter the workplace, that they're not actually suited to a career in Law or Medicine or Science, regardless of how academic they are.