To not allow DC to go on work experience?

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One of my dc is 14 and is year 9. Because of the school set up (first year they have had year nines and only a handful of them) all year nine and year 10 are all being sent on work placement the same two weeks. DC will do work experience twice again due to school set up.

They have been told ten weeks before the work experience date about it (we did not think dc would do it until next year) and it is blooming nightmare as they are NOT helping them find anywhere or even helping with contacts, the kids have to do it themselves.

I have NO issue with this apart from the fact that from experience you have to apply months and months in advance for anywhere decent and dc knows what they want to be so I resent sending them somewhere irrelevant when dc is struggling academically in some core areas at the moment due to endless supply teachers in a couple of core subjects and some sen.

Soo is it a right of passage to be sent somewhere crap and miss two weeks of school or should I stand my ground and help her find somewhere proper for next year?

So there is absolutely nowhere that's even slightly relevant? What do you propose they do instead for the two weeks?

Has your DC even applied for anywhere for this year or are you just assuming they will only get somewhere "crap"?

I would help her formulate an letter which she sends now to businesses in order to secure a placement for next year. I.e get in early and miss the one out.

Work experience placements are very difficult to come by. I not sure if it's the same for all employers. It certainly in the field I work in, we have to take out and pay for insurance to cover the student. And there's a lot of paperwork. It's a real shame as I think placements are important for students, but more so for year 10; year 9 is a little young and I don't think the children are quite ready for it maturity-wise.

(Miss THIS one out)

Do the teachers should find work placements for all the pupils
I used to coordinate work experience in a school and just under 3 months is plenty of time to organise. The point is it's the responsibility of the dc and their parents to organise. I used to help vulnerable pupils and those with shit parents- maybe school hasn't realised you can't be arsed yet - don't worry, send a note and they will be more aware in future

Even if she doesn't go to work experience, she won't get much done in school. Teachers will not continue with the syllabus but just set 'consolidation work' which probably won't be marked or looked at in any detail.
Also, even an 'irrelevant' work experience placement is worthwhile. Students learn about what its like to have a job, interact with coworkers, etc.

So not Do. Very 😴

10 weeks. Lucky if most of ours have organised theirs 3 weeks before. (Perks of teens eh!)
We help out those who are struggling to find somewhere and those children who are vulnerable. Otherwise kids and home arrange it.

You seem to have decided the outcome and declared its a waste if time already. My guess is youll ask 2-3 places and if you get turned down youll sit back and not bother.

People who didnt sort theirs out ended up doing their work exp with admin and support staff in school. They dont get 1-1 with their teacher that week!

YABU. Loads to learn about life/world of work in any placement that DC can get. Get a grip.

At dd1's school those who don't manage to arrange their own get placed. Mostly round the school. Suddenly a lot of the "can't be bothered" find they can manage to find somewhere.

I think you're being a bit silly TBH. I did work experience more than once that is nothing to do with the job I have now, but it did give me great experience of customer service, turning up on time, getting on with adults etc all of which was very handy. And with one of them it turned into a summer job. If you give us an idea what your child wants to be, maybe we can help think of options?

You do sound really quite defeatist about finding something without trying from what you've said? Part of the work experience is writing to companies or places of work or
speaking to them, teaching them to write a professional email etc.
I'm sure she will find something if you try. Part of it can be helping her decide what she doesn't want to do as well as what she enjoys?

Best to get any experience they can. They is nothing to say that their original career ideas will turn into anything. He will learn about the routine of working life, making tea and photo copying!

Similar situations in most schools I am afraid.
Our school network hasn't been massively helpful, placements through the local borough are nearly £100 which is ridiculous. Most schools don't have the resources to offer individualised work placements and the onus is on the student (not the parent) to find this.
I'm sure the school would be flexible if DC have to do the placement during a later holiday? That's what I did. I think teenagers need to manage expectations as well. Big companies aren't going to be offering thousands of placements, looking locally and developing skills in the workplace is a good start.

YABU

Finding your own work experience placement at 14/15 is your first taste of the real work experience. If the school does it for you then you are not experiencing the process of application, interview, letter writing etc. They are not going to be putting on year 9 lessons when nobody's there, are they? So if you send your dd to school instead she will pissing around in the library doing 'private study'.

I agree it's short notice though. Are you sure you haven't missed a letter?

Also I have to say you sound very gloomy about it, this will rub off on your DC. If I were you I'd try to hide your attitude from her, she should be thinking positive about this kind of experience. It can be fun if nothing else.

Ffs she could mail 50 places tonight. Do a mail merge.

No excuse!

I don't think her staying at school will be an option, unless you want her sat in reception reading or something for two weeks. Teachers won't be planning lessons for that year group.

Sorry, I think YANBU though I can feel that you are stressed about it and can understand that.

If there is one absolutely hugely important skill, it is taking the work you can get, and finding ways to make it work for your CV/transferable skills. So assuming e.g. your dc wants to be something specific like a lawyer, and gets work experience at the local corner shop, what would be relevant from that? Well, they might get a chance to handle money (showing trustworthiness), get some customer service experience (relevant to client relationships) and most of all they will demonstrate that they can turn up on time, every day, whether they feel like it or not. If they get a reference, they might get another job which is more relevant.

What's the alternative? Give your dc hte message that unless they can work in exactly the area they want to, they don't have to work? I can see what you mean about the academic side, but nothing helped me work harder at school than doing a really awful work experience job - I knew I wanted qualifications that would mean I could avoid more jobs like that!

Lots of work experience placements are crap anyway. My son had a last minute situation similar to this, and his experience was so much worse than useless...

Slightly off the point but she know that she won't be doing much? We have WE kids but they kind of shadow people or are given a non task to do. They tend to assume they will be doing interesting stuff

I think your dc should start applying for experience now. Regardless of where she ends up, she will learn something. Team working, communication skills, emotional intelligence....

I think your child can learn generic, transferable skills and gain useful experience, even if it isn't in the specific area they want to work in. I think you also have to consider that even if they have decided what they want to do career-wise a) this may change over the next few years and b) there may not be a job immediately waiting for them in their chosen career when they leave school (even if they weren't someone who struggles academically) so experience in a 'crap' job might come in handy in the short-term.

I think 3 lots of 2 weeks work experience is alot. Considering going on holiday for a week ruins their education missing 6 weeks is going to be a bit much. I think mine did a week in year 10 and 2 weeks in year 12. Seems more than enough for me, particularly when most have holiday jobs by the time they are in year 12 and possibly weekend jobs as well.

Problem is your negative attitude will rub off on your children. The truth is, even a 'crap' placement can be valuable and worthwhile. It's all about acquiring soft skills, transferable skills, gaining confidence, doing something different, being exposed to a real work environment and everything that it entails. Securing a placement is part of the process and students who manage this gain a lot in terms of proving to themselves that they have initiative and can make things happen.

I won't disagree that Y9 is a bit too soon but hey, if that's what's happening, embrace it and make the most of it.

Oh, and a big fat YABU for you.