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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 4 weeks work experience at 13/14 is a pointless crock of shit.

62 replies

Experiencedout · 14/02/2018 10:24

I have name changed as I'm pretty sure I have seen someone from dds school post.

Dds school do two weeks work experience in year 9 and two weeks in year 10 with an option for more in year 11.

They are given anywhere between three months and three weeks notice of the dates and this has changed (so not like you can base it on when older years have been).

Because of the lack of time on the shorter notice one and the fact that not many places will take them at 13 its a scramble to get anywhere suitable.

Last year so many failed to get a placement that they carried on normal lessons and testing to the detriment of those on placement.

This year everyone was told go or we will find you somewhere. As we live out of area that would be very difficult for us as dd doesn't know the town and areas around school.

So we found placements vaguely similar to what she wants to do.
Last time it was OK and she did some good things but mostly it has been doing basic admin stuff.

So in effect she has spent four weeks of school time cutting and sticking, laminating and printing. Which would be fine for a week but four?!

Given that they weren't allowed to watch a film at Christmas because 'every minute of learning counts' and they have banned holidays in term time because it is so damaging aibu to think that although I can see some of the benefits of a week or two work experience then four weeks is bonkers?!

OP posts:
spankhurst · 14/02/2018 11:26

I did mine in the 80s Shock and I remember having to sort 100s of cheques into number order. These cheques were months old and archived; they just didn’t have anything meaningful for me to do. They then had the cheek to give me a mediocre review because of my ‘lack of interest’!

ppeatfruit · 14/02/2018 11:32

But Giles A lot of REAL work is like that! I don't know how the parents and schools can be so sure that the dcs are learning anything much at school ( IME a lot of teens don't want to be there and just dream or misbehave). At least in WE they are OUT of school and doing something interesting (even if it's just cleaning, someones got to do it).

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/02/2018 11:35

Ha spank

One placement gave me an awful review. This was the one funnily enough who would actively shut the door on me to keep me out the room.

Thankfully due to glowing reports from everywhere else the college ignored it. I'm not afraid of boring shit I've had many a boring part of various jobs and I get on with it.

But nice people make all the difference and everywhere else was nice to me and let me participate in what i could and let me observe/talk me through/and generally treat me like a person.

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/02/2018 11:37

Of someone has to do it then it wouldn't be evident it's not been touched in decades.

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/02/2018 11:37

Because, well, it would have been done before.

Original poster
Experiencedout · 14/02/2018 11:38

Todayissunny

I can totally see the value of work experience if correctly done.
I. E child spends a week in a nursery or a week in a school and decides they don't particularly like children full time.
Or in a garage and decide that actually it isn't for them.

Hard to get that experience to decide if it is for you if you aren't actually doing anything other than general paper jobs.

Dd is in a community venue.

By lunch on the first day they told her they had nothing for her to do and she went on lunch 25 minutes after break.

Yesterday she wondered round in a room and eventually offered herself up to a client who looked like they needed help for something to do. She then did some work with backing paper on to a wall for a display for Mothers of babies and because she is Dyspraxic the backing paper wasn't perfectly straight and so she was told it wasn't straight enough so rip it all down and start again so that's what she is doing this afternoon.

OP posts:
Original poster
Experiencedout · 14/02/2018 11:41

' I don't know how the parents and schools can be so sure that the dcs are learning anything much at school ( IME a lot of teens don't want to be there and just dream or misbehave'

Ppeat dds school is very academic and very strict. I'm very sure that they are learning a lot. They do full tests every six weeks before reports and the school does no creative subjects such as art/music/drama/cooking after year nine.

OP posts:
goingonabearhunt1 · 14/02/2018 11:42

I think doing some mundane stuff is ok; after all that's the reality of a lot of jobs but as a pp said the employers should engage and talk to the students about the role/sector/career path etc so they can learn something from it in a wider sense.

But 4 wks is def too long!

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/02/2018 11:43

ppeat

I did alot of work experience at college. Many in the same kind of business. So I knew from previous week what I would he allowed to do and what I wouldn't.

And I knew what the boring parts were.

But there is a huge difference between the boring parts that need to be done that eveeyone does and people cone and check on you or order you a drink etc

And being dumped doing something where you are ignored the whole time and it's clearky been pulled out of thin air to give the work experience something to do.

velourvoyageur · 14/02/2018 11:44

It won't be useful if she does nothing with it, but she can put it on her CV and have an edge when applying for more interesting jobs at 16 than the usual 'shop assistant' etc. I doubt many will have a 4-week placement. I did two years of volunteering in a really repetitive role as a teen but I do think it got me on the next step of the ladder. My two week school WE was also really repetitive but there's something to be said for learning how to do boring tasks well.

Plus it gives her some space to develop a sense of initiative. She doesn't have to just do the tasks she's told - she could try to complete them early and then suggest she tackle tasks that she's come up with herself. It's a really good transferable skill - involves quickly summing up a situation, noticing potential improvements that could be made, identifying a way of making those improvements, and then having the discipline to stick at projects that you were the impetus for. It's a way of making yourself less dispensible, if you notice a gap that other people haven't.

Fianceechickie · 14/02/2018 11:45

Depends on the child. Most brighter kids who will go on to uni don't benefit from early work experience. Kids planning to leave school and get a job after yr11 it's invaluable. Difficult though because of some go and others don't the ones that stay in school get ahead with the school work unless something is sorted for them. Sending a whole year group at that age is not beneficial. Done schools have stopped doing it for this reason.

Original poster
Experiencedout · 14/02/2018 11:47

Can i be clear that I don't have any objection to her doing mundane stuff or boring tasks. That's part of work. My issue is with four weeks out of school to do so!

OP posts:
Original poster
Experiencedout · 14/02/2018 11:48

She does already volunteer elsewhere weekly too.

OP posts:
ppeatfruit · 14/02/2018 11:48

Experienced Poor kids. Sad Sounds like a factory to me. "You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink"

ppeatfruit · 14/02/2018 11:51

Some teens can't cope mentally with all that "no creativity, head down stuff" IMO it doesn't help their autonomy.

Dadstheworld · 14/02/2018 11:52

I did my work experience in an Engineering/Fabrication company,After 2 weeks on dogsbody duties I knew instantly it wasn't for me. I was determined to make the best of school so I could chose a more suitable career.

SouthernComforts · 14/02/2018 11:53

I think work experience is more important now than ever. I'm only 25 but I've worked since I was 11 (paper round) then pot washing at 13, waiting on at 15, Saturday girl and waitress at 16 etc..

These days most of those jobs wouldn't hire anyone under 16!

Now in my workplace we get approached by college age people that don't know how to make a brew, answer a phone or draft an email appropriately, even how to mop a floor!!

I do feel for kids these days who have no chance to learn how to act in a worlplace, so work experience is probably the only chance they will get.

StickStickStickStick · 14/02/2018 11:58

If they're in a school where it's all very driven and focused/tests/no creativity then surely the 2 weeks out is a welcome break.

We have a boot camp style school near us too.

ppeatfruit · 14/02/2018 12:00

Agree Southern It's crazy that a 16 yr old can't do basic office or housework properly.

How good are the schools ?

velourvoyageur · 14/02/2018 12:00

Most brighter kids who will go on to uni don't benefit from early work experience.

I take your point but actually I also think quite a few bright kids are also used to coasting and getting good results for just turning up. They might be brilliant at maths but then not so good at admin, and WE is a way to discover that early on when the consequences of tripping up are nil. It's good to be confronted with that and build up some discipline/problem solving approaches early on rather than flounder when it really counts in their first grad job.

gillybeanz · 14/02/2018 12:11

A young man I know won a competition working in the then pm Camerons office.
Of course there were secrets not known to him and lots he wouldn't have been able to do.
But he said he got to meet DC and have an hour interview type conversation with him.
This young man comes from a deprived area, his school was the worst in the area for results, but 100% for supporting and encouraging children
Needless to say he wants a career in Politics and working towards gaining really good grades at A level.

ppeatfruit · 14/02/2018 12:14

DD2 worked very hard at her first WE (she hated school though).Then had to work for nothing at her first job. She flunked the first year at college but has gone on to work for herself on line with great success! There is hope even without lots of Astars!

GreenTulips · 14/02/2018 12:20

A dyslexic child should be in a creative environment - not sure you have the right school setting.

That said - kids need to learn what they enjoy and what they don't -

LaurieMarlow · 14/02/2018 12:23

dds school is very academic and very strict. I'm very sure that they are learning a lot. They do full tests every six weeks before reports and the school does no creative subjects such as art/music/drama/cooking after year nine.

God that sounds awful. I don't think I would have done as well as I did in school without creative subjects to stretch me in different ways.

ppeatfruit · 14/02/2018 12:26

And you can make them learn what they don't enjoy ? Green It's all so saddening.

Some dcs are motivated in all things some are not, some may be motivated in sciences some in arts.. We're not robots . There should be room in school for all children to grow and develop properly, NO removal of the creative subjects.