...to think there is a flaw in the system for school work experience placements?

[McGingery]

So my DD age 14 wants to be a vet, and has done for a couple of years now. She wants to do her school work experience at one of the local vets, zoos (there are 2) or animal shelters. NONE will take anyone under 18 because of their employee insurance.

I have reached out to the school telling them of this and their reply was that they couldn't do anything and that the problem was not just with us and 'animal' related jobs, but also in healthcare.

So all future vets, doctors and nurses can't get work experience in the career of their choice? This seems unreasonable to me.

It's easy if your parent or parent's friend works in that profession I'm afraid.
Conversely, DS's dad and I work in professions not allowed to have under 16s/17s for work experience as do my friends so I'm struggling to source a placement for him as we don't have the right contacts in other jobs

Similar situation with Y10 DD who is 15. Wants a career in medicine but can't get any work experience in that sector below Uni age so she has tried other avenues, vets, pharmacies, dentists. Those that have responded it's been negative so basically she'll end up doing 2 weeks with her Dad which, whilst it gives her an insight into the workplace, is completely irrelevant and a missed opportunity.

Hi. My son is 3rd year vet med. As others have said pre 16 is tricky and even 16-18 is hard.

Couple of suggestions though, stables are generally quite welcoming of youngsters. Fisheries are a bit left field, but somewhere else to try. My son at 15 did a couple of days at a donkey sanctuary when we were on holiday abroad - plenty of dog/cat/dog ket rescues in holiday places.

Broadly though, at this age I’d book any old work experience where she might need to use people skills - they get tested on this later for university entry MMEs.

In the meantime keep her interests up. Edinburgh (Edivet) did have some good free video mini tutorials/courses. I think they were certificated too. And a couple of other places too - may be RCVS?

The standard thing for aspiring medics who cannot get closely related work experience is to join the St John's Ambulance cadets.

Also see if there's anything going in care homes, PHAB clubs and the like

@FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren I love your username.

My son who is now 13 got a placement through local NHS trust summer of Y12 which was great - 3 days in hospital watching surgery, visiting wards, getting really involved and opportunity to talk to doctors about application to uni and careers. Limited places though (20 for our whole NHS trust) so look into it now and they need to be a realistic candidate predicted A/A*. He also did 3 days via a personal contact with SALT/OT/Physio. He did a biomedical engineering taster week at Southampton University through the Smallpeice Trust summer of Y11 and a Casualty Care course through Atlantic Pacific charity summer of Y12. Plus first aid qualification through air cadets (and lots of leadership/teaching stuff) and a job as a lifeguard which ticks the first aid/responsible/public facing boxes.

They can once they are in college and uni.

Dd14 was turned down by all the vets but one. She is doing her work experience at a dog kennels and cattery.

Also this work experience doesn't have to be career related. Mine was at Boots.

Also is 14 and it will be for 5 days.

What's the point going to your parents job? It won't be a real working environment if you're with them or people they know.

This is the entire problem with work experience now.
When I did it school provided a list of vacancies you then applied and interviewed for.
The whole source it yourself using your parents networks just leaves hundreds of teenagers going to work with their parents and not experiencing any like a realistic working environment.

I did two weeks work experience at a vets when I was 15 and I loved it. Mainly involved walking the dogs, cleaning kennels, assisting the vet and helping clear up theatres after surgeries. I saw operations and sadly some euthanasias but it was a fantastic experience.

However working as a midwife it's difficult to accommodate work experience. Pregnancy and birth is a personal time for a woman and not everyone wants to have someone there gawking at them. We do have work experience but they are over 16 and they have a very limited experience as they cannot be part of birth etc. I'd imagine other areas of medicine are the same. There are other options as of getting work experience such as St Johns cadets etc.

I should have said "DD is 14"

It's sad things have changed. I did my work experience at a vets back in the 90s. Loved it. Got to help look after the animals and sit in on lots of operations too.

The change since then is that vets have been bought up by chains

I don’t know if there is more scope for an independent vet’s practice to take on work experience schoolchildren, but if you are lucky enough to have one of them nearby, it might be worth a try.

It's the council that do the vetting and insurance. Not school or the vets.

At 14 it’s not precise work experience that’s needed though. For a vet or anyone really. This is a time to just go and see how work differs from school. It makes little or no difference to careers or uni.