AIBU to stop offering work experience?

[Itsallacademic]

Background: I work for a very large employer with many departments, my particular role involves specialised laboratories and equipment. For the past several years, I have offered work experience placements to 6th form students within my team (usually lasting a week or two). While this does require additional paperwork and specialised risk assessments, I felt it was worthwhile both to inspire the next generation and to contribute positively to the organisation’s wider profile.
Current situation: I now have a DD in Yr12 who is trying hard to secure summer work experience. Importantly, her subjects are not related to my area of work. DD's college regularly shares information about work experience opportunities, but due to our family’s income level/education level/postcode/etc, she is eligible for very few of the schemes. She has applied for everything she can but has not been successful so far.
So, I suggested that DD contact other teams and departments within my organisation assuming that there would be colleagues offering placements in the same way I have. However, every response so far has been negative - most say the organisation does not offer work experience at all, often citing H&S even for departments that are just office-based (obviously, as I work at the same employer, I know exactly what paperwork is required so I know this is not true).
My AIBU: This has left me wondering whether I have been overly generous all these years. Providing work experience for under-18s is time-consuming, comes with administrative burden and does require resources. I had always believed I was doing something worthwhile and contributing as a responsible member of the organisation. However, it seems that very few, if any, others are doing the same - basically they can't be bothered?
I have told DD that she is welcome to do her work experience in my team, even though it is not directly relevant to her studies (and perhaps it won't look so positive on her CV to have worked with her mum). But after this summer, I am seriously considering "closing shop" and declining any future requests from 6th form students. AIBU?

@Itsallacademicits maybe time to step away for a year from offering work experience and see how you feel later. Its ok to reconsider if this is worth your efforts. Take care and dont let your kindness result in burnout. Hopefully you have some good ideas here to solve your DDs issue.

I don't think work experience necessarily needs to be connected to the child's future ambitions, it's really to introduce them to the wide variety of areas that businesses, particularly small businesses, have to get competant in.
My daughter did hers with the local undertaker firm. Back then they still built their own coffins, so she did some woodwork, engraving etc. She helped with collecting deceased from the hospital morgue, attended funerals (and was shown around the business area of the crematorium), cleaned hearses, did paperwork etc.
The only thing she couldn't do, because she was too young (I think you have to be over 18) was watch an embalming.

I know your DD doesn't want you to, but in your shoes I would do something behind the scenes to get her a good placement to support her career.

Either by asking a colleague to U-turn or speaking to your contact at the school asking for a favour in reciprocation for all the students you have hosted.

You didn't host selfishly, but a bit of positive payback isn't unreasonable to ask for.

Please continue to offer work experience , it’s so difficult to find a placement although I think any work placement is valuable even if it doesn’t relate to their future career . The kids benefit from showing up on time , working with different people and personalities,following instructions , even doing boring repetitive tasks .It is all valuable experience to the kids particularly year 10 .

I wouldn't blame you at all for stopping, but maybe raise what you've written here with the senior management so they are aware that people are declining for no good reason.

This may make me sound weird, but that's an absolutely amazing placement, I'm genuinely envious of your DD's experience. Just the sheer variety of skills and experiences, and the unique setting - wonderful!

Oh it is a shame you are feeling this way, but don’t let it stop you offering something extremely valuable to our young people.

Might be worth approaching HR/ H&S dept to get them to ‘relaunch’ work experience company wide, as perhaps your colleagues genuinely think it isn’t offered……or maybe it will shame the curmudgeons amongst your company to be more generous of spirit….

I hope your DD finds something that truly benefits her x

It sounds life something to raise with higher up or training team. Your organisation has a policy and does offer work experience but you have seen several emails saying you don’t which is a training issue. Fine for them to say we don’t have any availability but they shouldn’t be saying ‘Widget Ltd’ doesn’t offer w/e to under 18 if untrue.
My DD’s sixth form they needed to arrange their own. Yes some schemes are certain demographics or postcodes.

I work in a university STEM department and hate having to say no to Work Experience requests.

Under 18s in labs and workshops require multiple staff to be DBS certified, and there is a limit to what those with just GCSEs and no training can actually do with machinery and experimental set-ups.

I struggle to think of anything that someone could realistically do in my office-based role without an employee log-in and systems training. When I started 20 years ago there was still some filing/shredding/office tidying tasks although that would be dull for two weeks.

My Year 10 WE was two weeks in Pony Heaven- I worked on a stud farm. You don't need supervision or training to shovel shit!

I would have absolutely loved that as a rather gothy teen. What a great opportunity and great way to make her CV stand out!

I can see exactly why you feel as you do (I would too) but if you can keep offering it please do.

Work experience placements are as rare as hens teeth these days. A few years ago my son had terrible trouble trying to find one. My friend has a small company and very kindly agreed to take him on (she had offered WE before and was set up for it though it is still a lot of red tape). Unfortunately then covid hit and she was having to operate from home and school said WE students aren't allowed to work at a private home for safeguarding reasons unless it's a family member.

He ended up doing WE for me (law firm but working from home) which wasn't ideal but both he and I were really glad I could offer it. And it gave him new found respect to discover how hard I work 😂

So please don't stop!

What’s your logic behind not offering these young people an opportunity? That your DD didn’t get a chance so neither should they?

I get what you mean. It’s hard yards for dc to find something as many programmes will be this.

Oh snap but as I mentioned earlier, ours allows under-18s as long as they are not alone with non-DBS-ed staff, which is why I usually take 2 at a time and also keep everyone in the open-plan parts of the labs and offices. The risk assessments are the biggest ball ache because of the amount of specialised equipment and potentially hazardous substances they could be in proximity to.

But having put in the (let me remind everyone) extra unpaid hours years ago, to plan a safe yet educational and fascinating programme which I've tried to make as genuinely reflective of real research as possible, and complete all the paperwork and risk assessment forms, it's just a case of rechecking and tweaking every year to keep the programme up to date with the latest scientific developments that I want to show the students ... until I suppose at some time soon, somebody higher up will introduce a bunch of changed regulations to make it untenable.

I’d assume Op has realised how out of step she is with the rest of the organisation in offering work experience which takes up her time and resources.
It’s perhaps one of those cases where Op has always done it but now finds shes out of step and it isn’t really a thing offered anymore by her company.
The company may prefer them to attend college careers events etc to benefit multiple dc’s and be more visble etc. Policies change over the years.

My logic, if you have read my posts, is that I have at this point in time lost my enthusiasm, energy and feeling of goodwill.

I'm sure there are many worthy martyrs who would not have lost the aforementioned enthusiasm, energy and feeling of goodwill in the circumstances I outlined.

I'm also sure there are many worthy martyrs who despite losing the aforementioned enthusiasm, energy and feeling of goodwill, would be able to continue offering services above and beyond what we are paid in our jobs to do without extra resources, time off, or workload reduction.

Unfortunately I am not one of these superior beings.

I can understand why you are feeling like this but please please please don't stop offering. I'm a Secondary Teacher and I've often taken tutor groups through the GCSE years. Last year it was SO difficult to find placements for students and I tried so hard to support.

Due to all the insurance and faff, there are so many who will no longer take placements and it was so depressing and upsetting for the students to have so many rejections. I've never known it be so difficult before.

We really need excellent companies like yours as work experience for yr10s or yr12/yr13 is so important and can really stretch their aspirations.

Thank you for offering the placements and please do continue if you can. You are helping launch these young people into their future careers and that's such an important stage of life for them.

Can you follow up with the other departments in your company directly on behalf of your DD? She has made the first move and their blanket response may be a no, but it could be a different response for a colleague - especially one who has experience of offering work experience.

I mean, sure, its nepotism, but if she is not able to benefit from the support schemes because of your situation, then why shouldn't she benefit from that same situation?

It's not like she's waiting for it to fall into her lap!

This. I did exactly this. Once you set it up, it’s a lot easier to roll out.

While the status quo is unfair, could you leverage what you DO have (work placement opportunities with you) to get one closer to what she wants to do? Ask friends’ parents, LinkedIn contacts, colleagues etc if they have a child the same age looking for work experience and offer a reciprocal arrangement?

In my sector, too, opportunities are increasingly going the ‘online course’ route which gives them no understanding of turning up to work, being treated as an adult and expected to act like one. I feel very bad for them all.

I take on work experience students even thought it's a massive pain in the arse and half of them don't even say thank you.

I do it though because I know how hard it is and try to give something back, so I'll keep on at it. My kids also found it hard to secure placements but that's life and part of the reason I say yes - be the change and all that.

I'm so sorry this has happened, finding work experience is tough & I'm so grateful for my son's 3 lot's of work experience that genuinely helped him secure an apprenticeship. I've made it very clear to him that he needs to give back when the time comes! We need people like you in the world 🌎. Also to add we cannot have work experience in my workplace but I always take out university students & feel it's important to do our bit xx

Rejections are a difficult lesson. It is hard, perhaps even harder than before given the current labour market.

We just went with someone we knew and we’re very grateful. But with no response and just blankness back students can get demotivated.

I still do it, and yes it’s a pain, but I do it for the same reasons you do.

Agree with the person who says they don’t actually have to be the role or type of job she wants.

A friend’s son wants to be a police officer obviously no work experience there. However he did get a place at an old folks home the over lap being what should be the compassionate side of the job and often police can be out looking for elderly senile people who have wondered off as well as the general vulnerable population.