I need a wee bit help

[bumblebeessarecool]

I live abroad in Europe. My youngest (16) is at high school and needs to do a work placement/experience for a week to experience a different culture and to improve her language skills. I am trying to find something in Scotland but am struggling a wee bit. Do any of you lovely ladies have any ideas and can you help?

I have tried volunteer work, my old primary school. I have no family that can help. We dont need paid work. Just something for a work week.
edited for typos

Do you have a set area in mind? unfortunately most work experience placements are acquired through personal connections.

Secondary schools might be accommodating as more of an exchange situation.

I was kind of looking at the Fife area. Its a good idea to look at secondary schools. I will try my old one.

FE colleges, local authority offices, independent travel agencies, independent coffee shops/restaurants, sporting facilities etc are all worth a try too.

What are the legalities here? Is your child British with a British passport? A lot of employers may be wary of falling foul of the Right to Work laws which do also cover volunteering.

Yes - volunteers need to evidence right to work and if over 16 and working with children/vulnerable adults also need to be PVGd

even if she finds a placement where is she going to stay or are you coming with her?

Im definitely coming too.

If in Fife what about The Buffalo Farm, Fife Zoo, The Deer Centre, Fife Woodland Trust just off the top of my head.

Tbh I wouldn't touch it. A child from abroad? British citizenship? Insurence could be an issue with non local child.

Why not find a local to you placement?

stabbing in the dark a bit here but maybe try some of the boarding schools? They're used to having international students and I know the older kids sometimes help with activities in the prep/nursery departments. She might be able to do more of an "exchange" than work experience? Fettes, Cargilfield, Dollar Academy, Gordonstoun.....

Honestly,.students are a lot of work and take a lot of mentoring and hand holding, this just wouldn't be worth it for most small employers to take on, with the right to work to navigate and insurance etc. Especially if they're not investing in young person from the community who may bring skills to the area/business in the long run.

The organisations I know that do take students do so through either formal partnerships with FE colleges or on a wider government scheme. These wouldn't be open to non residents.

I’m sorry to add to the voices of doom, but I also don’t think this is much of a goer. Work experience is increasingly hard to find - employers can’t just have a random child in the office making tea anymore, they need a structured programme which complies with a tonne of regulation. Coming from abroad adds a heap of other complications, not just the legalities but they’ll also worry about cultural and language difficulties.

I’d find a different way to achieve you aims - language school?