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Secondary education

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Original poster

I don't want ds to do work experience.

318 replies

Alouisee · 03/12/2011 09:13

He's in year ten and has been told that for two weeks in July he must find a placement. He has contacted two bike shops but they havn't even replied.

I'm not keen on pushing him to contact lots of potential placements just so he can become an unpaid slave for a fortnight.

I feel that the school like to clear the decks in the summer with the residentials taking place and work experience happening. I'm quite happy to arrange some tutoring for him for those two weeks but I'm feeling a bit of a chicken about telling the school that work experience is for their benefit and not for the benefit of my son.

Anyone a teacher and got an opinion or a parent and been in this situation.

OP posts:
bruffin · 03/12/2011 10:18

I spoke to DSs work placement recently, because I live round the corner and bumped into the owner coming out of the shop, so thanked him(he is one of the top photographers in the country)
He did say they had stopped taking WE for a few years because too many of the candidates were not interested and had a bit of chip on their shoulder, but this year had decided to try again and had been very pleased with all the candidates.
DS spent the first day helping with the officework, which is what they normally do on a monday. Then he helped entertain babies while they had their photos taken. He was allowed to take his guitar in and they did a photoshoot of him and also he did his own photography, then spent a couple of days doing photoshopping etc. He came home with a lovely pack of professional photos of himself, and a dvd of the photos.

A friends daughter worked in a cattery and has been offered work from that, others worked at a leading drug makers, leading supermarket offices, vets, in shops. They all were posting on face book they didn't want to go back to school.

Awayinamangercooper · 03/12/2011 10:23

My husband's work experience led to a holiday job, which led to the firm offering him a full time role when he finished school and paying for his ILEX and LPC courses to qualify as a solicitor completely debt free. Whereas I'm still paying for my professional training now.

herbietea · 03/12/2011 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Alouisee · 03/12/2011 10:25

Wow, thanks for all your pov. At least I know how to approach the school now.

Another issue I have is that we are quite rural and driving is a necessity so I can see large chunks of my day being taken up ferrying to train and bus stations if not the actual job.

So glad I didn't post in Aibu Xmas Wink

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 03/12/2011 10:28

Have you got a relative in a city who could set something up for your DS? DSS1 spent a fortnight in London staying with his godfather last summer while he did work experience. He had a great time (and that is what godparents are for in this day and age, IMO!).

MotherPanda · 03/12/2011 10:31

ok - how far away from the nearest train station/ bus stop are you? is walking/ cycling an option? do you work? can you drop ds anywhere on your way?

do you have family in another area he could stay with and do experience there? I stayed with my grandparents in oxford for my week of WE, although i lived 25 miles north of there.

think outside the box...

Auntiestablishment · 03/12/2011 10:37

MotherPanda - It was engineering, which I was very interested in (did physics degree in the end though not either physicist or engineer now).

CharminglyOdd · 03/12/2011 10:38

I third the idea of staying with a family member if possible: I stayed with my cousin who is a defence contractor and shadowed him for two weeks. It was really interesting, although it wasn't in the field I want to work in and it didn't lead to a job. It did teach me something about behaving in an office however.

PurplePidjInAPearTree · 03/12/2011 10:40

Wow, PFB much?!

FYI I work in for a small business, and if our WE person is any good they're invited to stay on to work Saturdays.

How on earth is your PFB going to learn skills like office banter, getting his arse into gear and self-sufficiency if you decide that, at the age of 15, you still need to wipe his arse for him?

Kick his arse for him instead and help him get his first job...

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/12/2011 10:41

You now realise that your OP was bonkers, right?

Even if your son ends up doing something that he doesn't really want to do, it will be useful to him. And if he can get himself to school, then he can get himself elsewhere I would think, even if it's just a shop near the school or something.

Or he will have to do something really close to home.

Deux · 03/12/2011 10:45

I think you have a really strange attitude. You seem to be more concerned that your son won't be paid.

It's terribly short-sighted. It's a big effort for the employer to find tasks that the child can do and benefit from.

My DH takes on work experience students and what they don't know when they start is that they will get a bonus of cash when they end their placement!

My DH was so impressed with the last young lad that he is considering employing him in the holidays. This lad turned up on time every day, nicely dressed in shirt and tie, was polite, well mannered, keen to learn. DH gave him a glowing report. The boys parents came to say thankyou. Everyone's a winner, surely?

rowingdowntheriver · 03/12/2011 10:47

I did my work experience in a military band (parachute regiment). Was brilliant fun and an opportunity I wouldn't have missed for the world! My flute playing improved massively in 2 weeks, literally from grade 5 to 8 as I was getting free tuition for most of each day. Also had the chance to do PT with the para's and do a parachute jump although didn't in the end as the school wouldn't sign the waiver note. Whole experience was amazing though.

I didn't plan on joining the army or having a career in music but just enjoyed the chance to do something I'd never otherwise get to do.

If you use some imagination you can end up doing something that you will remember for the rest of your life. Definitely recommend that he does his work experience.

senua · 03/12/2011 10:49

"Another issue I have is that we are quite rural and driving is a necessity so I can see large chunks of my day being taken up ferrying to train and bus stations if not the actual job."

It's his work experience, not yours. Let him sort out the logistics.
This is the sort of 'hidden' benefit of WE that people have been harping on about: it makes your DS realise that the location of a job is important, that transport is a serious consideration, that income v. cost/time to get there is a vital calculation, etc.
They don't learn that at school.

Mrsrobertduvall · 03/12/2011 10:53

Can't believe your ds has only applied to two places.
Dd is year 10...they were told in July about work experience for next March, and it was up to them to get going on it.
Dd applied to 22 places.....and got offered 11 of them. So she could pick her 2 favourite places. Other girls did nothing, and are moaning now because the school has organised it for them.

The 2 companies she is going to have structured training for WE?..we have had a copy through already of what she will be doing.

You need to motivate him a bit more and actually support the school.

AmberLeaf · 03/12/2011 11:00

My DS will be doing it next summer.

I think its a brilliant thing to do and think that my son will get a lot out of it.

I would say that its way more hassle for the adults involved that the teens that do it! and the teens are lucky to get the opportunity.

My WE at 15 actually led to a holiday job and they were so impressed with my effort that they paid me for the 2 weeks WE [a token payment not loads but I was happy]

Mine was all set up via the school, now they have to approach companies directly inc sending a CV and covering letter which IMO is very useful for future job hunting/uni applications.

daveywarbeck · 03/12/2011 11:10

I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about having to do WE in year 10 and didn't get my arse in gear to organise anything, so I had to do a placement arranged for me by school. Two weeks in primary school. God I hated it. I learned two things 1) I didn't want to be a primary teacher 2) to sort my own shit out in future.

Therefore when we did WE in year 12 I was motivated to sort out something I was really interested in.

Ilovepigs · 03/12/2011 11:25

Actually op-I agree with you. I hated my we at school. The school arranged it all and you had to put down the areas you were interested in. I put down journalism or teaching.

I got sent to work for scottish gas. I hated it. Stuck in a basement office doing filing with a bunch of women who clearly didnt have a clue what to do with me. I left after 2 days and never went back. Dont think they even noticed.

I then did we at uni-at a theatre. Supposed to be working for the pr department which would have perhaps been interesting. Except that again I got stuck with all the shit filing,spead sheets etc. The only good thing I got to do was attend a dress rehearsal for a play. Oh and meet a few snotty actresses.

Neither of these we placements did me any good whatsoever and I have never bothered to include them on a cv.

fastweb · 03/12/2011 11:25

I think the search for a placement is as valuable in terms of experience and gaining skills as the actual placement itself.

Having to cold call, knock on doors, persuade a harried boss to give you an interview so you can sell yourself and the value of offering WEPs. It's all good in terms of future job searches that are not focused on solely the passive, obvious modes of letting companies know you are out there.

But if that is an experience you are going to provide for him independantly of the school as a parent in the hols, I guess it's fair enough if you'd rather he studies in the time frame the school has set aside for work experience.

eurochick · 03/12/2011 11:37

Work experience is really valuable. Doing something now that isn't what he really wants to do is likely to stand him in good stead for the later work experience he can do when he turns 16. He will have an idea of how people behave in the workplace, etc. so he can perform better and impress the people he wants to impress.

When we (law firm) get work experience people in, they get far more out of it than we do. It's certainly not slave labour. They don't do anything of value to us. We can't even trust them to photocopy because court bundles, etc. have to be 100% right and a work experience person is not tried and tested. We spend a lot of time explaining what we do, finding interesting things for them to read, finding out which colleagues have client meetings or court hearings that they can attend.

noblegiraffe · 03/12/2011 11:47

You certainly wouldn't be allowed to opt out of work experience to study at my school. The timing is after the Y10 exams so just after a big bout of studying. If you don't find a placement, you have to do your work experience in school - filing for the admin staff, picking up litter with the caretakers etc.

The kids who don't get anything out of work experience are usually the ones who don't bother thinking carefully about their placement, those who apply for a couple of places then give up instead of doing it properly or the ones who simply go to work for dad for a week.

Original poster
Alouisee · 03/12/2011 11:55

He really isn't a pfb and yes he could go to the city which is what he wants to do but at 14 I think it would be ridiculous. Both dh and I started work at 16 in the city so I'm under no illusions about what he would be doing. I just feel that his time would be better served by working towards his Gcses - they are constantly force fed how important this year is yet suddenly 2 weeks out of school is necessary "for their cv" - seriously?

OP posts:
Original poster
Alouisee · 03/12/2011 11:58

Also this generation are expected to go to university so they will be 21 at least before they enter the real work place. 6 years after they did work experience.

OP posts:
BrianButterfield · 03/12/2011 12:03

It's not easier for the teachers IME - yes you gain time not teaching Year 10 but before, during and after WE there is extra stuff to do that takes up that time - we are all responsible for 3/4 Y10 students and have to phone or visit placements, make sure they are organised before they go, check paperwork etc. It's a nice change to the rhythm of the year but it's not much of a break!

noblegiraffe · 03/12/2011 12:03

21 before they enter the 'real' work place? Do you not expect your child to get part-time work and holiday jobs then?

cricketballs · 03/12/2011 12:05

its not necessary for their 'cv' but for their general future...

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