Work Experience disaster

[JackieO22]

DS 15 had work experience this week and absolutely hates it. So gutted, it seemed the perfect job for him but he just wants to come home. Know he is out of his comfort zone as doesn't know anyone but this will happen when he's older and starts working. Can't give more details as outing. Think employers will not be giving good feedback to school, just feel so sad for him.

I hated my school work experience. I hardly had anything to do to fill the time and I stopped going after a few days. I did a second work experience a year later but I had to stop that one as well as I got severe tonsillitis!
My son didn't even bother getting a proper placement and stayed at school helping out in the labs. At the time he felt really socially awkward outside of his peer group. Now he is a confident city worker who'll go for anything and talk to anyone. It wasn't a defining factor in his life.

I'm so glad this wasn't inflicted on me. I would have hated it.
I remember when l was older and working in an office we were sent students on WE and l felt so bad for them. No one really had the time to show them much, and what we did show them was incredibly dull and boring. It felt like such a long week, l can only imagine how the poor students felt.

But it's just an "experience" - no one promises that it will be the right one.

It should never put you off a career or life-goal.

Just chalk it up to "wrong place" or "wrong fit" but surely no one jibs off a whole career plan or ambition based on some randoms they meet for a week or two?

I did my work experience (45 years ago) in the local primary school and I loved it. They found loads for me to do, a lot of it unsupervised, so it probably wouldn’t be possible in this day and age.

Only one of my 3 dc did WE. He’s ND so when he was asked if he was tired as he kept yawning he denied it and told them he was just bored. Nothing like telling it as it is. @JackieO22 don’t worry too much If he’s really unhappy, let him leave it for now. At 15 I worried how any of mine would cope in an adult world. At 28, 26 and almost 18 they are more than ok.

Why did he think it appropriate to come home ?

I get that work experience can be a disappointment, or that some people can be right outside their comfort zone, but I don't understand how a 15 year old doesn't understand that he has agreed to go there for a week, and it is to experience work (however flawed that can be at some placements) and that there are only X more hour until it was time to finish and that it was completely inappropriate to walk out.

In the past I’ve had youngsters in year 10/11 at work for work experience. Honestly I’ve always found the girls seem to cope with it better at that age. The boys generally had bad timekeeping and weren’t very proactive with work, not letting me know they were finished etc. I’ve always just assumed it’s down the girls being more mature at that age. I’ve never given any bad feedback.
They’ve come in for taster of the work not to be put off forever. 9-5 is a long day when compared to 9-3, they’re in a different routine and in an adult world where there may be real consequences. I regularly let them finish early because they’re usually knackered and/or bored.
I’d be shocked if your sons work experience give bad feedback, they’re probably just worried about him. I hope it goes well for him tomorrow.