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Work Experience Diary2018

Arrive on time

Get involved

Start time?

Name_______________________Prepare the

Form________________________ night before

Personal details

This booklet belongs to:

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………….………………

Form: ..……………………………………………………………………….…………….………….

My work experience is at:

Organisation: …………………………………………………………………………………..……

Address: ……………………………………….……………………………………………………….

Postcode:………………………………………… ……………………………………………..……

Telephone Number:………………………………………………………………………………

Contact Name:………………………………………………………………………………………

How I am going to get there:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

In case of emergency please contact:

School: ………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

Telephone Number: ……………………………………………………………………………….

About this booklet

If you want to succeed in life, to gain qualifications and to get a job which you enjoy doing, you will need to acquire the skills and qualities employers are looking for.

This booklet is designed to help that process and form a complete record of your work experience placement.

Personal detailsPreparing & PlanningHopes and expectationsWhat I need to do before my placement starts…Researching your placement and finding out what they doResearching your routeIntroductory Telephone callPreliminary visitWhat if’s….InductionHealth & safetyKey Skills

Diary LogSelf EvaluationMaking sense of learningThanking your employer Key Information/Things to rememberNotes

Preparing and planning for your placement

Why should you take part in work experience?

A carefully planned work experience placement can:

Give you a chance to experience a working life

Help you discover something about your skills, abilities and talents

Give you the chance to see how to develop your potential through job choice and vocational training

Help to show you the link between school work and future work within a career

Help you to learn about personal presentation skills for interviews

Help you to make better informed decisions about your future

Provide you with opportunities to work alongside adults and to be treated as a young adult

What will your employer belooking for?

Personal skills and qualities are particularly important to employers. Employers will always be interested in people who can display the following:

The ability to work as part of a team

Enthusiasm

Initiative Loyalty

Positive attitude

Flexibility

Willingness to work

Honesty

Reliability

Responsibility

What are your hopes or expectations for your workexperience?

Read the list of ideas below, then, record three ideas of your own.

Here are some ideas which other students have identified:

Find out about a particularoccupation by working alongside people doing these jobs.

Talk to workers about why andhow they chose their particular jobs.

Improve my independence,confidence, responsibility, ability to work in a team.

Gain practical experience ofwhat it is like to work; e.g. longer hours, having a boss, being responsible for something, etc.

Actually use skills like ICT,Maths and English etc, gained in school, in a useful situation.

Find out about workingconditions, Health and Safety, pressures of work, etc.

What do you personally want to gainfrom work experience? Record three ideas:

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2……………………………………………………………..

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3……………………………………………………………..

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Researching your Placement

Name of organisation: ……………………………………………………………………...

Address of organisation: ……………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Does the company have a website?: ………………………………..……………….

When was the organisation established?: …………………………….……………

Who owns the organisation?:(one person or a set of directors)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………What does the organisation do or manufacture? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Local or National company?...............................................................................

How does the company advertise itself(TV, Local Paper/radio etc)?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

How many employees does it have?……………………………………………………..

How many branches/offices?....................................................................

Now you have the details of your work experience placement there are some things you will need to do.

1 Check the details are correct. Let Miss Lovatt know if any of the details are wrong, especially which Band you are. Remember Bands H & S go on work experience on the week beginning 9th July and Band G on the week beginning the 16th.

2 Read all the information you have been given.

3 Make that introductory phone call before 30th June and arrange your preliminary visit or ask any questions over the phone.

4 Any problems or concerns that you find during this introductory phone call can be dealt with but you must see Miss Lovatt as soon as possible and let her know.

5 Research your placement and your route there….find out bus routes, times etc

What if………?

You are ill…

It is very important that you telephone your placementas early as possible and speak to your contact person. Ifyou cannot ring yourself then your parent or guardianmust let your employers know. Explain the reason foryour absence and how long you are likely to be away.Also telephone the school. If you cannot speak to Miss Lovatt or Mrs Harrison directly then leave a message.Miss Lovatt/Mrs Harrison 01204 572941

You are going to be late…

Let your supervisor know. Always apologise. Do not tryto blame anyone else. Make sure you are on time/early on everyoccasion afterwards.

You do not understand what you have been asked to do…

If you are given a task which you do not understand orare not sure how to do, then ask for help. People willalways be willing to help and guide you. They willremember when they were ‘new’ and know what it islike. Always thank them afterwards.

You have a problem…

Quietly speak to your supervisor, if possible away from colleagues. Explain your concern simply and calmly. The chances are that others will have had similar problems before. If you are still unhappy then ring school. Do not leave your placement or behave rudely towards your employer. Someone from the school will come and see you as soon as possible.

Health & Safety

Fire ExtinguishersThere are many different types of fire extinguishers. Modern fireextinguishers are all red, but with different labels to show the sorts of fireon which they should be used. Older fire extinguishers are all differentcolours.

Lifting CorrectlyIf you have to lift anything at work, you should be shown how to do thisproperly. Make sure that you lift safely so you don’t injure your back.

•Bend your knees – not your back•Keep your back straight•Lift from your knees

Every year many people are injured at work. Some are permanently disabled – some even die. Don’t let this happen to you.

Understanding safety signs Prohibition Sign:Tells you that you must NOT do something. A red, round sign, showing a black picture with a bar through it (e.g. No Smoking).

Mandatory Sign:Tells you that you must do something. A blue, round sign shows a white picture (e.g. you must wear a helmet).

Hazard or Warning Sign:Tells you that you must be aware of something. A yellow, triangular sign shows a black picture (e.g. Electrical Hazard).

Safe Condition Sign:Tells you that it is to do something. A green square (or rectangle) sign shows a white picture (e.g. First Aid Box).

For more information see ww w. hse. go v. uk

Induction – On the first day of your placement, as part of your induction, your supervisor or another person should identify a number of health and safety rules followed by the organisation.

Health and Safety at work

It is very important that you follow health and safety rules when you are on your work experience placement. You have responsibilities just as much as the employer.

Every employer will expect that you will: Act responsibly Follow the health and safety rules Be tidy in your work Only use equipment on which you have

been trained Not to do anything that will endanger

others, e.g. practical jokesGenerally, you must not do anything to endanger either yourself or others in the workplace – including colleagues and customers.

Here is a checklist for the health and safety topics you should cover when at most employers’ premises. Initial each one when you have covered the top (not all topics are required in every employment situation).

Certain employers will also have specificprocesses or activities which could include: Fire drills Dangerous substances Warning signs Use of any machinery

Who is responsible for health and safety? Fire evacuation procedureWhere is/are the fire extinguisher/s?Instructions for operating machinery

You will have health and safety information fromtwo sources:1. You will have received some information on

health and safety from school as part of particular subjects as well as specifically for work experience.

Make sure on your first day that you know what the employer’s health and safety rules are and that you understand the fire regulations.

What protective clothing is needed for the workWhere is the accident book? Where is the first aid box?Who is/are trained first aider/s?

Signed Pupil:

Signed Employer:

During your placement

Diary LogBy completing this diary each day, it will help you to REFLECT and REVIEW on your experiences and help you to make sense of what you have learned from your work experience placement.

Day 1What did you do today?

Day 2 Day 3

Day 4 Day 5 What I enjoyed most about my week…..

Self evaluationKey skills are a range of skills and personal qualities which can be applied to different tasks or activities, and are essential in the world of work.

Key Skills are listed in bold. The areas in normal type show personal qualities.

Key Skills What can they mean Ways they may be used

Communication Listening, expressing yourself clearly, understanding decisions, ability to spell correctly, readingskills.

Friendly manner, politeness, sense of humour, positive attitude.

Problem Solving Finding the right information, learning from others, identifying problems, reaching decisions, avoiding conflict, looking atsolutions.

Patience, imagination, initiative, listening skills, good memory, enthusiasm.

Working with others Teamwork, responsibility, getting on with others, using initiative.

Friendly manner, patience, confidence, perseverance. Able to accept criticism, assertive, senseof humour, enthusiasm, loyalty.

Improving own learning and performance

Learning from others, learning from mistakes developing confidence, setting targets, identifying ownweaknesses, willing to learn.

Patience, flexibility, enthusiasm, positive attitude, not afraid to ask for help, able to follow instructionsusing initiative.

Application of number Using numbers, handling money accurately, estimating, measuring,collecting and recording data.

Clear handwriting, patience, confidence.

Information Technology Using fax machines, telecommunications equipment,computers/PCs, computerised tills.

Patience, initiative, good memory, perseverance.

Listening Focusing on people when in a conversation, taking in instructions, paying attention inmeetings/interviews

Focusing, paying attention,politeness

Confidence Using own initiative, ability to address people and groups, beingable to speak up with issues

Initiative, enthusiasm, assertiveness

Thinking Outside the Box Being able to use own initiative,coming up with new ideas

Initiative , patience, imagination

Enterprise and Skills

Fill in the boxes to show how much you think you have improved during work experience. Remember, you are comparing how well you can do something now with how well you could do it before.

Not at all A great deal

I believe I am now 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Better organised

More knowledgeable about the world of work

More confident in myself

Confident

More determined

More able to takeresponsibility

More likely to solve aproblem on my own

Enterprising

Self evaluation1. Did you research your placement before you started? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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2. What did you enjoy most about your work experience placement?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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3. What did you not enjoy?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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4. What are your feelings about the organisation and conditions in which you worked?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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5. What are your feelings about the people you have worked with?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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6. Which things did you find most difficult and why?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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7. What are the main things you have learnt from your work experience?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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8. How will what you have learnt affect your approach to school or further education?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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9. What, if anything, would you do differently if you did your work experience again?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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10. How was your week of work experience different from school?……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..…………………………………………

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Thanking your employerWork experience is not something that employers have to take part in. The employer on your placement has kindly offered you a placement to give you the opportunity to experience the workplace before you leave school and help to prepare you.

It is therefore very appropriate and good practice to write to your employer to thank him or her.It will also provide you with a good experience in learning how to write a business letter using the correctlayout, correct spelling and neat handwriting.

Write the employers name, title and address

If you know or have met your employer, use

his or her name

Mr R P Smith Manager Arcon LtdUnit55 Tower Ind EstBlackpoolFY3 4RL

Dear Mr Smith

RE: Work Experience

Katerina Illious72 Pier Lane

BlackpoolFY1 3ER

4th July 2013

A title helps MrSmith know

what the letter isabout

Thank you for allowing me to spend two weeks work experience at your organisation. I found it very interesting especially the day spent in the workshop and the chance to learn Computer Aided Design.

Please will you thank everyone who helped me especially my supervisor MrJones.

Yours sincerely

Katerina Illious

End with sincerely if you know the name

of the person and

Self evaluationfaithfully if the letter

is to Sir or Madam

No t es