Work Experience 2014

Dates of Work Experience 2014

Monday 28th April to Friday 2nd May

Choosing where to go…

The choosing of an employer and the application process are important parts of the overall work experience programme. Any local employer can be approached to

provide a work experience placement as long as:

The employer has BOTH Public Liability Insurance and Employer’s

Liability Insurance and

The paperwork is returned to school by the deadline date

Past experience has proven that placements organised by students (with or without assistance from

parents), have a very high success rate compared to placements

organised for students by school

Therefore, students are responsible for finding

their own work experience placement

With assistance from a parent/guardian if needed(With assistance from a parent/guardian if needed)

Can students attend placements outside of Exeter?

Placements outside of Exeter are possible - but only with early planning

(This is due to the extra time involved in organising relevant Health & Safety checks)

Students also need to consider the additional travelling time and costs

involved

Work placements outside of Devon are discouraged due to the additional Heath & Safety/Risk Assessment requirements and

costs

Should a student choose to organise a placement outside of Devon, the additional

costs will need to be met by a parent/guardian

These costs vary depending on the part of the Country but can range from £50 to £150+

Work Experience placements out of the country are not possible

What is Veryan Webview?

The Veryan Webview database is compiled by the Devon Education Business Partnership,

the organisation who ensures all placements meet current health & safety legislation

The database has details of all the local employers who have accepted work experience placements in the past

Students are strongly encouraged to use this database for assistance if they are unsure

which local employer to contact (instructions and logon details for access to this database

are included in the booklet)

How are applications made?Mail shot

Some students find a ‘mail shot’ approach successful – posting application letters early then choosing which placement to attend if they receive more than one

positive response (a guideline to writing a letter of application is included in the

booklet)

TelephoneOther students prefer to telephone employers to enquire whether they could offer a placement, and then follow up

positive telephone responses with a more formal letter enclosing the paperwork

Word of MouthVery often students find placements through contacts such as family friends, older siblings, neighbours etc.

Whichever approach you feel will work best for you, please ensure that you do it

as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as some employers are

popular choices for students, and so operate a ‘first come, first served’

system of acceptance

A word of warning Almost every year there are a number of

students who receive verbal agreement from an employer, but fail to ‘see it through’ and get the paperwork completed… the employers then

accepted other students in their place

MAKE SURE THE PLACEMENT IS 100%

FINALISED AND SECURE BY GETTING THE

PAPERWORK COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO

SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Please be aware…There are several employers in the Exeter locality with whom we have had very little success in placing students. These include:

◦ The Met Office◦ The Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital / GP surgeries◦ Scientific placements◦ Sporting Goods retailers

This is for various reasons (including confidentiality and insurance issues) but it is fairer to point this out to students rather than have many disappointed if negative responses are sent back to school

Students should also be aware that the following services organise their own work experience weeks at various times in the school year:

◦ Armed Services◦ The Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and the Fire Service◦ Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital

These opportunities will be advertised through tutors but students should be aware that attending these organisations for general work experience week will, very likely, not be possible

What paperwork is involved?

There are two important pieces of paperwork that need to be included

with letters of application to employers:

Employer’s Confirmation Form

and

Risk Assessment Form

The student’s name and the dates of work experience are to be entered by the student prior to sending this form to their chosen employer. The employer will complete the rest of the form before returning it to school

This form will give students all the information they need for their first day on placement (hours, what to wear etc.)

Employer’s Confirmation Form

The top half of this form requires completion and signature by a parent/guardian stating any information about their child they feel an employer should be made aware of

The employer will then complete the bottom half of this form and return it to school with the Employer’s Confirmation Form

Risk Assessment Form

Paperwork continued…

The final item which should be included with the student’s letter to employers is a copy of a letter from the school explaining the work experience program in

more detail

Completed paperwork

Once the completed paperwork is sent back to school by the employer,

it will be photocopied and copies sent home for parents/students

information

The deadline for paperwork to be returned to school by employers is

Fri 7th Feb 2014This then allows sufficient time to inspect any employers who do not have current valid Health & Safety

checks prior to school breaking up for the Easter break

DEADLINE

What is a Health & Safety check?All work placements are Health & Safety checked by an organisation called the Devon Education Business Partnership (DEBP)

The DEBP carry out premises inspections and ensure the necessary insurance requirements are in place for every placement

These checks are a safeguard to ensure the safety and welfare of students on work experience placements and are non-negotiable

Without clearance from the DEBP, school

cannot allow placements to go ahead – even with

parental permission

Difficulties…Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a list of available and confirmed placements to distribute to students

If a student is having genuine difficulty finding a placement, school can assist them. However, students must be aware that they would then have to accept the first available placement found for them by a member of school staff

….and finally!

All the paperwork mentioned is available for you to take away this evening. There

is also a checklist bulleting the basic steps of applying for a work experience placement on the back of the booklet

THANK YOU for your support in attending this evening