Student Life Information

Work Experience

The government strongly advocates work experience for all KS4 students, and an estimated 95% of students take up a placement before they leave school or college. Its aims range from motivating disaffected students to continue with further education to giving students insight into the reality of working life and possibly a career field they’re interested in. Students are encouraged to find their own placements and spend at least two weeks working, but how useful is this experience?

I asked some of my friends’ questions on the usefulness of their placement, how they secured it, their impressions etc. Everyone said their experience was useful in some way, although enthusiasm varied in measure. This is to be expected with such a diverse range of placements as it’s so difficult to know what you’ll actually be doing, so high expectations will occasionally lead to disappointments.

Emily, 16

I found my placement through a contact at an engineering, procuring & contracting company. I found it very useful and interesting to be shown how the business runs i.e. the different departments and roles of employees within them. One of my personal highlights was discovering how the internet works. Some of the more administrative work was a bit boring, as the more interesting stuff needed specialist training. It was good to have someone I knew there, to ask questions etc, but I do feel that it’s part of the challenge and experience to apply and find your own placement.

Helen, 16

I did my first week at a local NHS hospital. It was definitely a useful, good experience. I shadowed the nurses, doing practical work which didn’t need training, such as disinfecting equipment and feeding patients. Direct contact with the public was rewarding. By going on the doctors’ rounds, I was able to take blood pressure and see scans and blood transfusions taking place. Every day was different, giving me a good insight into a hospital environment. As I’m thinking of going into this field, I found it very beneficial. Although some of the experiences were sad, such as dealing with a dementia patient, it was good to experience the reality of caring for the sick.

I organised my own placement and think it can be unfair that people with contacts can often find placements with little effort. Maybe everyone should have to go though the same procedure of finding their own.

Marcelle, 16

I did my work experience at a multinational shipping and mail distribution company, where I mostly did administration work. It was useful to experience working in an office environment, communicating with employers and staff. I learnt that the monotony of administrative work doesn’t suit me and I’d prefer more intellectual stimulation.

I found my placement through a contact,

Sophie, 16

I did two different placements at two different NHS hospitals and had different experiences at both. The first week involved too much admin which I didn’t appreciate. The second week at a different hospital was really useful, mainly because everything I did interested me and I gained knowledge from it. It was good to gain some first-hand experience of taking blood pressure and watching injections etc. I was shown how to use equipment such as endoscopes, and looked through a telescope to examine an eardrum, it was very hands on. It was the first time I saw what the staff does day to day and it confirmed I want to go into this field.

I got one week through a contact and one I found myself. It’s not unfair that some people get placements through contacts, although I did find a difference in the way you’re treated to other work experience students.

Before my placement at Smaart was confirmed, I wrote a lot of e-mails, made numerous phone calls and wrote lots of letters to different companies. It seemed I was destined for an administrative office job when I hadn’t yet heard back from Smaart. As you can imagine I was both relieved and really satisfied when my persistence paid off, but many people in my position all over the country won’t have been as lucky.

My placement at Smaart Publishing was unique, useful and interesting as I got the chance to write 5 pieces and also worked on the website, and did market research into different schools information websites. This gave me the chance to learn about the market and improve my writing technique.

I think that you are at a disadvantage in some ways if you don’t have a contact in that it can be extremely difficult to find an employer willing to take you on.

Your likelihood of having a contact can be dependant on your background. For example if most of your working family members and their friends are immigrants and/or have manual jobs, it’s you who could the need the opportunity most and be least likely to get it.

For this reason, although it’s a great experience to be able to successfully find your own placement, a more reliable service or link between willing employers and students should be on offer.

What do you think? We’ll publish a selection of your views in the next edition of Get Smaart and also on our website www.getsmaart.com, please email us at info@getsmaart.com with work experience in the subject line.

By Pooja Darbar