Employers
Thank you very much for providing a Work Experience placement opportunity for our student(s) (or considering doing so).
The opportunities you offer students help build confidence, inspire students with new ideas for future careers and open doors they might not otherwise have found - in some instances work experience can represent a turning point in a young person’s life. We hope that you will enjoy engaging with our young people and helping to shape the workforce of the future.
“a young person who has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer is 86% less likely to be unemployed or not in education or training and can earn up to 22% more during their career” Education and Employers Taskforce
What do we mean by “meaningful”?
Where possible, a work experience placement will:
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Have a clear purpose, which is shared with the employer and the young person (see aims above – some of the skills students might develop are: communication, organisation, teamwork, resilience, being proactive, creativity, problem solving)
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be underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the needs of the young person (students should have two or more things that they are hoping to get out of the experience and communicate these to their employer in advance, for example: learning about the industry, variety of roles and career pathways, developing confidence and communication skills)
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involve significant two-way interactions between the young person and employees
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include opportunities for young people to meet a range of different people from the workplace (we recognise this may not be possible in a small business)
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include opportunities for young people to perform a task set by the employer or to produce a piece of work relevant to that workplace
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include the employer providing feedback to the young person about their work (students will be given a logbook with space for feedback each day and/or at the end of the week)
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be followed by opportunities for the young person to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through their experience (this will take place during a subsequent lesson at school)
Health and Safety
The Health and Safety Executive’s website provides information about insurance and risk assessments, which we hope will assist and reassure you.
This link will help you to consider what the level of risk might be, particularly if taking on a young person for the first time.
Other opportunities to get involved
We offer a number of opportunities to get involved throughout the year including workshops, meet the employer events, 1-1 mentoring and Work Experience. If you think you can help, or would like more information, please contact our Work Experience Coordinator, Elianne Edgington eedgington@ridgewayeducation.com or Careers Lead, Stuart George sgeorge@ridgewayeducation.com.
We would also like to keep employers informed of these Careers opportunities and initiatives throughout the year through our Employers database. We would love for you to join us!
