Work experience and school aged pupils

Work experience is an important part of education for employability which allows students to learn about the world of work in a 'real life' working situation.

Work experience is intended to give a student an experience of working life and the key skills needed in the workplace rather than a chance to try out an occupation they may want to follow. Within the limits of what is available, and the demands for very popular areas of work, the choice is made to benefit a student's education, rather than for job sampling or recruitment purposes. It is not encouraged to use companies where a student already has a part-time job. The preparation programme for students within school will ask them to look at equal opportunities and stereotyping prior to making choices. All students, from those taking the fewest examinations to those who will take degrees, need real knowledge of the world of work.

On this page you will find information on the following topics:

• Students eligible to take part in work experience
• What students should do whilst on work experience
• Role of the parents or guardians
• Limits on the jobs students can do
• How arrangements are made by the school
• Placement suitability visits
• Specific risk assessment for young workers
• Health and safety at work
• Medical information on students
• Reporting of accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences
• Child protection issues
• Insurance arrangements
• Teacher visits to placement providers
• Hours of work
• Pay, tax and National Insurance (NI)
• Length of work experience
• Lunch and break periods
• Out of the area work placements
• Who to contact at the school if there is a problem

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Students eligible to take part in work experience

Students in the last two years of compulsory schooling can take part in work experience (from the start of Year 10).

What students should do whilst on work experience

As far as possible students should undertake real tasks to give them an idea of the work carried out by the employer. They should learn how the company is organised. Some students may observe the more complicated parts of running a company and should gain an understanding of how enterprise, creativity and innovation help business growth. Every student should have a work experience logbook in which they can record progress. The employer could help by making sure the student completes it and by completing the employer assessment section for the student. Tutors will visit students whilst on placement, except when out of county when a telephone call can be made to follow up on the student.

Role of the parents or guardians

Parents or guardians can offer valuable support in finding placements. Their written consent is needed before a placement can begin. They will have information about the arrangements, and will know how to contact the school if their son or daughter reports a problem to them about their placement. They will be asked to provide medical information which could affect the health, safety and welfare of their son or daughter or to the health and safety of another person whilst on a work placement.

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Limits on the jobs students can do

The Education Act 1996 and local bylaws place limitations on the type of work which students can experience. The school's work experience co-ordinator can give advice on this.

How arrangements are made by the school

The work experience co-ordinator within school plans a scheme of work for the health and safety preparation, briefing and debriefing of students prior to work experience. Students are encouraged to find their own placements, if they are looking for the popular areas ie architecture, accounting etc. Trident, the organisation working on behalf of all schools in Plymouth, trawl for placements for schools and employers make the choice of which schools they will offer placements to. These opportunities form the pool of placements which Trident later send to school for students to look through and make their selection. Employers are later notified of those students by post. Parents, employers and students are asked to complete the approval and agreement form which indicates that all parties agree with the arrangements.

Placement suitability visits

The Trident Team will on behalf of the schools assess the ability of a work experience placement provider to provide for a student's health, safety and welfare whilst on work experience.

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Specific risk assessment for young workers

Employers need to inform students of their main duties and tasks, the type of work, any associated specific risks and their control measures and remind the students of their responsibilities whilst on placement. The result of the risk assessment should then be sent to the parents or guardians. If parents or guardians or employers have any queries or difficulties they can contact the work experience co-ordinator within school.

Health and safety at work

• During preparation in school, students will have the importance of health and safety responsibilities at work outlined to them. They will be informed of their own responsibility for health and safety, safe working practices, signage and significant specific risks and general control measures. The employer will need to reinforce these health and safety responsibilities at the start of their placement through their induction process.
• Some high risk areas have additional health and safety training which students must attend prior to their placement being endorsed.
• The Health and Safety Training for Employment Regulations 1990 give all students whilst on work experience the same protection and duties as employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant statutory provisions.
• The requirement for employers to inform parents or guardians of the outcome of their risk assessment is under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
• The general duty of care which teachers owe to their students will extend to the arranging of any work experience placement.
• The main responsibility for the health and safety of the student whilst on work experience lies with the employer.
• Fire, first aid and accident reporting procedures must be explained to the student by the employer. Similarly, any particular hazards associated with the work area and the work to be done must be explained and the importance of following safe working practices emphasised.
• Employers will provide most safety equipment and protective clothing.
• It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure adequate supervision throughout the placement. Supervisors should be aware of the purpose of work experience, have a good knowledge of health and safety and know something about the young person working with them.

Medical information on students

Each student's health should be considered before a placement is chosen; for example, someone with asthma would avoid dusty places. If a student is on medication the employer must be informed. The parents will be asked to provide medical information which may affect the safety and welfare of their son or daughter or the health and safety of another person whilst on a placement.

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Reporting of accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences

It is the responsibility of the employer to report any accidents, incidents or dangerous occurrences that occur on site following their normal procedures for such reporting covered by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) 1995 Regulations. The employer must report any such accidents or occurrences to the head teacher or work experience co-ordinator of the school and the student's home if a telephone number is provided. Trident must be notified of the accident/incident to ensure that the proper procedures as laid down by the Devon, Torbay Plymouth’s Work Experience Guidelines are adhered to.

Child protection issues

Schools should have given consideration to preparing students to deal with and report incidents that they feel uncomfortable with during their work placement. Employers should take account of child protection issues under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000.

Insurance arrangements

All employers hosting Plymouth students, should have both public liability and employers liability insurance in place when agreeing to host any student on placement. Employers need to ensure that their insurance company is informed of the employer's intention to take on a work experience student. Where a student will be travelling in a vehicle for the purposes of work the vehicle insurance must cover them.

Students must be briefed that if they cause injury or damage through a deliberate act they will not be indemnified by insurance and may be required to meet the cost of any compensation the courts may award.

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Teacher visits to placement providers

Teachers or support staff or learning mentors, support students with regular monitoring and progress visits. Where a visit is deemed not to be 'reasonably practicable' eg out of the area, the school will contact the employer by phone. Employers encourage visits from tutors, as they feel the visit shows commitment and support of the time and effort invested by them in the scheme.

Hours of work

Wherever possible students should work the normal hours of the firm (providing they do not exceed 37 hours in one week).  Students are not permitted to work night shifts, and are not permitted to work before 6am or beyond 10pm. If a student has a part time job, this time forms part of the 37 hours.

Holiday and weekend placements are not permitted under the Local Education Authority's (LEA) approved programme.

Pay, tax and National Insurance (NI)

Students on work experience must not be paid and will not pay tax or NI contributions. Employers can assist with travelling or lunch costs if they wish.

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Length of work experience

There are no fixed requirements. Five to ten days on a 'block' is currently seen as the normal length of stay if work experience is to offer enough depth to be of use. Students on an 'extended' work experience need to work at least one day per week over a term or more, if the experience is to be of real value.

Lunch and break periods

The duty of care of each and every student whilst on a work placement, lies firmly with the school. However, if a student wishes to leave the employers premises, whilst on placement, then parental permission must be given prior to the placement. If this permission is not given, then the student must remain on the employers site.

Out of the area work placements

Schools should endeavour to ensure that learners undertake placements in the county, the only exception being where checking arrangements have been agreed with reciprocal agencies through Trident/Education Business Partnerships. The school is responsible for ensuring that an out of hours emergency number is available to the employer. If a student wishes to undertake work experience out of the area then parents/guardians are responsible for making the appropriate arrangements for travel and accommodation.

Who to contact at the school if there is a problem

Each school has a work experience co-ordinator who can be contacted at any time during the work placement. Parents or guardians and employers should be given the name of the work experience co-ordinator and their contact telephone number prior to the work placement taking place.

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