18 Feb 2020
The Work Experience program has changed at Kingsgrove High School as of last year. Students now have the opportunity to elect to take part in Work Experience for one week in terms 2 or 3, after negotiation with the host employer and the school. Work Experience is an invaluable opportunity for students to learn on the job skills for a profession they may be interested in the future. We highly recommend that Year 10 and Year 11 students take this opportunity.
Work experience Year 10 students may not always know where they want to train or which career direction to take. A good starting point is to choose the work environment such as an office, shop, factory or marine environment. In which case, gaining experience in an adult work environment is important. It is possible to discover your career path during the work exposure.
What is work experience?
Work experience is an arrangement which allows a student to perform tasks and duties similar to the functions of a regular worker. The goals of work experience placement are to:
· provide learning experience in a real-work environment
· teach and develop specific skills relating to a job
· develop self -confidence and communication skills
· teach students how to work with other people
Benefits of work experience
The placement of work experience year 10 students often provides young Australians with much needed direction as they are able to see which skills potential employers are looking for in an employee. This increases your chances of obtaining employment after school.
Other benefits of a work experience placement include:
· skills development
· clarity in career direction or path
· on-the-job training experience
· improvement of CV or resume
· development of interpersonal skills
Employers benefit as well by gaining access to valuable skills and better choices for recruitment. It is well known that many employers eventually hire work experience Year 10 students on a permanent basis when satisfied with their placements.
A placement may be full-time or extended. Full-time arrangements allow a student to work in a business for a week or longer period, and apply usual hours of work. Extended placements take a longer period to complete in which a student is required to show up and work only once every week.
Organising work experience- steps to follow
1. Ms Theodoris will be able guide students and help facilitate placements for students.
2. Placements are often limited to a few vacancies so it’s best to make enquiries and send applications early.
3. Give the necessary paper work to the Host Employer and the yellow Work Experience form to Ms Theodoris, 3 weeks prior to the start date.
4. It is the student's responsibility to check with teachers regarding possible assessment tasks or tests during the week of work placement.
If you have any questions about work experience, please see Ms Theodoris the Careers Adviser in the library.
Ms Theodoris
Careers Adviser
February 2020