Work experience provides a crucial opportunity for the development of vital employability skills. It can take place at any point, but for most it’s something which happens during secondary school education years. For many that week or two will be the first taste of working life.
Work experience is defined as “a placement on employer’s premises in which a learner carries out a particular task or duty, or a range of tasks or duties, more or less as would an employee, but with the emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience”
Work experience provides many benefits, giving young people skills and experience that will allow them to stand out to potential employers as well as helping them choose the right sector to work in. Some will go into Work Experience with a clear career ambition, some will want to sample something they like the look of and for others the experience will be to simply experience work. For all it is valuable experience; developing employability skills is essential alongside traditional academic qualifications to help prepare for life after school, college and university.