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Work Experience in Year 10

For most students in year 10 in Cornwall there is an expectation that they will complete a full week of work experience towards the end of the academic year.

It is often the case that students are given the responsibility of finding their own placements and in a large school of over 200 students in a year group this is understandable.

Guidance and preparations for the students should always be given; preparing them in the importance of finding the right placement and signposting them to support is essential.

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Guidance and preparations for the students should always be given; preparing them in the importance of finding the right placement and signposting them to support is essential.
Guide Parents around how to support their child for Work Experience
Ensure there is Teachers / Careers Leads support – students without support at home may struggle to find a placement and therefore it is imperative that they are supported by the careers leader and given a range of information sources.

Encourage Information around Work Experience to be given sooner – earlier employer encounters a student experiences may inspire their work experience placement and this should be something discussed with students as they are introduced to new industry sectors and roles
A large proportion of schools and colleges in Cornwall use Cornwall Education Business Partnership to deliver year 10 work experience week safely by providing an employer database and undertaking health and safety checks

Cornwall EBP

It is worth remembering that placements at KS4 should more than ever be relevant, well-structured and high quality as at this stage as they can often lead to employers offering extended placements, apprenticeships and even full time work to good quality candidates.

As students start to engage in work experience, particularly in KS5, it is worth reminding them about the risks of their social media profiles. So many employers are now including social media checks on potential employers as part of their recruitment checks that a poor profile can have a very negative impact.