1. Career Exploration and Real-World Insight

To provide students with firsthand experience of a professional environment, allowing them to bridge the gap between academic theory and daily industry realities. This helps them test their career interests and make more informed decisions regarding their future university courses or career pathways.

2. Development of Professional "Soft" Skills

To cultivate essential employability skills that are difficult to fully replicate in a classroom setting. Students will practice professional communication, workplace etiquette, time management, and problem-solving while interacting with colleagues and clients in a mature environment.

3. Building Confidence, Independence, and Networks

To challenge students to step outside their comfort zones by navigating an adult work environment. This experience fosters personal growth, self-reliance, and gives them a tangible, professional achievement to add to their resumes and future university applications.

1. The Time Commitment

• Exact Dates: Monday June 15 - Friday June 19 June 2026.

• Working Hours: Students are expected to work standard business hours (e.g., 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM), but these can be adjusted to suit your specific industry or operational needs. Ideally completely the experience for 25-40 hours. 

• Flexibility: If you can only host a student for 3 days instead of 5, let us know if you are open to part-time placements!

2. Financial Expectations

• Unpaid Placement: This is purely an educational exercise. Businesses are not expected or required to pay the students.

• Transport & Food: Students are responsible for organizing their own transport to and from the workplace, and they will bring their own lunch or buy it themselves (unless the business chooses to treat them!).

3. Supervision & Tasks

• Dedicated Point of Contact: The business will need to assign one staff member to be the student's primary supervisor or "mentor" for the week.  This will need to be confirmed in May. 

• What will the student actually do? Reassure them that students do not need a rigorous, minute-by-minute syllabus. A successful week usually includes:

  • A Mini-Project: Assigning the student a small, low-stakes project on Monday (e.g., researching a competitor, designing a mock social media post, writing a short report, or auditing a process) that they can work on independently and present back to you on Thursday or Friday.

  • Shadowing: Sitting in on team meetings, client calls, or site visits.

  • Basic Tasks: Assisting with data entry, research, organizing materials, or setting up for events.

  • Informational Interviews: Spending 15 minutes chatting with different team members about their career paths.

4.  Choosing the student placement

• • Business will be provided with any students information that apply, from their you can view their applications and make the decision on who you would like to offer. Or you can leave it up to the school to make the decision.  You will also be welcome to conduct interview as you wish with the applications. 

So, you want to find your own Work Experience placement for June 15 – 19? That is a great move. Sourcing your own placement means you get to choose exactly what industry you want to explore, and it looks amazing on your future resume.

Finding a placement is just like finding a job. Here is your 5-step game plan to getting a "Yes!"

Step 1: Brainstorm Your Targets

Don't just think about "jobs"—think about what you actually enjoy doing.

• Do you love sports? Target local gyms, physiotherapy clinics, or sports marketing agencies.

• Are you creative? Look for graphic design studios, local theaters, architecture firms, or marketing companies.

• Love animals? Vets, animal shelters, or even large pet stores.

• The "Network" Hack: Ask your parents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings where they work. Sometimes a warm introduction from someone you know is the easiest way in!

Action: Write down a list of 5 to 10 local businesses you would love to spend a week with.

Step 2: Find the Right Person to Ask

Sending an email to a general info@ address often gets lost. You need to be a bit of a detective.

• Go to the company's website and look for the "About Us" or "Our Team" page.

• Try to find the name and email of the Manager, Owner, or HR Director.

• If you can't find an email online, call the main reception desk and politely ask: "Hi, I'm a local student looking to apply for a work experience week. Could you tell me who I should email my application to?"

Step 3: Make Your Pitch

You have three ways to reach out. Choose the one that fits the business best:

1. The Email (Best for offices and large companies): Use the Cold Email Template. Remember to customize it! Mention exactly why you love their specific company. Attach a simple 1-page CV.

2. The Phone Call (Fastest way to get an answer): It might feel scary, but it works! Have a script ready: "Hi, my name is [Name] and I'm a Grade [10/11] student at [School]. I am highly interested in [Industry] and was wondering if you ever host students for work experience? I am looking for a placement from 15-19 June."

3. The "Walk-In" (Best for retail, cafes, and local high-street businesses): Print out your CV, put on some smart-casual clothes, and walk in during a quiet time (e.g., don't go to a café at 1:00 PM on a Friday!). Ask to speak to the manager, shake their hand, and introduce yourself.

Step 4: The Art of the Follow-Up

Professionals are busy. If you email them and don't hear back, they probably didn't reject you—they just forgot to reply.

• The 7-Day Rule: Wait exactly one week. If you haven't heard back, send a polite follow-up email: "Dear [Name], I’m just following up on my previous email regarding work experience in June. I would absolutely love the opportunity to learn from your team. Thank you for your time!"

• If they still don't reply, cross them off your list and move on to the next one. Don't take it personally!

Step 5: You Got a "Yes!"... Now What?

Congratulations! As soon as an employer says yes, you need to hand it over to the school (Ms Walker) so we can handle the boring (but important) legal stuff.

• Get the employer's Full Name, Job Title, Email, and Phone Number.

• We will contact them to confirm the placement. 

💡 Top 3 Pro-Tips for Success:

1. Apply Early: The best placements get snapped up months in advance by other ambitious students. Start your outreach now.

2. Be Flexible: They might say, "We can't host you for 5 days, but we can do 3." Say yes! Partial experience is better than none.

3. Check Your Junk Folder: Sometimes, professional business emails get filtered into student spam folders. Check it daily!