Preparing for work placement
If you have any questions or queries whilst on your placement (or you are concerned parent or guardian) please do not hesitate to contact Work Placement Officer) call the Futures Team on 01253 307094
What will a work placement provide?
General workplace skills
Almost every work placement will help you develop general workplace skills, for example:
experience of the workplace and workplace culture and routines
working alongside adults
carrying out new tasks
fitting in with the ‘workplace culture’
developing self confidence.
Work experience is an excellent opportunity to develop and apply employability skills.
These are the skills that employers would most like their employees to have:
Personal presentation
Enthusiasm and initiative
Time management and organisation
Communication
Numeracy and literacy
Integrity
Problem solving and creativity
Teamwork
IT
Negotiation and decision making
Secured yourself a work placement and now you need to prepare for it? Follow these handy tips to make sure you are feeling confident and can get the most out of your placement.
Researching the company before you start will help you to understand more about what the company does and create a great first impression.
Be organised. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to your placement, plan your route before you go, be sure to arrive on time and stick to your lunch break times. This is extremely important and can be the difference between a great impression and a poor impression.
Take your work placement diary and make sure to fill it out with information about the company and daily tasks you complete so you have a record of what you achieved
Dress smartly. It is important to turn up in smart work clothes, for example a smart shirt, black trousers and work shoes for boys and a smart shirt, work trousers/skirt and work shoes for girls. Talk to your placement provider before you arrive as they may have uniform or a different dress code for you to adhere to.
Be professional and polite. This is essential in creating a good impression and will show maturity.
Get stuck in! It's your work placement so make sure you make the most of the opportunity- ask lots of questions, offer to help, get to know people, use your initiative and show lots of enthusiasm.
Make sure you let the work placement team know where you are completing your placement and the days you are attending so we can log it on your college records!
Please let your employer and the work placement team know if you are unwell, running late or unable to attend for any reason as soon as possible so we are not concerned about you and know your whereabouts!
Remember you have got this! The vast majority of our students return from placement having had a fantastic time and with a whole host of new skills!
Many of you will be working with vulnerable people in care homes, schools or nurseries or similar settings. Your may require a DBS (Criminal Records Check) to be completed well in advance of your placement. Click below for further information.
