Work Experience
Work Experience is an enriching and rewarding opportunity for our students, and we encourage students to have work experience in order to deepen their understanding of the work-place environment, and develop an interest in their aspirations. Work experience is something we are incredibly passionate about and helps the school fulfil Gatsby Benchmarks 5 & 6.
Guidance will be given to students via form time activities, careers meetings, lessons and assemblies, on the importance of Work Experience, the realities of Work Experience and how appropriate conduct during Work Experience.
Year 10 Work Experience
In year 10, students will have a dedicated Work Experience week in term 5. This will be managed and recorded on Unifrog.
Year 12 students
Students will complete Work Experience in year 12 for 5 days. Students will be encouraged to arrange their own work experience in year 12, where possible, with the support and guidance of the Head of Year 12 and the Careers Coordinator in Term 3.
Year 12 additional Work Experience :
Year 12 students will also have access to an additional 3 days Work Experience for any additional independent Work Experience placements. We need to ensure our young people are safe, so any additional days out for work experience will need to be fully evidenced, with details of the company including a contact name, telephone number and address. We will need to know the nature of the work experience due to be undertaken and the sort of activities our students are likely to engage in. We will need to be notified in advance, with plenty of time to allow us to undertake any necessary checks to ensure the young person’s safety.
Tracking and monitoring
All Work Experience for year 10 and 12 is arranged, tracked and managed via our Unifrog Placement Tool. This tool encompasses all health and safety checks and permissions from the employer, staff and parents/carers.
Safeguarding
The head of year and Careers Co-ordinator will quality assure and complete Safeguarding checks by tracking students’ Work Experience through the Unifrog platform, visits and phone calls.
All students on placement are covered by the employers’ insurance.
How to find Work Experience placements?
There are a number of ways that students can sources Work Experience
- We actively encourage our students to seek their own Work Experience placements as this exercise can help develop a wide range of skills including research, communication, proactivity.
- Contacting friends, family or local businesses is always a good start. This can then be followed by researching businesses that offer students chosen interest and contacting them directly.
- There is an ail template attached at the bottom of this page that students can adapt when contacting businesses
- Our CV Writing page can help students when it comes to developing their CV - click here to find out more
- RMGS have developed a comprehensive list of businesses and Alumni who have worked with the school in a number of ways, including offering work experience placements. So if students are struggling, we can contact some of these businesses.
- There are also a number of useful resources available to help students look for work experience that is both in person and virtual - these are all listed below.
- On Tuesday 3rd December a representative from CXK will be running a Work Experience drop in session for all Year 12 students.
- 1-2-1 meetings with Mrs Williams (Careers Coordinator) can be booked by students for any help or support with placements
If you and/or your business would like to offer Work Experience placements to students then please contact ewilliams@rmet.org directly.
The following resources can be used by our students to help source Work Experience:
- https://studentladder.co.uk/ : Search thousands of Work Experience placements
- https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/work-experience-and-internships
- https://www.kentprospectus.co.uk/courses/work-experience-search
- https://www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience/search
- https://www.cxk.org/resources/finding-work-experience-or-volunteering/
- https://view.publitas.com/youth-employability-service/cxk-careers-work-experience-gap-years/page/1
- https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/types-of-work-experience
- https://thestemhub.org.uk/index.php/stem-at-home - resources for students to get involved in at home
- https://thestemhub.org.uk/index.php/ambassadors-at-work -ambassadors stories of the roles they are in
- https://imascientist.org.uk/ online student forum
- https://icould.com/explore/ range of careers videos
- https://workexperience.hfm.co.uk/ Virtual Work experience for students interested in design
- https://bsmsoutreach.thinkific.com/courses/VWE Brighton & Sussex Medical School Work Experience for students interested in Medicine