« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
W
Work Placements, Work Experience, Work-Based
Vocational Training and School-Business
Partnerships
Pupil work placements can take the form of:
- work experience, generally a 5-day placement
undertaken in S4; managed and delivered by Careers
Scotland or local authorities
- work-based vocational learning for pupils aged 14+
involving an agreed amount of time in the workplace (
e.g. half day a week) working towards a
vocational qualification; managed and delivered by
local authorities in partnership with colleges, private
providers and businesses
- visit to a business as part of experiential
learning; managed and developed by local authorities or
schools.
It can be challenging for schools in some areas to
establish a range of local work experience placements for
pupils and the school's procedures to ensure children and
young people are safe and well, should be presented as
positive steps for both the organisation and the pupil for
their mutual safety.
- schools should gain feedback from pupils on the
quality of placements and the staff in the
organisations who supported them. If pupils have felt
uncomfortable, this should not be ignored when planning
future placements
- organisations willing to provide work experience
placements should be assessed for their suitability,
proposed supervision of the pupil, and the
organisation's own staff safety policies. The
experience for both the organisation and the pupil will
not be successful if they hold different
expectations
- the nature of the business and the tasks to be
undertaken are suitable for the pupils
- pupils are properly prepared for their placement
with advice on appropriate conduct and personal
safety
- pupils have a member of school staff they can
contact at all times
- there are arrangements with the host organisation
to contact the school if there are difficulties or if
the pupil fails to arrive
- transport arrangements to and from the placement
are known by the school, the host organisation and the
parent.
Disclosure checks
Some organisations have employees whose regular duties
include supporting a work placement or hosting pupil
visits. It should be expected that these staff will be
disclosure checked.
In most organisations, staff in contact with pupils will
vary. Disclosure checking for staff in contact with pupils
must therefore be discretionary and must take account of
the circumstances of the placement and the nature of
supervision. In any case, consideration of any likely
requirement for checking should be given well in advance of
the placement, and registration of the employee's
organisation will be required.
« Previous | Contents | Next »