Workplace Experiences

Work Experience is an opportunity for someone to gain experience of the workplace.

Work experience gives young people a chance to develop skills and confidence, learn how organisations work, and find out which local industries and career paths they want to pursue.

It is one of the most important activities that a young person can undertake to provide a link between school and employment. The experience can broaden their understanding of opportunities available, support them to realise their career aspirations and can help them to start building their own network. Young people can gain transferable skills, improve confidence and give them a better sense of self-awareness. Experiencing the world of work helps young people feel better prepared for the future and can assist with the inevitable transition to the workplace.

In a normal year 7,500 14- and 15-year-olds across Dorset would take part in up to one week of work experience. Businesses can pledge to support work experience both in person and virtually.

In-person work experience

Virtual work experience

In person work experience

Schools and colleges plan and deliver in person work experience in different ways. For most, this involves blocking out a week in the school calendar, usually within the summer term, for students to attend work experience placements. These can vary from one to ten days.

During their placement, young people are expected to carry out tasks set by the employer as well as the opportunity to meet and work with colleagues.

If you are an employer thinking about supporting a placement, we have created a range of resources to help you with the process.

Our employer work experience toolkit can be downloaded here.

If you can offer in person work experience placements, we would love to hear from you.

You can pledge your support by completing our get involved form or contacting dorsetcareershub@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Virtual work experience

Dorset Careers Hub has partnered with Speakers for Schools, a national online platform, to provide online work experience for young people in Dorset.

To achieve this we need your help.

We need businesses who can volunteer a total of between two and five days between now and July (from one staff member, or shared by several staff) and want to make a difference for young people in Dorset.

You can pledge your support by completing our get involved form or contacting dorsetcareershub@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Work Experience - Top Tips for Employers

Make it meaningful

• Meet the student prior to placement to understand their aims, objectives and abilities
• Set open ended, real life projects in which they can take ownership
• Focus on quality of placement rather than quantity
• Help students to link their school subjects with tasks in the workplace
• Create a structured plan for their placement with a variety of activities
• Regularly review the placement with student and staff

Benefits to the organisation

• Help generate interest in your organisation as an employer
• Build a talent pipeline
• Gain insight and knowledge from the future generation
• Support the young people within our community
• Enable our schools & colleges to achieve Gatsby Benchmark 6
• Create a highly skilled future workforce to benefit our local economy
• Strengthen training & development skills for current staff

Employer Work Experience Toolkit

We have created an employer work experience toolkit which includes top tips and support to provide a work experience placement for local young people.

You can download your copy here.