The value of work experience
Having recently conducted a really interesting interview with AA Apprentice, Abi, I have been left pondering one of the particular comments she made: “I’d never even set foot in an office until I started working in one.” I realise that’s probably very true for lots of first-time workers – in any workplace, not just an office!
It has prompted me to reflect on the importance of work experience. I think we tend to get a little side-tracked by thinking that a work experience placement only has value if it is in a career area the young person is interested in and we forget that there are so many other valuable experiences on offer as well.
I have worked with apprentices for twenty years and one aspect of working life that some struggle with is the ‘colleague’ relationship. For a young person who’s only relationships with adults so far have been with authority figures (parents, teachers etc; people who might ‘tell them off’), it can take a while to adjust to the ‘team-mate’ relationship of the working environment. I remember one young man in particular who was very reluctant to share problems with me, his line manager, until the day I helped him solve one; suddenly he realised that I was interested in his success and our working relationship started to change for the better. The opportunity to spend time in a workplace and experience how adults interact as colleagues is really useful.
There are also, of course, lots of opportunities to experience all of those ‘employability skills’ that careers advisors talk about. The importance of turning up on time, looking presentable, having a good telephone manner and so on are far better demonstrated for real in a workplace than in theory in a classroom. I think these skills have been made even more important by the workplace disruption we have experienced during the pandemic. We are potentially asking a new generation of young people to contribute to a workplace from their bedroom; physically turning up might not be the issue but trust, respect and reliability still are, so understanding how important these are in work teams has become even more critical.
A work experience placement is equally as useful if it helps you work out what you don’t want to do. My own work experience made me realise that there would be some aspects of my intended career that just wouldn’t suit my temperament, so it also helped me to broaden my horizons and consider other options.
It’s important to experience whatever work experience possible, whether the school or college offers it or not. The enhanced work placements with the new T Level qualifications are a great initiative. If you are an employer, please consider offering work experience or a placement, they are extremely useful for the next generation and your potential future workforce.
If you are a student, there is no reason why you or parents cannot arrange their own. Whether it’s a few mornings, a fortnight or a full on ‘internship’, experience of a workplace – any workplace – always offers learning opportunities. Work experience is never wasted time!
Claire, Magazine Editor