Engineering and construction faculties introduced to Importance of Work Experience

Exeter College is joining in celebrations for this year's Work Experience Week by offering learners in Engineering and Construction opportunities to find out the benefits of good quality work experience, which will be included as part of their full time course.

Work Experience Week, which this year takes place from 12th-16th October, is a week dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of high quality work experience.

Run by national charity Fair Train – developers of the national Work Experience Quality Standard accreditation - Work Experience Week is a chance for organisations to showcase the positive work they are doing and help raise the quantity of high quality work experience placements.

Recent government legislation means that work experience is no longer compulsory in schools. This, combined with the decline of the Saturday job and an ageing workforce, means that young people are struggling more than ever to get work experience and, as a result, employment.

During this week, full time learners studying to Level 1 or Level 2 will be introduced to the college’s newly appointed, Work Experience Co-ordinator, Julie Rogers, who has been appointed to help link them with local employers, willing to offer a work placement.

Julie hopes to explain the benefits of high quality work placements and introduce the learners to a couple of employers who already offer work placements or apprenticeships to learners at Exeter College, studying similar trades.

“We are always looking for new employers who are interested in offering a work placement for a full time learner.” said Julie “These work placements are short term and benefit the employer by bringing in learners with new enthusiasm and views. An additional benefit is that the employer has the ability to trial a potential employee and discover if they are right for their organisation. We’re keen to hear from businesses who could offer a work placement.”

Beth Gardner, CEO of Fair Train, commented: “Currently, only one in four employers offer any type of work experience, and we don’t think that’s good enough. But with work-based learning on the increase – the Government has recently announced its commitment to creating three million new Apprenticeships, for example – it is vital that we don’t just focus on numbers. We must ensure that all learners receive a high quality work experience.”

Fair Train works with organisations such as Exeter College, which is leading the way in developing high quality work experience programmes in construction and engineering. Work Experience Week is the ideal time to showcase the positive work being done by organisations across the country who are reaping the rewards when it comes to work experience, and to encourage others to do the same.”

For more information, please contact Julie Rogers at Exeter College Business Solutions, 01392 400400 julierogers@exe-coll.ac.uk

For more information about Work Experience Week, please visit: http://www.fairtrain.org/weweek