Provide a college student with the opportunity to spend time in your organisation, contributing to your business while gaining vital experience and learning new skills.
Description
Work experience might be for a few days, or longer- this can be agreed with the college, but essentially provides a college student with the opportunity to spend time in your organisation to enable them to develop their skills and knowledge and gain vital experience in order to get a head start in their chosen career, whilst contributing to your business.
Would you like to provide a college student with the opportunity to spend time in your organisation, contributing to your business while gaining vital experience and learning new skills?
If you aren’t sure about what it means to offer work experience, what’s involved, or need help to decide the type of roles that you can offer then we can help and support you through every stage of the process.
The colleges can design a placement that would benefit your business and work towards teaching students the skills that you would look for in an employee, based on your business needs. Work experience might be for a few days, or longer- this can be agreed with the college.
Benefits to Businesses
Becoming involved can provide businesses with a better understanding of their workforce and skills needs. Providing work experience placements can also;
- develop the management skills of your current workforce,
- help to improve your recruitment processes through accessing a pool of young people who offer enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the business.
- enhance your public profile by supporting your local community
- help to build strong relationships with your local college.
What does it involve?
The college will be responsible for making sure students are ready for their industry placement. You can work with the college to help identify the most suitable student for your placement and organisation.
Key activities and learning goals, specific to your industry will be agreed with the college before the placement begins.
Employers’ responsibilities include providing:
- a safe work environment
- opportunities for the student to develop their technical skills within your industry
- a line manager to support, supervise and mentor the student
- an induction which includes explaining relevant policies and procedures
- at the end of the placement, formal feedback on the student’s progress against the agreed learning goals
“We have been really keen to encourage people to work in the creative industry in East Lancashire. One of the things we have struggled with is recruiting young talent as students head off to university and don’t want to return as they don’t realise the opportunities that are here.
“It’s about future workforce planning for us as a company as well as the short term impact of them contributing to the performance of the business by carrying out client work during the work placement.
“Our current work placement student Adrian, studying Level 3 Games Design at Nelson and Colne College, has been brilliant; he is committed, mature, creative, has fit in from day one and brings a totally fresh perspective.
“I think placements bring twofold benefits to companies – they will get that short term positive impact of the student working for the organisation on the placement, and secondly, the raising awareness that great career opportunities are here on the doorstep of East Lancashire.“